Tampa Bay Rays News and Links: No one signs like Gastón!

Rays Links

• No confirmation of a done deal as of yet, but Neftalí Ruiz reported on Twitter that Sandy Gastón agreed to a $2.6MM deal with the Rays.
• Chaim Bloom is among the final 3 candidates for the Mets GM job, with second round of call back interviews beginning today.
• La Velle E. Neal III at the Star Tribune reports that Rocco Baldelli is getting a second interview with the Minnesota Twins. Former Rays hitting coach and current Twins bench coach, Derek Shelton is still in the running for the manager job as well, although there is some rumored talk of a Baldelli and Shelton reunion on the same staff.
• BaseballAmerica released their 2018 All-Rookie team, and at 2B is Ben Zobrist 2.0!
• Rays Radio breaks down the busy offseason that is about to kick off.
• The Rays media team released a video of volunteer help and supplies sent to the Florida Panhandle recently.
• Marc Topkin has a World Series preview, through a Rays-centric lense.

Around the League

• In honor of the World Series beginning tonight, check out Jay Jaffee’s piece at FanGraphs on the entwined history of the Red Sox and Dodgers.
• The Arizona Diamondbacks re-signed 3B Eduardo Escobar to a 3 year/ $21 million deal.
• The Marlins introduced and unveiled their prize IFA acquisitions: the Mesa Brothers. To celebrate, the Marlins twitter account rebranded as the Miami Miami Marlins.
• Zach Buchanan at The Athletic has an amazing story and interview from a former Rice pitcher on the gauntlet that was surviving and growing as a pitcher from Rice.
• Trevor Bauer is savage on Twitter. But sometimes that backfires into setting yourself up to be dunked on.
• Sam Miller at ESPN has two sentences (and a quasi-ranking) for the 50 players who are in the World Series.