Tampa Bay Rays news and links: I didn’t miss anything, right guys?

I had the privilege of going to see my alma mater (the University of Vermont) play in their first-round matchup in the NCAA tournament on Thursday, staying with a friend in the Hartford area and missing out on Rays’ news for the most part until late in the evening.

However, I’m a professional (stop laughing), and I have the Friday news and links beat, so I’m still going to let you know what went on in the world of the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday. Plus, it can’t be too wild, right? It’s late March, this is just the slow push towards actual baseball.

11:30 p.m.: Flips off college basketball, go to DRaysBay Slack

What on earth just happened?

The easy part to understand is that Blake Snell is now on a team-friendly (whether you prefer to call that a “good contract,” or are part of the New-Age Baseball Media who thinks that this phrasing does a disservice to the player) deal for the next five years.

The not quite as easy to figure out in a brief skimming of almost 1,000 slack messages as to clock strikes midnight: Apparently Rays Twitter was OUT and ABOUT on Thursday after the news.

And good on them.

There were a lot of still-piping-hot takes that were able to be exposed, and Rays fans across the internet let those Hot Take Artists really hear it. These Picassos did not take a shining to that treatment and World War Z 2: This time it’s about the Rays and whether they’re ruining baseball or just trying to win games while also make money broke out as a side effect.

If you’re looking for some entertaining reading for the next few hours, so go through any notable Rays Twitter personality’s tweets and replies, but if that’s not your cup of tea, here are some actual stories from around the Rays world and the greater world of baseball.

Rays Links

• Well, well, well, look who’s spending money in Tampa Bay — A+ headline work there, John.
• Rays make huge investment in future by signing Blake Snell to five-year, $50 million extension — Slightly less outstanding headline work from The Athletic... shades of Michael Scott.
• Snell trades $15,500 for $50 million — See what ZIPS makes of the signing.
• Rays journal: Brendan McKay impresses in start versus Braves — Oh by the way, there were a pair of Rays spring training games yesterday, including an impressive first start from Rays two-way man McKay. Actual Baseball!
• Game 26: Rays 8, Atlanta Braves 1 — Postgame news and notes — Neil’s thoughts on the day all around.
• Speaking of Neil, he gets the shoutout from Blake at the end of this question, which is awesome:

• Previewing the AL East: Tampa Bay Rays — What our friends over at Camden Chat think about us in 2019 (not quite enough).
• American League East Preview: Tampa Bay Rays — What our friends at Over the Monster think about us in 2019 (closer, but also not quite enough).

Around the League

• Keri: The 2019 MLB Trade Value player rankings, Part 3 — Make sure to check out this whole series if you can.
• 30 breakout prospects for 2019 — The Rays selection is Shane Baz. That would just be the cherry on what has already proven to be such an excellent deal with Pittsburgh (not that we don’t miss you, Chris).
• Baseball’s new frontier: Inside the looming battle between players and teams over the new data — This is worth the sit down for the lengthy read.
• Pedro Beato: pitcher and barber — a feel good story from Phillies camp