~~~~~Official Rays 2009 season thread~~~~~~

Reid Brignac is very close.

Close to what?

He looked awful in his brief appearance last season.

We upgrade the bullpen by adding Nelson, Isringhausen, and replacing Miller with an upgrade in Choate.

Choate? How is he an upgrade?

Do you mean Shouse?

Brignac looked awful in 10 at bats? Well I find it hard to make that kind of declaration off of 10 ABs. I liked the way he swung the bat, he has a nice stroke. He also looked really fluid at SS. Awful? Really?

btw, Im actually not a big Briganc fan at all and I wasnt suggesting Briganc was "close" to superstardom. All I said is hes close, and he will be a factor in some capacity even if thats as a backup middle infielder/utility man.

and yes I meant  Shouse

btw were you disagreeing with my main point I couldnt tell?

We upgrade over Hinske, Gomes and Floyd with Kapler, Joyce/Perez and Burrell

We upgrade over Jackson with Price

We will eventually this season upgrade over SOnny with Wade Davis

We upgrade Miller with Shouse

We upgrade Al Reyes with Joe Nelson

Garza and Shields are settling in, wheras atu the start of last year they were just getting their feet wet

Longoria is now a mainstay in the lineup, last year he started in AAA and had a couple slumps early on

Upton, Crawford, Pena and Kazmir all had down years from 2007

We will improve no doubt

I'd also reserve my opinion that the bullpen has been "upgraded" seeing as though the only real weak spot (if you will) was the closer and we addressed that by signing a 36 year old RP that is coming off a majorly disappointing, injury riddled year and with the return of a RP that faded in the second half due to injuries and is coming off back surgery.

Shouse > Miller

You dont see JOe Nelson as an upgrade?

If Percy doesnt pitch it will be addition by subtraction, and Izzy just adds depth like Derek Rodriguez, Cormier, Hammell and NIemann. Oh btw Niemannwill be an upgrade over Hammell in long relief if he ends up there

I'm not sure how sending the best SP prospect in MLB, who was dominate when he came up to the big league club last season, down to AAA so two lesser pitchers can battle it out for the 5th spot in the rotation is in the best interest of the team.

What dont you understand exactly? Like YOU said, Price is a prospect. The best pitching PROSPECT in the league. Hes not going to compete for the Cy Young quite yet. Why is Niemann a lesser pitcher? Niemann pitched far better in AAA last year than Price did in his 4 starts there. IMO they are about equal as of now, and like has already been said Price has options (and could benefit from a couple months in AAA) while NIemann and Hammell dont and they have nothing more that they can get out of AAA anyways

Once again you just post to anatagonize me, and you do a horrible job at it. Dont waste your time next time, Im sure nothing thought provoking will come out of it

[Biggs3535]

Brignac looked awful in 10 at bats? Well I find it hard to make that kind of declaration off of 10 ABs. I liked the way he swung the bat, he has a nice stroke. He also looked really fluid at SS. Awful? Really?

Yeah, Brignac looked lost at the plate in those 10 AB's.  He struck out 5 times and didn't manage a hit.  I don't know what's hard about making a declaration for you.  If that's not looking awful to you, I don't know what is.  I didn't say he's never going to do anything, just that he looked awful last year.

His defense wasn't that good either, with 2 errors in 21.1 innings.

It wasn't a good showing all-around for Brignac last season at all.

[olafberserker]

Once again you just post to anatagonize me, and you do a horrible job at it. Dont waste your time next time, Im sure nothing thought provoking will come out of it

Exactly how was what I said less thought "provoking" than what you said.  Our weakness in the pen was the closer and we did not address that.   Those "upgrades" that you pointed out would be minor at best. 


And Price is better than Niemann or Hammel period.  No contest.


Save your insults unless you're ready to meet, have a beer and talk baseball face to face or keep being Mr Internet tough guy.

Yeah, Brignac looked lost at the plate in those 10 AB's.  He struck out 5 times and didn't manage a hit.  I don't know what's hard about making a declaration for you.  If that's not looking awful to you, I don't know what is.  I didn't say he's never going to do anything, just that he looked awful last year.

His defense wasn't that good either, with 2 errors in 21.1 innings.

It wasn't a good showing all-around for Brignac last season at all.

So the stats put up in a rookie's initial 10 ABs and 21 innings in the field is meaningful to you in what way? I mean if you mentioned his steady decline in the minors that would be one thing, but I dont even understand what you are tryign to get at by pointing out that he was "awful" in 10 ABs.

Obviously those 10 ABs were very meaningful to you

Meanwhile BJ Upton spends 2 or 3 years in AAA, comes up in 2006 and has a .593 OPS with 40 KS and 1 HR in 175 ABs and 13 errors and I still get reminded that it was the worst idea in teh world to suggest trading him at that time for Kelly Shoppach.

[LFO]

1 Spring game means nothing.  Let's keep that in mind fellas.

[Biggs3535]

Yeah, Brignac looked lost at the plate in those 10 AB's.  He struck out 5 times and didn't manage a hit.  I don't know what's hard about making a declaration for you.  If that's not looking awful to you, I don't know what is.  I didn't say he's never going to do anything, just that he looked awful last year.

His defense wasn't that good either, with 2 errors in 21.1 innings.

It wasn't a good showing all-around for Brignac last season at all.

So the stats put up in a rookie's initial 10 ABs and 21 innings in the field is meaningful to you in what way?

It's meaningful to your statement that he is "close."

Good gawd, how you would you describe his AB's?  10 AB's with 5 K's.  He looked lost at the plate.  He was awful in his brief time last year.  That's all I said.  You are reading to much into it, Ronde.

[olafberserker]

it was the worst idea in teh world to suggest trading him at that time for Kelly Shoppach.

good point and lets not forget other stellar analysis like the FO is liars and don't care about winning and how dumb it was to trade Delmon Young and Brendan Harris for Garza and Bartlett ....

With a track record like that I'm not sure why we even read your posts .... oh year comic relief ....

[olafberserker]

1 Spring game means nothing. Let's keep that in mind fellas.

sure it does ... I'm taking Jerry Hairston Jr. first round ...


no it doesn't, but I couldn't pass up that one line about Gross ....

[LFO]

1 Spring game means nothing. Let's keep that in mind fellas.

no it doesn't, but I couldn't pass up that one line about Gross ....

Hey, I won't argue that......if I had my way Gross would be cut or bench fodder at best.  Let Joyce/Perez take care of RF. 

[olafberserker]

Just picked up some regular season tickets through the "Rays Insider Pre Sale"  (LOL) ... I had to settle for 2 single seat tickets for opening night, then 4 OF tickets for the Red Sox on May 2 (tried to get RF Box and there were not 4 together available), and 3 OF (Section 150, that was best available 3 together in the OF) for the White Sox on April 19th.   

I was on at exactly 9 this morning and there were no seats together available for opening night.

[olafberserker]

2 good innings from Wade Davis today.  Striking out Texeira on a 94 MPH fastball and striking out A-Rod.   

[olafberserker]

oh yeah, I forgot it was on MLB Network today.  No offense though huh?

[Biggs3535]

Orvella hasn't missed a beat either....

Davis looked sharp.