Tampa Bay Rays news and links: Seattle, where ex-Rays with long hair find power

Getting swept by the Yankees isn’t fun, but this hit was. And more importantly, whoever is behind the Rays twitter has a sense of humor (we already knew this, but continued props):

Bill Chastain has the best post-game collection of quotes, from Mallex Smith on his injury (he was trying to get into a rundown on purpose so that the run could score), and from Kevin Cash on Xavior Cedeno. No word yet on the severity of Smith’s injury.

Links:

• Chastain also wrote about how Kevin Cash thinks of Danny Farquhar as his “second lefty.”
• Marc Topkin says there are changes coming. He cites the need for an outside left-handed relief pitcher, Peter Bourjos getting more time in in left field due to Smith’s injury, and Daniel Robertson starting over Tim Beckham yesterday at shortstop. It’s really not clear, though, from Topkin’s article whether this is him saying that changes SHOULD come or that he has news that the Rays are actually looking for another bullpen arm or actually benching Beckham.
• The Rays are bringing in air filters to try to avoid the flu in Boston.
• The Hardball Times continues to rock the history with a very good piece on Jackie Robinson.
• Ben Badler wrote about the Orioles international scouting and development, criticizing them for not spending enough and mentioning the Rays as a counterexample.

While that $260,000 total might have been an acceptable international spending budget in 1997, ownership’s antiquated approach toward Latin America prevents the Orioles’ international scouts from having the resources they need to do their jobs. Within their own division, the Rays—who have been under the penalty and unable to sign anyone for more than $300,000 the last two signing periods—spent $3 million and signed 36 players in the 2016 calendar year.

• David Laurila interviewed Mark Trumbo about launch angles, and off-season/in-season work and adjustments.
• Behind the paywall at Baseball Prospectus, but Danial Rathman analyzed the changes to ex-Ray Taylor Motter’s swing. Motter may be in the process of becoming the second long-haired Ray to go to Seattle and find his power stroke.
• Also behind the paywall but good, Wilson Karaman wrote about bat speed.
• Good pitching is fun, and Shawn Brody wrote about changes Noah Syndergaard has made. There’s a bit of a David Price transformation here, with a move toward more hard 2-seam fastballs.