The 2011-2012 Off-Season DRB Schedule

On one hand, the offseason is a dark, lonely time. It's only a few months until baseball kicks off again, but those can feel like some of the longest months of the year. In the wise words of Rogers Hornsby, "People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring."

But on the other hand, the offseason is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the hot stove, and the constant rumors and trade-talk over the offseason works well to fill that baseball-shaped hole in my life. It's also a time of the year when some of the best baseball writing and analysis happens, as there's much more time to work on stories and dig into the numbers than there is during the season.

So without further ado, I present the DRaysBay offseason posting schedule. We'll be starting off each weekday morning (8 AM) with a Rays Tank link post, and then following up with at least one feature piece per day (10 AM). We'll also be covering any rumors surrounding the Rays as they develop, and keep you abreast of all breaking news. And if you want to hear about the breaking news even quicker, follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

Here's what you can expect from our features:

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Monday: Hot Stove analysis by Steve Slow, Infographics by EminenceFront

Every Monday, I'll look into various topics related to the hot stove season: the Rays' payroll, areas of need, players to pursue, etc. In the afternoon, EmFront will be joining our staff and creating some nifty visuals about the Rays.

Tuesday: Prospect talk with Imperialism

Kevin will keep up with his weekly prospect columns, keeping us abreast of the AFL action and breaking down the Rays' minor league system.

Wednesday: Interviews and Deep Thoughts by Erik, Caption Contests.

Every offseason we solicit interviews from a wide range of people: fellow bloggers, Rays front-office personnel, players, media members (both local and otherwise), etc. We'll be keeping that going each Wednesday morning.

In the afternoons, we'll have a weekly Caption Contest. This will be more than just a weekly competition, though; we'll keep track of the total recs everyone gets and give out a prize to the top scorer at the end of the offseason. I'm thinking it'll be two tickets to the Rays' home opener, but I'm open to suggestions.

Thursday: Jason Collette
Friday: J.C. Mitchell
Saturday: Mr. Negative

Baseball analysis from Collette, Mitchell, and Mr. Neg. I know Mr. Neg is going to spend some time looking back at memorable moments from the 2011 season, and Collette wants to tackle some large issues surrounding the Rays (e.g. stadium financing). All these guys will be looking both forward and backward, providing us with player and hot stove analyses.