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Tampa Bay News
ZiPS projections for the Rays are now available! For newbies, ZiPS is the projection system created by Dan Szymborski and published on FanGraphs. His write-up of the roster is always interesting, and it’s fun to see who he projects to have a good year. ZiPS doesn’t, shockingly, think Randy Arozarena will be the next Ted Williams, although Randy is projected to have a strong season. We will all be very happy if Brandon Lowe and Austin Meadows end up close to these numbers. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, not surprisingly, top the list of pitchers.
The Rays signed Michael Wacha, RHP, to a one-year, $3 million contract. Wacha had some very strong years with the Cardinals. I would urge you not to look at his stats from the past two years, however.
Wacha is pleased to be coming to Tampa Bay, per Marc Topkin ($)
Craig Edwards discusses the Wacha signing (and Zunino’s) as having modest upside, and notes that Wacha had the misfortune last year of being a fly ball pitcher on a team with terrible outfield defense. The Rays, in contrast, have one of the league’s best outfields, which could lead to better results for the pitcher.
Sports Illustrated has some “best moments” awards for 2020, and Tampa Bay Teams are well represented.
Rays fans will never tire of relieving this Game 4 World Series sequence:
Brett Phillips' heroics in Game 4 of the World Series for the Tampa Bay Rays helped take home the Game of the Year award #SIAwards https://t.co/3nzDy395Po pic.twitter.com/hZnOb6hDbS
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 20, 2020
But the Lightning had their recognition, too. Reading well after the fact that Stamkos was playing with a very serious core injury gives this some Kirk Gibson vibes:
The 2020 Play of the Year award goes to Steven Stamkos (@RealStamkos91) with his Game 3 goal in the Stanley Cup Final! #SIAwards pic.twitter.com/QeiM8LrMrn
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 20, 2020
A moment of silence, please, for this anniversary:
On this day in 2017, the Rays traded Evan Longoria, the franchise's all-time leader in WAR, to the Giants
— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) December 20, 2020
Around Baseball
Teams have seemed reluctant to spend, and that acts as an informal salary cap, say Buster Olney.
These MLB posts are a reminder that baseball has become an increasingly international sport. Also a good way to test your knowledge of national flags!
⚾️ is a game. pic.twitter.com/OfJSh9S1Fj
— MLB (@MLB) December 19, 2020
You might think ESPN would want to feature the 2020 AL pennant winners in their Sunday night coverage, but you’d be wrong. Here’s the schedule for the first half of the season. Once again the Rays will get limited national coverage, and then when (knock on wood) the team makes it to the postseason the main narrative about the team from the national media will be “who are these guys? I haven’t heard of them!”