The Winter Meetings begin next week, and Chaim Bloom met with the media yesterday to discuss what lies ahead:

Someone asked Bloom if the Rays were in on Bryce Harper...

“This is a time to look at a wide array of possibilities,’’ Bloom said. “The important thing for us is make sure we balance our opinion that we have a group that is capable right now of competing for the postseason with knowing this is something we want to do not just once, but we want to do year in and year out and have a consistently and sustainably competitive club.’’

Read more from Marc Topkin here.

Rays News

• Hillsborough County’s commissioners met yesterday, and for the first time publicly discussed the framework for funding a new Rays stadium
• County Administrator Mike Merrill set an unofficial deadline of May 1 for a deal to be hammered out, but also didn’t leave much up to negotiation:

“We’ve got nothing else after this,” Merrill said. “This is the best we can do.”

• Another member of the Rays FO is on the move. Many in the media like to dunk on the Rays, but a good tree bears good fruit.

• More on the Rays newly invented Process and Analytics Coach position

Other Links

• The Cardinals have acquired Rays trade target Paul Goldschmidt from the Diamondbacks for a trade built around major league ready catcher Carson Kelly, their version of Jake Faria, an infielder and a Competitive Balance pick after the second round

• Sheryl Ring on the Addison Russell decision
• Jeff Sullivan on the problem with people having a problem with the shift
• Continued application of DRC+: Patrick Debuque on Coors Field | Robert Arthur looks back at past performances
• Historians have determined what the ancient tunnels under Ybor City were used for...