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Despite eight scoreless innings from Chris Archer, Jake McGee, and Joel Peralta, the Rays -- and Grant Balfour -- managed to put up another crooked number on themselves.
Joe Maddon thinks that Jake McGee is the Rays "one true All-Star," despite him not being the closer.
Eno Sarris contemplates the Rays as sellers.
Chris Archer talked to David Laurila about the college/MLB decision for high school draftees. As usual, he makes a thoughtful point, saying that the minors are about development, not production, and if he had pitched as poorly in college as he did early on in his professional career, he wouldn't have got the chance to play.
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For a brief moment, it seemed like Alfredo Despaigne was poised to come to the United States and be the next Jose Abreu/Yoenis Cespedes. That sparked Alex Skillin to ruminate on the allure of the unknown in baseball.
Jeff Sullivan took an overhead look at whether or not all these shifts are working, and his numbers are surprising.
Nick Ashbourne looked at the biggest black holes in baseball. Rays catcher, much as it may seem, is not one of them.