Leslie Anderson, Justin Ruggiano Designated for Assignment
by Steve Slowinski on Feb 8, 2011 2:06 PM EST
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PrintIn order to make room for Manny and Damon, we knew two players had to get removed from the 40-man roster. It took a long time for the final show to drop, but now it finally has: Marc Topkin from the St. Pete Times is reporting that both Justin Ruggiano and Leslie Anderson have been designated for assignment (DFA).
What this essentially means is that both players have been removed from the Rays' 40-man roster and placed on waivers. Any other team could pick them up now, free of charge, but if no team claims them after set period of time, they could be designated to the Rays' minor leagues. Only time will tell if either of these two is claimed by another team, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Ruggiano claimed. While he's never had an extended chance to contribute at the big league level with the Rays, Ruggs is a corner outfielder that's entering his prime (28 years old currently) and has shown some offensive upside in Durham the past few seasons (.363 wOBA last season). He's not going to light the world on fire, but he seems good enough for some team to justify giving him a roster spot and a chance to succeed.
In the end, this isn't a large loss for the Rays. Both players are dispensable in the Rays' current outfield / first base logjam, and both players were well down the Rays' depth chart - Ruggiano stuck behind Sam Fuld, and Anderson stuck behind Casey Kotchman. It's possible that Leslie Anderson slips through the waivers, but even then I wouldn't be too excited about him: the reports out of the Arizona Fall League about him suggested his bat speed was slow and his upside limited.
A change of scenery might be best for Ruggiano, so here's hoping that some other team picks him up and can provide him with some playing time. I always hate to see player languish in the minors - maybe this will finally be his chance.
For more on the move, see R.J. Anderon's take over at The Process Report.
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If he is claimed on waivers, we get bailed.
Les is owed 200K, 400K, and 500K over the next 3 seasons. . If he clears waivers we can assign him to Durham. They probably want someone to claim him.
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Given Anderson has options,
I’d be surprised if he wasn’t claimed.
And I still say Ruggs is better than most team’s 25th man.
If John Jaso somehow strikes out, it means you didn’t do your job right as an umpire.
by raysrule44 on Jul 9, 2010 8:37 PM CDT
He wasn't our best option though
Fuld’s defense and speed make him a much better 25th man than Ruggiano. I am hoping holding on to Lobaton leads to a Shoppach deal and a Chirinos call up but I doubt it.
Under construction
what's strange
is that the Rays very rarely give up on an asset of any sort.
I don’t think it’s particularly likely that either Ruggiano or Anderson would have played a role on the 2011 Rays (although, in fairness, I didn’t think at this time last year that it was particularly likely that John Jason was going to play a role on the 2010 Rays). I agree that Fuld > Ruggiano, particularly given that Ruggiano hasn’t shown any particular fondness for hitting left-handers. I similarly agree that a slap-hitting lefty corner outfielder/1B is almost certainly redundant on this roster.
But both of these guys have value in MLB terms. They’re both better than, I don’t know, a half-dozen guys on the Orioles, Pirates, Mets and other teams’ 40-man rosters. And maybe the Rays can get something in trade, but as of today, I find this pretty puzzling.
To answer the obvious question: I would DFA Ekstrom and return Cabral to the Red Sox.
Leslie is due over 3 yearas almost what Manny is making this year.
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that's pretty misleading
the MLB minimum is $400K (plus a cost of living adjustment). Anderson is owed less over the next 3 years than whomever the 25th man on the roster will receive.
How is it misleading?
Paying a minor leaguer like a major leaguer is like having to pay a 26 man roster. If they feel he is fringy at best, he’s not worth paying near major league money to play in AAA. And if he clears, they freed up the roster spot with all parts in tact.
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Ekstrom gets tossed under the bus a lot, but he's not half bad. I was surprised looking at this numbers.
His 2010 season in Triple-A was much better than you’d think. I don’t know how well he’ll ever translate to the majors, but he’s not the atrocity I think we all assume he is.
I love Casey Fossum. Now try and take me seriously.
by Steve Slowinski on Feb 8, 2011 3:36 PM EST up reply actions
Oh yeah, that's very true.
I just think I’d rather DFA Ruggs than him at this point.
I love Casey Fossum. Now try and take me seriously.
by Steve Slowinski on Feb 8, 2011 3:45 PM EST up reply actions
Agreed. He's out of options and unlikely to make the team.
So either now or at the start of the season. May as well do it now.
Same with Elliot Johnson, unless they want Felipe to spend some time in Triple-A.
by R.J. Anderson on Feb 8, 2011 3:49 PM EST up reply actions
If that were so, then why people act like Felipe Lopez is gonna beat out Elliot Johnson?
Same situation, and if Johnson gets put on waivers, chances are he will be picked up. Doesn’t really match the Rays MO.
E. Johnson gets held on to the last minute, IMO
As an out of option guy that could help some team(including the Rays), he is the type of player that a team holds on to as long as possible in ST. If Lopez beats him out, Rays have a better chance of retaining Johnson(waiving him with no team claiming him) when almost all other ML rosters are set. If they keep him on the 25 man and Lopez starts in AAA, at some point if they want to bring Lopez up, Johnson is more likely to be claimed after the season starts when teams may have more of a need for a utility type( an injury along the way, other teams roster decisions not working out…).
A trade is still a distinct possibility for both players before a waiver claim is actually allowed to go ahead.
Perhaps less so with Ruggiano, but Anderson could get us some lower minor league return, even if it is a non-prospect. If for some unlikely reason that both players clear waivers, I think that Ruggiano becomes an automatic minor league free agent, whereas Anderson would be placed back in Durham without him necessarily agreeing to it.
I still think he can be productive
but I agree that after adding Kotchman there isn’t much of a need to keep him around. I wouldn’t be suprised if another team in need of someone like him picks him up. He could be very useful to a low budget team over the next 3 years for cheap if he pans out, and if he doesn’t he isn’t an overly expensive miss.
these 2 DNF's are not 100% directly tied to the Manny/Damon signings...
if we didn’t ask for (or have to take Fuld) from the Cubs, then only one spot needed to be cleared.
This is why those trade threads are not 100% accurate. We really don’t have the true story why decisions that are made, which force the organization to have to make reactionary moves, such as a DNF.
Something tells me either Anderson or Ruggs 2 is going to stick, contribute, and have a decent WAR. Thus whose WAR do you compare against? Garza?, Manny?, Damon?, Kotchman (if he gets a spot ofn the 40man roster, etc ????
But Perez is even worse at hitting than Fuld
And Ruggiano all together sucks, like him as the 25th man.
Under construction
No waivers...yet
They were DFA’d, yes, but now the FO has 10 days to trade, assign, whatever them. Only after all fails, then they are placed on waivers, and then able to be claimed for $20K waiver fee. If they pass through, then they can be assigned to the minors.
maybe a trade is coming....
They are still valuable, so I’m thinking that a trade is in the works, maybe for some relief help. How about the Bucs, they have 2 decent closers, and they could use Ruggs, Anderson….whoever. I have a feeling…..
Are you saying this because teams so regularly
trade younger, inexpensive closers and All Star set up guys still a full season from arbitration for AAA OF in their late 20’s?
Just wondering if that was what you were thinking there?
by nyyfaninlaaland on Feb 8, 2011 10:21 PM EST up reply actions
the idea, not the names..
maybe not the names I mentioned to the Bucs, but my thought was that they have the extra pieces the Rays need. I meant that a trade is coming soon, the players….just a guess.
What the Bucs need are backup IF's and Relief Pitchers
Basically mirroring where the Rays are also somewhat deficient.
In the OF they have Garrett Jones and Matt Diaz platooning in LF / bench, with McCutcheon in CF and Tabata in RF. 5th OF now is John Bowker – younger than both Ruggiano and Anderson, and offering more potential LH power, which their park (see G. Jones) rewards.
The fact is neither Ruggiano nor Anderson have near the value perceived by many here – Ruggiano because he’s out of options, Anderson for the 4 year committment.
My point was even dumb orgs don’t trade top 2 pen arms that are also inexpensive for possible 5th OF’ers. Either of those guys would command a highly rated hign minors SP – Torres, e.g. – and probably another guy.
by nyyfaninlaaland on Feb 10, 2011 2:11 AM EST up reply actions
Getting rid of Leslie
puts Kotchman one step closer to the 1b job.This means more ST at bats for Casey.
so what made Anderson the better option if DanJo fails than Kotchman?
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what makes Anderson a better option than someone like Kotchman to a team like us
is that if he pans out and becomes a solid player we would have had him on the cheap for 3 years. If Kotchman has a solid ML season than we would have to pay him more next year.
But from all reports, the odds of Leslie panning out are even lower than Kotchman.
Which isn’t saying much. Kotchman is good defensively, so we know we have at least one positive thing going on with him.
I love Casey Fossum. Now try and take me seriously.
by Steve Slowinski on Feb 8, 2011 4:03 PM EST up reply actions
I agree
but the chances Balfour would have turned into what he did, Pena into what he did, Benoit bouncing back into what he did, Jaso popping up as lead-off guy for a division winner, etc, etc etc….. how many guys to we have to see come out of nowhere. Yea that means nothing directly for Anderson but he is the type of guy we give a shot too because the risk is low and the reward is high. I never wanted to just give him the job (I though Johnson/Zobrist would be fine at 1B) but I always liked the idea of giving him a shot in ST to at the very least get an idea of what he can do.
Not quite the same thing here.
Pena, Balfour, and Benoit all had tell-tale signs in their stats (and scouting reports, I’d reckon) that they could be productive players. It was still unlikely that they’d explode like they did, but their numbers did show them to have a lot of potential upside.
Leslie hasn’t shown that sort of upside. His numbers and scouting report have been rather unimpressive….decent, but nothing to suggest he’s another Pena waiting to bloom.
I guess a shorter (if slightly exaggerated) way to put it is that Pena, Balf, and Benoit only “came out of nowhere” to the people that weren’t looking in the right spots. You can look all you want at Leslie….there’s not much there to see.
I love Casey Fossum. Now try and take me seriously.
by Steve Slowinski on Feb 8, 2011 4:13 PM EST up reply actions
My only thing with Anderson
Is it doesn’t seem like his scouting report has really changed since he was signed. And his numbers went to exactly the expectations laid out for him. If doing what he was projected to do gets him cut (and puts us on the hook for his salary), its hard for me to agree with the process as a whole.
by GomesSweetGomes on Feb 8, 2011 4:19 PM EST up reply actions
Obviously not a lot of money in the grand scheme of things
So not worth getting super worked-up about. But its still a little odd, thats all.
by GomesSweetGomes on Feb 8, 2011 4:21 PM EST up reply actions
Eh, the scouting reports on him during the AFL were less than favorable.
Lots of talk that his bat speed was slow and that his power wasn’t going to show up, I think. I remember thinking he had more power than he’s shown so far, but maybe that’s just me….I’d need to look back on the old scouting reports. He certainly hasn’t shown much plate discipline, but I don’t know if that was in his initial report or not.
I’d imagine it’s tough to evaluate with Cuban ballplayers….the Rays seem to have struck out twice on Ruiz and Anderson, but I like that they were at least willing to try.
I love Casey Fossum. Now try and take me seriously.
by Steve Slowinski on Feb 8, 2011 4:25 PM EST up reply actions
Obviously neither of us are on the ground
But his numbers alone lead me to believe there may have been external factors that led to this decision. Who knows? My only point was it was hard to see what had changed so dramatically from the moment he signed his contract till now.
In any event, worst case we lost Lyle Overbay without the glove.
by GomesSweetGomes on Feb 8, 2011 4:32 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, agree with all that.
It is rather tough to see what changed, especially since we never had a long look at him. One of those things that’s very tough to say from the outside.
I love Casey Fossum. Now try and take me seriously.
by Steve Slowinski on Feb 8, 2011 4:53 PM EST up reply actions
Casey needs
more ST at bats to win the 1b job.Casey is trailing Danjo for the job right now.This will give Joe a better look.
What makes you think I want either of them?
I really doubt that DanJo will fail to point that Anderson or Kotchman would be a better option, and even if he did than we can just stick Zobrist or even Damon at first.
It's getting to the point where I hope Kotchman wins the job out of Spring Training
then is sent down to Durham after hitting .195 going into May.
So with Ruggiano and Perez both gone
Who are the “kids” the heater crowd will ask for the Rays to start in lieu of BJ Upton?
Very good chance that both Ruggiano and Anderson will be back
Ruggiano especially since very few teams want to take on an out of options player who is borderline to make any team out of ST. Most teams are already maxed out on roster space. Anderson has a money commitment(all be it small) with any team that claims him and probably have guys like him (approaching 30 with decreasing chance of making an impact at the majors) in their systems.
Much ado about nothing, IMO.
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