what is going on with the devil rays ?

[questionmarkgrace]

Cantu optioned to AAA, Orvella to AAA, Shawn Riggans to AAA, and BJ Upton starting at second base? Iwamura at third?

 

Cantu would probably have been a good option at firstbase with wigginton starting at second base. He deserved another spot after an injury plagued year in 06. Upton only hit .268 in spring training and is the opening day secondbaseman. Orvella was the best relief pitcher this spring with a .87 era and somehow got cut over a guy with a 4.26 era. I still dont see how Navarro is the catcher either, he cant hit for average, and cant hit for power. Riggans is no slugger either but double digit hr's is better than single digits and he hits for a pretty good average. And they are both strong defensively. Seems like a no brainer that riggans should be on the team especially when considering Navarro had a total of 15 at bats this spring. Iwamura is also going to be the opening day starter at third base after batting a pedestrian .220 in his first go around with major league pitchers. The original plan was to phase Iwamura in as the super sub, what about his spring made them choose otherwise? Besides the fact that he'll help sell tickets. The new management is starting to look a lot like the old management. They still haven't made a significant trade despite their lack of major league pitching and plethora of outfielders. Looks like more of the same for the rays this year.

[Post Count Padder]

The Rays have potential, but the front office is run by a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off.

[Outshined_One]

So their opening day lineup is going to look like...

 

C Navarro

1B Wigginton

2B Upton

SS Zobrist (Harris?)

3B Iwamura

CF Dukes

RF Young (Gomes?)

LF Crawford

DH Baldelli

 

Huh, not bad.

 

Navarro was well-thought of while he was in the Yankees' and Dodgers' system, although I think weight problems got to him along with having trouble adjusting to competition. He's still young enough to make something of himself. Plus, apparently the Rays wanted Riggans to get regular playing time at Catcher rather than have him be the backup.

 

The Rays have to do something with Upton. All the tools are there for him to be a premier player, but he just can't stick anywhere on the diamond. Let's see how 2B treats him.

 

I liked Iwamura coming over from Japan. I was hoping the Cubs would pick him up and try him at 2B (or 3B if Rammy left). Also, did anyone get his first meeting with Delmon Young and Elijah Dukes on video? Has he worked out a ten step handshake with either yet? Does he enjoy fruit by the foot? Inquiring minds want to know!

 

Zobrist is just keeping a spot warm for Longoria or Brignac. Shame, too, because Zobrist actually seems like he could be a decent IF in the big leagues.

 

I dunno, considering Cantu did not put up good numbers (.310 OBP) last season, demoting him to AAA to start the season might have been a good idea. Maybe they should have kept him up for utility purposes, but I haven't even remotely been following him during Spring Training. They could have a perfectly good reason for demoting him.

 

I actually dig their lineup. Lots of youth and potential with some insanity (Dukes/Young) and some fascinating question marks (Iwamura, Upton) sprinkled among it. It's going to be next to impossible for any team in the AL East to overcome the Red Sox or Yankees, but hey, if they can properly develop this talent, they might get more than 75 wins this season.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I've heard that Cantu showed horrible defense and didn't hit much either during the spring. The Rays tried to trade him, but found no takers since teams were concerned he wouldn't be able to handle secondbase.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

It looks like Cantu is going to refuse to report to AAA.

 

Link.

 

"What can I say? I'm going to keep it real simple - I'm not a minor-league player," Cantu said. "Probably a change of scenery would be best. ... It's just for the best. I have to look out for myself. I don't have anything to prove down there, I believe. And what I've done here, it's like it was invisible. So I guess I've got to go."

 

Cantu was planning to go home to Mexico to decide whether to report within the allotted 72 hours to Durham, where he will be the DH.

 

Even though he and agent Steve Canter asked publicly for a trade, there is no process to make a formal request and the Rays are not obligated to do so. Nor is there any guarantee they could, given questions about Cantu's defense and his dropoff in power last season.

 

"Obviously if any deal presents itself to us that makes sense, it's something we would do," executive vice president Andrew Friedman.

[Guest]

Now that's a bad attitude about being demoted.

[Balsa]

Now that's a bad attitude about being demoted.

Hahaha, so true.

[BigbadB]

Now that's a bad attitude about being demoted.

 

Yeah, who is going to want to trade for that attitude? A promising career just took a turn for the worse.

[rawaction]

I'm actually fine with this move. Don't understand Orvella and Riggans, but Cantu is not that bad of a move. The last roster spot came down to Cantu or Gomes. And Gomes can actually play OF and hit. I never liked Cantu that much. Even in his 28 HR, 117 RBI season, he only got on base 31% of the time. His ISOP went down from .211 in that year to .155 this past season. He went from being a poor man's Jacque Jones to a Cesar Izturis with power, but without the defense. And his minor league career points to 2006 being the norm rather than 2005.

[EightyTwo]

I agree that Gomes is a much better choice over Cantu. He was good in 05. He stunk last year while trying to play with an injured shoulder.

 

Those other moves...well, they're moves that only the Devil Rays could make...

[questionmarkgrace]

I agree that gomes is a better choice for a Dh but Wigginton at second and a healthy Cantu at first would be much more potent. Supposedly Cantu was in really good shape this offseason.

[rawaction]

I agree that gomes is a better choice for a Dh but Wigginton at second and a healthy Cantu at first would be much more potent. Supposedly Cantu was in really good shape this offseason.

 

Gomes was picked because he can play OF. Baldelli is not able to play the OF to start the season, so he is DH'ing. He's really the only backup they have out there right now. And your scenario also takes Upton out of the picture. Upton has the most upside of all. I think the key was getting him a roster spot.

[NCCubFan]

After the incidents involving Young and Dukes last year I figured Durham would be hard pressed to match the controversy this year, but it looks like Cantu is getting them off to a good start.

[Radar3454]

other than orvella i like the moves they have made

[tkenm356]

They couldn't find any takers on Cantu?

 

Hell I'd take a chance on Cantu.

[nilodnayr]

I agree that gomes is a better choice for a Dh but Wigginton at second and a healthy Cantu at first would be much more potent. Supposedly Cantu was in really good shape this offseason.

 

You are thinking of Gomes, Per rotoworld...

 

Jonny Gomes-DH- Devil Rays Feb. 21 - 10:55 am et

 

 

Jonny Gomes reportedly packed on a significant amount of muscle during the offseason and said Tuesday his injured shoulder is 100 percent healthy.

 

"Did you see Jonny Gomes walking around?" manager Joe Maddon said. "Oh my God, I didn't even recognize him." Maddon said Gomes will primarily work in the outfield, but there's been some speculation that he could see time at first base as well.

[nilodnayr]

other than orvella i like the moves they have made

 

Ditto. Riggans sitting on the bench doesnt do anything. Upton's upside is much greater than Cantu's. Cantu is very overrated based on his 100+RBI season, but the truth is seven out of ten times he steps up to the plate he makes an out.

[questionmarkgrace]

this is what I was thinking ... from the D rays website:

 

Cantu, who battled injuries throughout the 2006 season, finished with a disappointing .249 batting average, 14 home runs and 62 RBIs. On the final day of the season, he vowed to come to camp in the best shape of his career. He worked hard in the offseason and felt he had accomplished the task, which made Saturday's news even more disappointing.

[questionmarkgrace]

other than orvella i like the moves they have made

 

I can see the disagreement on cantu as well but I dont get letting Navarro start the season after 15 total spring at bats. Put him on the DL retro-active or something.

 

And I still think the moves they havent made concerning the log jam in the outfield and the holes in the rotation are terrible. A package revolving around one of Baldelli, Dukes, or Gomes could bring a solid pitcher back.

[abuck1220]

this is what I was thinking ... from the D rays website:

 

Cantu, who battled injuries throughout the 2006 season, finished with a disappointing .249 batting average, 14 home runs and 62 RBIs. On the final day of the season, he vowed to come to camp in the best shape of his career. He worked hard in the offseason and felt he had accomplished the task, which made Saturday's news even more disappointing.

 

regardless of what kind of shape he was in, he apparently still couldn't hit. i bet lance armstrong is in good shape right now, but i wouldn't want him on my team.

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

Cantu has power, but he needs to learn to take a walk. Sub .300 OBPs aren't good, and would not help the Cubs.

 

I don't see why its a big deal. Upton is a far better all around player than Cantu, and has more upside in the future too.

[questionmarkgrace]

I agree that upton has more upsideand is probably already better but I just find it hard to believe that Cantu couldn't find a spot, not even on the bench.

[Illini Iceman]

I agree that upton has more upsideand is probably already better but I just find it hard to believe that Cantu couldn't find a spot, not even on the bench.

 

Because they had to make room for the great Brendan Harris, that's why!

[CubmanPi]

The owner is sabotaging the team and trying to make them drop lower in the standings so she can move the team to Florida.

[Post Count Padder]

The owner is sabotaging the team and trying to make them drop lower in the standings so she can move the team to Florida.

Interesting strategy, let's see if it works for them.

 

 

and yes, I got the Major League reference