Finding value is something Andrew Friedman does extremely well. In the Money in the Bank series I did last week, I showed how good Friedman was at getting value for a low price. This off-season, Andrew Friedman has shown us another one of his skills, relocation of assets or simply upgrading....

Upgrade-to improve the quality, value, effectiveness, or performance of something.

Status quo is not something Andrew Friedman does well. While some teams are loyal to a fault, Andrew Friedman is not. He could have brought back 2008 contributors, Eric Hinske and Cliff Floyd. He could have resigned fan favorites Jonny Gomes and Rocco Baldelli (he still could, but at his price). He could have kept the same rotation and bullpen that won him a pennant in 2008, but instead of doing that, he got creative.

He traded Edwin Jackson for Matt Joyce, effectively upgrading two spots with one move. He drafted Derek Rodriguez in the Rule 5 draft and signed Joe Nelson to a below market deal. Both Rodriguez and Nelson have solid track records vs. left-handed batters, making the need for a LOOGY insignificant. In this latest move he brings Pat "The Impact Bat" Burrell to replace Cliff Floyd, Eric Hinske, Rocco Baldelli and Jonny Gomes all in one.The best part? He did it without overpaying.

Estimating raises for Hinske($2 mil) and Jackson($2.5 mil) and picking up the options on Floyd and Miller would've cost about $9 million for 2009. Those players combined for about three wins last year. If we replace those four with Burrell, Price, Joyce and Nelson, we're looking at about seven wins for around 11 million. Would you rather have the old four back and save the $2 million? And even if you add in buyouts to Baldelli, Floyd and Miller and push that total to around $15 million dollars you are still banking.

The going rate on a win is around $5 million dollars($4.84). The new crop of Rays are worth about four more wins. That's roughly $19 million dollars in upgrades, but will only cost $7 million more over the 2008 group including the buyouts. Many people thought the Rays would just let other teams set the market for them and sign whoever was left. Andrew Friedman basically just told the world if they call shots, I call audibles.

via mlb.mlb.com

Lil Wayne must be so proud.

A few things I'll be looking for during tonight's start.

1. Sustained velocity: I suspect that we'll see less pitches that go 96+ and far more that go 93-94. Neither of his prior two appearances came in situations where the team desperately needed him to go five innings. Now five innings is the minimum baring something tragic. I'm sure he's still going to be hyped up, but that hasn't been too much of an issue in terms of control.

2. Efficiency: right now Price is averaging roughly 4.6 pitches per plate appearance. That needs to come down and needs to come down by quite a bit. James Shields averages an entire pitch less per PA.

3. Off-speed stuff: Price needs to use his slider and change tonight. Thankfully the Orioles top hitters (Huff, Scott, and Markakis) are left-handed and Price can use his slider. His change needs to make an appearance as well, even if it's not as good as his other pitches, just to keep hitters off balance.

Otherwise I'm looking forward to see the first of many starts in Price's career, frankly I can't get enough of this image:

(Photo by SRQMan)

Well it didn't take too long for David Price, the Rays top prospect, to make his debut. After being promoted from Triple-A Durham prior to this weekend's series Price warmed up yet was not placed into either of yesterday's games in part due to James Shields masterful performance. Today however Edwin Jackson lasted two innings before being yanked leaving Price debuting against the same team he faced in spring training when he faced Wilson Betemit, Shelly Duncan, and Jason Lane and struck each of them out.

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There's not much I can tell you that you don't all ready know, but I'm going to try anyways. First his numbers:

Vero 9.61 K/9, 1.82 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, 1.67 FIP, 22.6 LD%, 48.4 GB%, .308 BABIP
Mont 8.68 K/9, 2.53 BB/9, 1.11 HR/9, 3.92 FIP, 12.6 LD%, 57.0 GB%, .246 BABIP
Durh 8.50 K/9, 4.50 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, 2.81 FIP, 22.4 LD%, 51.7 GB%, .393 BABIP

The encouraging thing is the strikeouts ratio carrying over although Durham's numbers are regular season only, so it's less than 20 innings of sample size. Price is/was a groundball pitcher (YES!) who seems to have good enough control and stuff to post K/BB rates of 3+ as soon as next year (YES!) while limiting homeruns (YES!). Here is minor league splits MLE for Price this season (cumulative stats):

MLE 6.39 K/9, 2.59 BB/9, 0.89 HR/9, 4.15 FIP, 17.5 LD%, 53.3 GB%, .288 BABIP

That compares quite nicely to the season being produced by Pirates ace Paul Maholm, who ranks 60th of 126 pitchers in tRA. The difference? Maholm gives up more than a homerun per nine and he's starting, Price will figure to do some relief work until need dictates otherwise.

Photo by SRQMan

Per the St. Pete Times the Rays are seemingly hinting that due to Baltimore's lefty hitters Price could be the man.  If he indeed does start one of those doubleheader games it will be the third Rays first round pick to  debut against Baltimore this season, joining Evan Longoria and Jeff Niemann from early April.

BALDELLI ASSIGNED TO HIGH A FOR REHAB ASSIGNMENT:

OF Rocco Baldelli, having rehabbed for three months and played in a smattering of Extended Spring Training games, reached the next step in his comeback bid by being assigned to High A Vero Beach for a rehab assignment beginning Monday. Baldelli, the victim of a rare mitochondrial disorder that causes muscle fatigue, will be the Designated Hitter in Vero Beach's scheduled games on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Baldelli had reported no problems with muscle fatigue DH'ing in every other Extended Spring Training game, though Executive Vice President Andrew Friedman asserted that the move was more of a necessity than a great advancement in his recovery.

"It's just an ongoing part of the process. I wouldn't say that at this point there have been any great revelations, but the important thing is, right now he feels good, so we're going to be smart about this thing."

With Extended Spring Training over, the Rays needed to do something with Baldelli to keep him on the field, and that beget the rehab assignment to Vero Beach. The Rays will run into problems, however, with a provision in the Collective Bargaining Agreement that limits the amount of days a player may spend on a rehab assignment in the minor leagues to 20. Marc Lancaster of the Tampa Tribune speculates that the Rays may pull Baldelli off of the rehab assignment at some point to buy time and put him back on at a later date. It is unlikely that he will be ready to complete his rehabilitation after just 20 days.

"It's our sense that if, by chance, we need more time - which at this point we have no idea whether we will or won't - that there will be ways to figure it out within the rules," Friedman said.

PEÑA RECOVERY:

Meanwhile, in other injury news, 1B Carlos Peña is recovering from a broken left index finger that he suffered a week and a half ago. Manager Joe Maddon said that Peña is close to returning, and the first baseman himself insists that he will be ready when eligible to come off the DL on the 19th. That doesn't square with an earlier prognostication by Maddon, so we'll see what comes of that. 

More "News & Notes" follow the jump

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AAA Durham Bulls (34-30)

BULLS OFF-Durham had the day off on Monday. They will return to action today against the Rochester Red Wings at 7:05. The game begins a road trip for the Bulls that will see them play three other games in Rochester, as well as four in Buffalo against the Bisons. The Bulls next play at home on June 19th, when they face the Norfolk Tides. Starting for Durham this evening is RHP Chris Mason, who will be opposed by Minnesota Twins phenom Francisco Liriano.

BULLS Up Next-at Rochester, 7:05 EST (RH Chris Mason)

AA Montgomery Biscuits (31-34)

News-The Rays have placed Montgomery RHP Richard De Los Santos and 1B Rhyne Hughes on the seven day disabled list due to a sore pitching shoulder and a left hamstring strain, respectively. De Los Santos missed his scheduled start on Monday night due to the soreness, although since the Rays backdated the move to June 5th, he could potentially make his next start as scheduled on Sunday.

The Biscuits did not immediately make a roster move to replace De Los Santos, instead relying on LHP Jino Gonzalez to make a spot start on Monday evening. Stacy Long of the Montgomery Advertiser speculates that this could mean that RHP Eduardo Morlan is soon to return, and that he will take that spot. Morlan was placed on the DL in late April with a sore right shoulder and is in rehab at Extended Spring Training. The second possibility that Long raises involves the call-up of LHP David Price from High A Vero Beach.

Regardless of the posturing on the De Los Santos move, the Biscuits did move quickly to replace Hughes, re-instating C Alex Jamieson to the active roster. Although Jamieson had traveled with Montgomery for several weeks, he was technically on the roster of the Short-Season Hudson Valley Renegades.

Birmingham 4, BISCUITS 3 (10)-Birmingham drove in the winning run with a walk-off sacrifice fly in the tenth off of RHP Colter Bean to clinch the SL South's first-half division title over second place Montgomery by a 4-3 final. Four Barons personnel, the manager, a coach, and two players, were all ejected over the course of the game by home plate umpire Chris Ward due to their difference of opinion on ball and strike calls.

BISCUITS Up Next-OFF Today

A+ Vero Beach Devil Rays (32-32)

Ft. Myers 6, V-RAYS 4-LHP Brandon Mann was crushed in Fort Myers' five-run fifth inning, and the Miracle held on to win 6-4. 

V-RAYS Up Next-at Ft. Myers, 7:05 EST (LH Mike Wlodarczyk)

A- Columbus Catfish (24-40)

CATFISH 2, Savannah 1-RHP JESSE DARCY allowed a first inning run, and then he and the two pitchers who followed him did not allow another over the remaining eight innings of the ballgame. The Catfish offense scored just two runs on eight hits, but that would prove to be enough as Columbus won 2-1 for their fourth win in six games following a 12 game losing streak.

CATFISH Up Next-at Savannah, 7:00 EST (RH Jason Ragan)

AAA Durham Bulls (33-29)

BULLS 10, Richmond 2-The Bulls lineup broke out for ten runs on nine hits, while RHP Mitch Talbot and RHP Dale Thayer did not give up an earned run as Durham won their second straight to earn a four game series split with the Richmond Braves.

BULLS Up Next-vs Charlotte, 7:05 EST (RH Jeremy Cummings)

AA Montgomery Biscuits (30-32)

BISCUITS 6, Birmingham 3-LHP Jake McGee gave up a run in each of the first three innings, but settled down while Montgomery scored four in the top of the fourth inning to key a 6-3 win over the Barons. 

BISCUITS Up Next-at Birmingham, 8:05 EST (RH Wade Davis)

A+ Vero Beach Devil Rays (30-31)

Sarasota 12, V-RAYS 3-LHP Ryan Morse was bad, RHP Wilton Noel was worse, and not even CF Desmond Jennings' 3 for 3 day could save Vero Beach from going down in defeat 12-3 to the Sarasota Reds. 

V-RAYS Up Next-vs Sarasota, 6:00 EST (LH David Price)

A- Columbus Catfish (22-39)

CATFISH 11, Rome 1-Columbus won for the second time in three days following a 12 game losing streak, walloping the Rome Braves 11-1 behind seven strong innings from LHP Brian Flores and a 14 hit day from the lineup.

CATFISH Up Next-at Rome, 7:00 EST (RH Alex Cobb)

via www.mlb.com

Our prized young hurler finally takes the mound tonight, and without doing too much disservice to Bishoff's diary I'd like to remind people of what Price can do and ask what you think he'll do.

Pitches: Fastball, slider, change-up, slurve

"Money" pitch: Slider

Fastball sits 94-97, can hit 98+, moves away from righties/in to lefties.

Slider sits around 84-87, extremely late/sharp break that he's not afraid of throwing in two strike counts. Very effective.

Change-up is a work in progress and he has some mechanical issues while throwing it, namely dropping his arm angle which tips the pitch.

Slurve is used as a compliment to his slider, not much else.

2007 statistics (Vanderbilt) 13.10 K9, 2.09 BB9, 6.26:1 K:BB ratio, 0.2 HR9.

And now your turn with some over/unders on the night:

O/U: 5 innings

O/U: 2 strikeouts per inning pitched

O/U: 3 earned runs

O/U: 1 walk

O/U: a hit per inning

O/U: 10 total baserunners

O/U: 70 pitches