There might still be life to that Pat BurrellforMilton Bradley deal after all,Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys. Cubs general manager Jim Hendry has rekindled talks with several clubs over the past 24 hours. Of these meetings Hendry’,eagles jerseys 365djerseys.com O8;s had, he met with Tampa (sic) general manager Andrew Friedman and special assistant Gerry Hunsicker for more than an hour Monday night talking about the format of a Milton BradleyforPat Burrell trade,Wholesale Chris Wells Jersey. There is a difference of $12 million in the two contracts,Cheap Ben Tate Jersey 365djerseys.com Q7,cheap jets nike jerseys, and Hendry and Friedman talked about the parameters of paring down the difference and the money. We still have no idea why the Cubs would try to field a defense that includes both Burrell and Alfonso Soriano in the same outfield. That’;s something the Mets would do. And we have no idea why the Rays would want a guy that . DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

(12 innings). PLAYING A LIL’ PEPPER WITH THE RAYS (random thoughts on yesterday’s game)… Joel Guzman hits singles? When did that start happening? How many people watched the gamewinning hit and thought there was no way Jonny Gomes was going to score. We still aren’t sure how he managed to cross the plate after Guzman hit the ground ball up the middle and Gomes’ first move was to start running back to second base,Denver Broncos Jerseys. We have talked a lot recently about the horrible Rays defense. In the 10th inning we saw a perfect example of how bad the defense can be without committing an error. With a runner on first base and 1 out, Trot Nixon is facing Al Reyes with the score tied 22. Reyes is not a hard thrower, so a lefty is more likely to pull the ball through the hole on the right side, so Brendan Harris was cheating a little in the direction. Nixon hit a routine ground ball to Harris’ right. Harris basically took one step and then fell down in what we can only assume was an attempt to dive for the ball. It should have been a tailormade double play. Rather, it was now first and third with 1 out. Harris not only showed perhaps the worst range ever for a second baseman,cheap patriots jerseys 365djerseys.com P1, but he also showed a lack of natural baseball instincts. While he needs to cheat a little towards the hole with Reyes on the mound, he should have noticed that Dioner Navarro had set up about six inches off the plate, away,vikings jerseys, from the batter. Even at 87 mph,dolphins jerseys 365djerseys.com D2, there is no way Nixon is pulling that ball. Harris should have been leaning up the middle before the pitch was even thrown. We know this is unlikely, but it was hard not to watch the game yesterday and wonder what if Joel Guzman could hit well enough to be a major leaguer and play defense well enough to be a 6’6″ shortstop? It would settle a lot of issues with the Devil Rays lineup in 2008 and beyond. Evan Longoria at third, Goose at short, Iwamura at second, Upton in center. Rocco in another uniform after being flipped for a middle of the rotation starter, and Brendan Harris as the utility infielder. Not a bad lineup…Not bad at all. It is fun watching BJ Upton in center field, and it looks like BJ Upton is having fun playing center field. He must be kicking himself for being so stubborn about switching positions the last two years. He is basically Alfonso Soriano with a better glove. James Shields needs a nickname. The problem is he is almost boring on the mound. But that is a good thing. He is a professional. Yesterday, he walked the first batter of the game, and Shields actually showed a little emotion, that we don’t recall ever seeing from him before. He was right to be upset. That walk led to a run, but he settled down and did not walk another batter. DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…,Cheap Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys;

Matt Moore is the top prospect in baseball according to MLB,chicago bulls jerseys 365djerseys.com J6,cheap brian orakpo jersey.com. And overall, the Rays are wellrepresented on the first top prospects list of the year, with six players total. Joining Moore on the list are HakJu Lee (46), Chris Archer (74), Tim Beckham (92), Mike Mahtook (96) Taylor Guerrieri (99),49ers jerseys 365djerseys.com C6. Lee and Archer came over to the Rays organization via the Matt Garza deal,oklahoma city thunder jerseys. Tim Beckham was the number one overall pick of the 2008 draft. And Mahtook and Guerrieri were drafted by the Rays this past season. While it is nice to see six players on the list, it also shows that with the promotions of Jeremy Hellickson (#2 in 2011) and Desmond Jennings (#11 in 2011), Moore is now the only bigtime prospect in the system. Last year, . In addition to Hellboy and Jennings, Moore was #27,cheap texans nike jerseys, and Archer was #47.

. Jorge Cantu DH’,dallas mavericks jerseys;d and went 04, one day after going 23 with a home run and 5 RBI. 2B Eliot Johnson hit his 9th home run of the season,Ben Tate Jersey. For all the talk of the depth of outfielders in the organization, we think that people are missing the number of infielders that are potential major leaguers. With Jorge Cantu already making a name for himself in the bigs,Cheap Chicago Bears Jerseys 365djerseys.com X4, and B. J. Upton considered by most a star in waiting, the team also has several other prospects. In addition to Johnson, SS Reid Brignac is putting up strong numbers in Visalia. Even as he struggles in the field, Brignac may be the player that pushes Upton to third base or the outfield. Also, Wes Bankston is believed to have a major league bat, although the team is still looking for a position for him to play. He has spent the mojority of this season at 3B after having previously played the outfield and first base. ,new jersey nets jerseys. There is a team called “Inland Empire”? Is this a singleA affiliate of the “Evil Empire”,cheap san antonio spurs jerseys 365djerseys.com O5;? We better look this up…Thanks to the amateur encyclopedites over at Wikipedia we juat learned that “” refers to the region of southern California that includes the counties east of Orange County. The team is the singleA affiliate of the Mariners and appear to be named after Route 66. Too Much Information. . 2 hits for the Rays…yuck.

Remember when we speculated that Evan Longoria’s superduperawesome contract ? And remember how you guys all thought we were crazy? Maybe we weren’t so crazy after all. Longoria dropped his first hint that he wouldn’t mind seeing the remaining years on his contract ripped up. Longoria told Marc Topkin of The St. Pete Times that he would be that would keep him with the Rays for the rest of his career. Longoria added that he would be interested in a deal similar to what his college teammate, Troy Tulowitzki, signed with the Rockies. Tulowitzki recently signed a tenyear, $157.8 million contract. If the Rockies pick up the 2021 club option,Dallas Cowboys Jerseys 365djerseys.com J7,Cheap Smith Jersey, the deal will keep Tulowitzki in a Rockies uniform for the first 15 years of his career, through age 36. 2011 will be the fourth year of Longoria’s sixyear, $17.5 million extension that he signed shortly after being promoted to the major leagues. The contract also has team options for 2014, 2015 and 2016 at very reasonable prices. Those options make the total value of the contract, $47.5 million over nine years. Longoria’s deal would keep him in a Rays uniform for the first nine years of his career,Cheap Detroit Lions Jerseys 365djerseys.com C8, through age 30. Don’t underestimate the power of seeing teammates, friends and lesser players making more money. Have you ever said you would play baseball for free? Maybe you would,San Francisco 49ers Jerseys, for a little while. But eventually you would see how much money everybody else is making,bills nike jerseys, and you will want your fair share. Longoria might be getting the itch for his fair share.

Fernando Perez injured his wrist while diving for a ball during spring training. Lucky for us, he can apparently still type while wearing a cast. He , “Bats.” In his first installment, he chronicles why he became a professional baseball player and what it was like being a Rays minor leaguer during the team’s improbable run last year. It’s natural for TripleA players to not mind a whole lot if their major league club struggles, because that validates their sense of superiority to players in the big leagues. But we were all so caught up in the Rays phenomenon that selfishness dissolved. Sure,cheap packers jerseys, we shared some of the same skepticism as the pundits who expected Tampa to collapse at every juncture. But they just kept winning – 70 games, then 80 and more. By the time I got called up on August 31,San Francisco 49ers Jerseys, I was merely crashing the party,cheap anquan boldin jersey 365djerseys.com H0. We have long been with the fact that Perez went to Columbia University. And we have openly hoped that their obsession is not due to Perez being an AfricanAmerican with a Hispanic surname. But none of that was designed to belittle any of Perez’ accomplishments which we very much admire. We have read Perez’,New Orleans Saints Jerseys 365djerseys.com W0; work in the past, and it is well worth your time,wholesale ray lewis jersey. Fernando Perez: Rays Fandom, Up Close []

With the 2008 MLB draft tomorrow,cheap los angeles lakers jerseys, the Tampa Bay Rays front office is busy preparing for their third rodeo. Now is a good time to take a look back and gauge the early returns from players selected in last year’s draft. We all know about David Price, but what about the rest of the picks. While analyzing each pick we took a look at the next 10 players picked and how they are performing to see if there are any gems the Rays missed. Once you get past that mark, we start looking at players that many teams missed out on, not just the Rays. One of our biggest draft analysis petpeeves it to give too much credit to teams that get a superstar in a later round. For example, the New England Patriots are always credited for drafting Tom Brady in the 6th round. That pick should not be used to show their drafting prowess. They got lucky. If they knew how good Brady would turn out to be,jets jerseys, they would not have risked waiting until the 6th round to select him,cheap denver nuggets jerseys 365djerseys.com M8. Without further ado, we present you the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 2007 top 10 draft picks recap…,ray lewis jersey 365djerseys.com W4,Cheap Dallas Cowboys Jerseys;

Rays pitching prospect Heath Rollins was one of the surprise performers during Spring Training. He was one of the final cuts and was considered a contender for the final bullpen spot that eventually went to Mike Ekstrom. In hindsight, maybe that was a good thing for Rollins,Cheap Kevin Kolb Jersey. Because if he was in the big leagues,Cheap New England Patriots Jerseys 365djerseys.com B0, his Facebook page might soon become a very big story. We have no idea what prompted , but his choice of words was questionable at best…,ray lewis jersey 365djerseys.com I3; “Heath Rollins is a ****” Of course, this could be high schoolish prank being played by a roommate or friend,wholesale anquan boldin jersey. If that is the case, this accentuates the dangers of athletes keeping Facebook pages or Twitter accounts. It is still Rollins’ page and it is his responsibility. If this was Rollins own doing, we will probably never hear an apology from Rollins. The Rays,Wholesale Ben Tate Jersey, in their typical fashion, will likely talk to Rollins privately, while publicly, they will pretend like it never happened. Rollins, the Rays 11th round pick in 2006, has made 3 appearances for Durham this year, allowing 7 runs (4 earned) in 6 innings.

When I first learned that three members of the Rays singleA affiliate Bowling Green Hot Rods had been suspended for 50 games, my first question was “who?” The most prominent name was second baseman Ryan Brett, who is hitting .285 with a .348 OBP, 6 home runs and 48 stolen bases, which ranks third in the Midwest League. The other two players, Charlie Cononie and Justin Woodall are just middling relievers. Then I wanted to know “what,miami heat jerseys?” Was it HGH? Was it testosterone? Was it weed? Nope it was methamphetamine…Oh…,Arizona Cardinals Jerseys 365djerseys.com U6;Wait…,superbowl 49ers jerseys;What? Meth?!? From Major League Baseball… The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that three Minor League players in the Tampa Bay Rays organization have been suspended following their violations of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.? Second baseman Ryan Brett,Indianapolis Colts Jerseys, pitcher Charles Cononie and pitcher Justin Woodall, all of whom are with SingleA Bowling Green of the Midwest League,los angeles clippers jerseys 365djerseys.com Y7, each tested positive for methamphetamine and an amphetamine. All three players have received 50game suspensions without pay, effective immediately. And may god have mercy on your souls…

The GBT – The Good,larry fitzgerald jersey, The Bad and The Telling sandwich, where The Bad is nice and lean and the The Telling is ripe. RAYS 3, Blue Jays 0 () THE GOOD: JP Howell. With a runner on third in the 7th inning and the Rays nursing a 10 lead, Colby Rasmus hit a little nubber between first and second that was going too slow for Jeff Keppinger to make a play. But never fear, Dude was there. Howell chased it down, grabbed it moving towards right field, and then as he was falling down, delivered a strike to Pena to end the inning and save the lead. …Jeremy Hellickson. Hellboy gave up 5 hits and 2 walks in less than 6 innings,panthers nike jerseys, but he actually pitched better than that. Only once in the first 5 innings did the Jays advance a runner to scoring position with less than 2 outs…BJ Upton. BJ’s time with the Rays is nearing an end and the bat of 2007 BJ has finally returned. He now has a careerhigh 26 home runs. And in his last 41 games, he is hitting .269 with 16 home runs. Over a full season, that is about 63 home runs! 63! THE BAD: Chasing the A’s. On the plusside, the A’s have a tough schedule. Seven of their last 10 games are against the Rangers. But there is a chance that the final 3 games won’t mean anything and the Rangers will want to rest their starters,Colts Jerseys 365djerseys.com R6. But more importantly, things would look better for the Rays if they were still chasing the Orioles because of the final series of the year, 3 headtohead games. Headtohead games are worth 2 in the magic number category and makes it a lot easier to play catch up,cheap cutler jersey 365djerseys.com I2. THE TELLING: Stephen Vogt got his first career start at catcher and went 02. He is now 021 to start his career…The Rays set the A.L. record for strikeouts (by pitchers) in a season…Rays will wear wigs ….Of the Rays’,cheap patriots nike jerseys; 6 series against the Red Sox this season, only 2 were of the 3game variety. There were also two 4game series, and two 2game series…The Rays are 8370, 3.5 games (4 in the loss column) behind the A’s and 1 game behind the Angels. According to CoolStandings.com the Rays now have a 9.3% chance of making the playoffs. After 153 games in 2011, the Rays had an 8.5% shot. THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…

The GBT – The Good, The Bad and The Telling sandwich, where The Bad is nice and lean and the The Telling is ripe. THE GOOD: Evan Longoria. Longo’s 2run home run in the 6th was a nice moment in an otherwise ugly night. But there was something else we hadn’t seen in a while: that classic Dirtbag swing. We went back and watched his warning track flyball during the 16inning game against the Red Sox. Last night’s home run clearly has more bat speed. When Longoria has his bat speed, the bat smacks the ground behind him on the followthrough. That was not there against the Sox. It was there last night. THE BAD: Missed Opportunity. The Rays scored an early run with backtoback doubles to start the game. And then threatened to score a bunch more when backtoback walks loaded the bases with no outs. But Matt Joyce struck out when just about any contact would have scored a run. And the Ben Zobrist was thrown out at home on BJ Upton’s flyball, ending the inning with no additional runs…Sam Fuld. One ay after telling you that Fuld was among the best defensive left fielders in baseball,SuperBowl NaVorro Bowman Jersey 365djerseys.com T5, and that he had saved the Rays 8 runs this season, Fuld misplayed not one, but TWO flyballs. The first he misjudged a ball that went over his head,saints jerseys, eventually leading to 2 runs. The second was a routine flyball he never saw. That runner eventually scored,cheap haloti ngata jersey. On top of that, Fuld injured the Royals shortstop with a dirty spikesup slide (). The Royals later retaliated with ball in Fuld’s back…Wade Davis,SuperBowl Patrick Willis Jersey 365djerseys.com V9. There was a lot of chatter about an improved Big Dub returning from the DL. Unfortunately, that was about all he had last night, throwing it 14 times for 11 strikes (2 swinging). THE TELLING: The Rays are 6.5 games behind the Yankees, and according to CoolStandings.com,Cheap Smith Jersey, the Rays now have a 5.8% shot at making the playoffs. The Detroit Tigers, who are only onehalf game better than the Rays, with an easier schedule, have a 50.4% shot. THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA… DOWN ON THE FARM…

The 2008 25man roster prediction is based only on players currently within the organization and will be updated when trades are consummated and free agents are signed. We are now less than a week away from Spring Training and after a couple of more free agent signings,Cheap Green Bay Packers Jerseys, we now have a much better idea of what the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays roster will look like. [Ed. note: on the official website was updated today and lists Evan Longoria as the starting third baseman. This is likely one person's "best guess" as the team has yet to make an official announcement,Cheap Oakland Raiders Jerseys 365djerseys.com J1. However,cheap nfl jerseys 365djerseys.com V5, it could be precluding a Monday announcement. We will have to wait and see,cheap Ryan Jersey. Everything else on the depth chart jives with what we have here, except they list Shawn Riggans as the backup catcher.] Notes on the projection can be found after the roster…,bills jerseys; A FEW NOTES ON THE 25MAN ROSTER…;

For all the talent, the nohitter and helping the Rays to two division titles in three years, one thing is certain about Matt Garza: he is a headcase. And if his first spring training with the Cubs is any indication, not much has changed. Garza has given up 15 runs in 13.2 innings (9.88 ERA) with more walks (10) than strikeouts (9),Tennessee Titans look at changes to help Jake Locker The Tennessean tennessean.com,chargers jerseys. And in his latest outing,cheap redskins jerseys, Garza found yet another excuse for his failings. This time it was the mound. , Garza blamed his latest poor outing (6 baserunners and 3 runs in 3 innings) on “the slant of the [Mariners' spring training field] mound.” Garza was unable to “find a good landing spot,” and ended up with a hamstring that tightened up on him. Now keep in mind,Washington Redskins Jerseys 365djerseys.com U6,Tate Jersey, this is the second?time he has pitched on this field this spring. And presumably, he threw some warmup pitches from the mound prior to the first inning. If there was indeed a problem with the mound, we’re sure the Mariners would have been happy to fix it for him. And certainly the Cubs would have been willing to pull him from the scheduled start, rather than risk an injury. Garza added that he had to “alter [his landing spot] so many times it was hard to get back to normal.” Not exactly the sort of thing a pitcher should be working on during a spring start. Hey, we’ll miss the occasional gem. But we’re not going to miss the mental breakdowns.

. Kevin Lynn got the start in place of JK Ryu who went on the DL. Lynn gave up 5 runs in 5 innings…Reid Brignac was 24 with his 8th double. He also committed his 4th error…Fernando Perez was 04 with 3 strike outs, and Justin Ruggiano was 13 with a triple and a walk…Dan Johnson was 24 with 3 RBI including a 2run single in the 9th when the game was already decided. . (Just curious…are we contractually obligated at this point to point out that the Biscuits “missed an extra point”? Just wondering, because in the world of overused sports cliches,cheap cardinals nike jerseys, the “highscoring baseball game, as a football score” is right there near the top. Just behind “,cheap houston rockets jerseys 365djerseys.com X7,Chris Wells Jersey;crafty lefty” and just ahead of anything Joe Magrane says)…James Houser’s suspension for hitting Matt LaPorta was only for 3 games, so he did not miss a start. He should have as he could not manage to pick up the W despite receiving a touchdown and three field goals worth of run support (see what we did there; much better on the hypothetical kicker’s ego). Houser needed only make it through the 5th inning, but he could not and was knocked out with 1 out in the 5th after allowing 6 runs on 10 hits…3 different players had 3 RBI apiece, including Erold Andrus, Gabby Martinez and Rashad Eldridge… John Jaso had 3 hits, including 2nd double and an RBI…Erold Andrus added his 12th double and Sergio Pedroza knocked his 10th double. . Heath Rollins struck out 7 and walked none, but fell to 12 after allowing 4 runs in 5 innings on 9 hits…Ben Zobrist DH’d and went 13 with an RBI in his first rehab start. . Glenn Gibson struck out 6 in 5 innings,cheap patriots jerseys 365djerseys.com G0,detroit pistons jerseys, but walked 3 and gave up 3 runs on 4 hits…Maiko Loyola was 34 to raise his average to .287 and stole his 14th base. NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…

The GBT – The Good,Cheap Aaron Curry Jersey 365djerseys.com X4, The Bad and The Telling sandwich, where The Bad is nice and lean and the The Telling is ripe. THE GOOD: Clutch Hitting. Fernando Perez drove in the winning run with a single in the 10th. It was the Rays 3rd walkoff win and 4th win in their final at bat. Joe Maddon said he wanted better at bats late in games. Of course if any of the guys that are coming through in the clutch now are on the roster in April, the Rays are screwed…Matt Garza,49ers jerseys 365djerseys.com O9. Garza worked 3 strong innings, striking out 5 and walking none…Alex Torres. Torres made his second appearance a good one pitching 2 scoreless innings of relief,wholesale 2013 SuperBowl Jerseys, striking out 1 and walking 1…Speed. As in the Rays were just showin’ off yesterday when they started an outfield that included Carl Crawford, BJ Upton and Desmond Jennings. THE BAD: Pat Burrell. The Bat has a big hole in it so far. Another 02 and he is now 110 on the spring. So much for coming to spring training in better shape and more determined,wholesale brian cushing jersey. It hasn’t translated to the field yet… THE TELLING: Carlos Pena was given the day off with Chris Richard getting the start at first base…Rafael Soriano will make his first appearance next week,wholesale tom brady jersey. DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

We have made a big deal around these parts recently about the great play of Desmond Jennings. He has come a long ways from when we were ,cheap steelers nike jerseys. Jennings has been so good in his first 35 games that we are beginning to wonder if he is doing enough to make a case for Rookie of the Year, in a season where there is no clearcut favorite. Of course, the biggest factor working against Jennings is his late callup. If Jennings plays in all of the Rays remaining 29 games, he will have played in just 64 games this season. There is precedent for a player winning Rookie of the Year with limited playing time. In 2004, Ryan Howard won the award having played in just 88 games. But to find a position player that played in less than half of his team’s game, we have to go all the back to Willie McCovey in 1959, who played in just 52 games on the way to top rookie honors. In the cases of Howard (22 home run), and McCovey (.354 avg,Cheap Kevin Kolb Jersey 365djerseys.com Y3, 13 HR) they dominated in limited action. The same can be said for Jennings. Let’s take a look at how Jennings’ numbers compare to some other Rookie of the Year candidates*… If we look at Wins Above Replacement (WAR), we see that in just 153 plate appearances, Jennings has already been worth 2,cheap lions jerseys 365djerseys.com Y2.3 Wins to the Rays, which is tops among the rookie position players. This tells us that Jennings numbers are so much better than the other hitters, that it makes up for his limited playing time. The only player that might have a better overall resume is,kerrigan jersey?Michael Pineda of the Mariners. Both Ivan Nova and Jeremy Hellickson have FIPs above 4.00 which suggests that their ERA’s might be lower than they should be. That is especially true for Hellickson who has an FIP more than a run higher than his ERA. On the other hand, Pineda has a strong 3.41 FIP and has been worth 2.9 Wins. Right now, you can make a strong case that Pineda and Jennings have been the two best rookies in the American League. And with a month to go, Jennings has plenty of time to prove he is the better candidate. But will anybody notice? * Data via Fangraphs.com,Cheap Houston Texans Jerseys; Through Sunday’s games.

Time to bring back the GBT – The Good, The Bad and The Telling sandwich, where The Bad is nice and lean and the The Telling is ripe. THE GOOD: Lance Cormier. Cormier (right) is making a strong case to be the last man in the bullpen ahead of Joe Nelson. Joe Maddon has gone to Cormier a lot early in game to face the tougher batters and he has come through with solid spring numbers (1,wholesale patrick peterson jersey 365djerseys.com K4.80 ERA). He pitched two more scoreless innings and his ability to work more than one inning is only going to help his case. THE BAD: The offense,Cheap Minnesota Vikings Jerseys. Rays hitters managed only 1 run on 4 hits and 3 walks. Only one of the hits went for extra bases, a double by Gabe Gross…Jason Hammel. The fifth spot in the rotation is Hammer’,miami heat jerseys 365djerseys.com U8;s but his grasp may be slipping after walking 5 in 4 innings and giving up 4 runs and 6 hits,ed reed jersey. THE TELLING: Adam Kennedy made his spring debut at shortstop, while Reid Brignac made the start,2013 Super Bowl Jerseys. DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…

We are now less than 24 hours away from what will be the biggest day of the 2007 baseball season for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. From most accounts the Rays are faced with the exact same scenario that the Minnesota Twins had to endure in 2001 when they had to choose between Joe Mauer and Mark Prior. In that draft, the Twins went with the can’tmiss catcher who didn’t miss over the “can’t miss” pitcher that has so far not even been close to the target. All indications are that the Rays will take David Price and we have to admit that a 2009 rotation of KazmirShieldsPrice makes us downright giddy. Still, the new Devil Rays front office subscribes to two philosophies that fully agree with. First is the idea of taking the best player available, regardless of position. The second philosophy is an old adage in baseball of being strong up the middle, and that starts with the catching position. We still think the Rays will take Price, but it would not surprise us if the Rays selected Matt Wieters. The Rays pitching depth in the minor leagues is suddenly a strength of the organization and Dioner Navarro has yet to show signs of becoming the allstar many projected when he was the Yankees top prospect. Of course,Cheap Frank Gore Jersey, Wieters might be an easier selection to make if he weren’t represented by . DEVIL RAYS DRAFTOPIA… It’s only a matter of time before they start competing for pennants…I think they’re going to have a great team. With leaders like Scott Kazmir and Carl Crawford leading a group of young, great players. It’s gonna make it a lot easier and fun to play. With manager Joe Maddon, one of the great managers in baseball, they’re obviously a great talented team. The consensus among most scouting directors is that Price stands above everyone else in his draft class. As one put it, “There’s David Price, but after that there aren’t a lot of topofthedraft guys.” I’d say that he’s rated just slightly higher than Andrew Miller was as the top prospect last year. Price also is advised by Bo McKinnis, so there shouldn’t be much risk of protracted negotiations. He’ll probably get the standard contract given to the best college pitchers each year, a big league deal worth from $5 million to $6 million, and MLB may have the Rays wait to announce it because it doesn’t want that deal to affect others. Price also would be a good fit for Tampa Bay. The Rays’ biggest weakness in the majors is pitching, even though they have some impressive arms coming up through the minor [Jim Callis] The deal breaker comes in your evaluation of Price, for me. If he’s a true No. 1 pitcher, and some scouts think he is,Cheap New York Jets Jerseys, I don’t see how you can walk away from him, regardless of your evaluation of Wieters. I don’t think R.J. Harrison, the Devil Rays scouting director, has any doubts about Wieters’,packers jerseys 365djerseys.com B5; ability to catch and throw,wholesale anquan boldin jersey,Sources Defensive staff must interview for jobs - Dallas Cowboys Blog - ESPN Dallas. Let’s not forget, Harrison himself was a tall, lanky catcher in his days in college at Arizona State who was drafted by the Cardinals. But based on the way Price has pitched, my hunch is the Rays’ like him as a future No. 1 pitcher, recognize the lack of starting pitching in Tampa Bay at present, and make Price their choice. [Alan Matthews] I think Price should be, though I do think a case could be made for Matt Wieters. If “signability” weren’t a factor, I’d really want to know, if I were running a club, if my scouts thought Wieters could catch and throw at the big league level. It sounds like he can, and it sounds like he can hit. A switchhitting C, possible repeat allstar kind of talent, versus a frontoftherotation LHP. I’d actually consider organization need in that case, because to me both are legit 1/1 overall talents, and you’re not selling yourself short on talent. In the end I’d still take Price, but it’s pretty close on talent, for me. I don’t think there’s another true 1/1 talent in the draft; it’s down to those two. [John Manuel] Spoke with a couple of general managers recently and asked if they would trade their best young pitcher for Crawford — in both cases, these are excellent major league pitchers — and they immediately shot down the speculation. “No chance,” said one. “I love Crawford, and there are a lot of players I would trade for him. But not that guy [the pitcher], because how would I replace him?”…So if the Rays pass on Price, they would still be searching for someone like him. They need to take the pitcher.

that Milton Bradley got off a plane in Las Vegas at the Winter Meetings and went straight to lunch with Rays officials. that the Rays may be considering several of the top right field/DH free agents including Milton Bradley,Keith Law On Corey Hart Rays Index, Pat Burrell, Bobby Abreu, Jason Giambi, and Raul Ibanez,superbowl 49ers jerseys. Ibanez is the only member of that group that would cost the Rays a first round draft pick as a Type A free agent. Heyman also mentions that Ken Griffey Jr would “love to play near his Orlando hometown.”,Cheap fitzgerald jersey 365djerseys.com G7; that with the Rays already , Griffey at $34 million might be more realistic than the other names, even if the market pushes their salaries down,Ravens Jerseys On Sale. Then again, if the Rays can move salary in other areas (Edwin Jackson), that might be enough to justify adding one of the players listed above at $810 million for one season,wholesale 2013 SuperBowl Jerseys. Rays Take Milton Bradley To Lunch [] Griffey could be good fit for Rays [] Griffey Could Be Good Fit For Rays []

Man, oh, Merlot Joe did the Rays need this one. After the Rays had their pitching staff,Colin Kaepernick Jersey,cheap nfl jerseys from china 365djerseys.com L8, specifically their bullpen, lit up for batting practice by the Chowds,griffin iii jersey 365djerseys.com P2, leave it to “Big Game” James Shields to shut out the BoSux, on Patriots Day no less. Just a tremendous day for Shields who allowed four hits while coming “this close” to a perfect game. KungFu Rodney came in and with his crooked cap, closed the door on the Sux, leaving Cody Ross to whine like a little girl at the plate umpire, throwing his helmet and bat in the dirt after looking at a Rodney pitch to end the game. The Derek Shelton Warriors were at it again today. The Rays scored the lone run of the game on a basesloaded walk. Thank goodness Shields was dominant. The way the Rays bullpen has performed, sans Rodney, and the virtual nonexistent offense from the lower part of the Rays batting order,Chris Wells Jersey, it will take pitching like the type Shields tossed today, three or four times a week from the Rays starters,suggs jersey, for the Rays to stay in the race.