X-Rays Spex

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Dual articles pour cold water on Rays stadium hopes in Ybor

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The Tampa Bay Rays may call the Trop, or the property it sits on, home despite the team’s preference across the bay. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

Two articles in last Sunday’s edition of the Tampa Bay Times threw cold water on the prospect of a new stadium in Ybor City for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Times staff writers Charlie Frago and, surprisingly, John Romano offered contrarian views* on the stadium saga with the closure of the three-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) window — which allowed the Rays to seek regionally for a new stadium site — looming in less than seven months, on December 31, 2018.

In an article titled Deadline clock ticking on Rays agreement with St. Pete: What happens next?, Frago posits that no one, who is willing to talk, sees any hope for hitting the deadline.

The takeaways from the article are threefold, and reiterate what others — including us at X-Rays Spex — have said for years:

  1. Hillsborough does not have enough money to give the team what it really wants or is seeking.
  2. St. Petersburg/Pinellas County can offer the team way more money than Tampa/Hillsborough County.
  3. Tampa’s mayor, Bob Buckhorn, wants nothing to do with the mess that could ensue.

What is laughable, however, is the assertion by Ron Christaldi, a leader in the effort to drum up corporate support for the Rays’ stadium effort, that an extension could be worked out should Hillsborough County not be able to hammer out a deal by the deadline.

I would hope that they would see that the discussions have happened in earnest and be flexible in the date, Christaldi said. You don’t want to artificially stop something that is progressing.

Christaldi also said Kriseman should be commended for his courage and commitment to the interests of the entire region in letting the team look around. With that approach, he said, extending Rays discussions with Hillsborough is more a blip than a meltdown.

Yet Christaldi’s narrow sighted view sidesteps the fact that both the Rays and Hillsborough County waited two years and one month to get the ball rolling on the Ybor location — favoring instead a stadium site announcement in February of 2018.

Meanwhile, and regardless of the jab in the headline Instead of fussing, St. Pete should help the Rays pack, Romano, in essence, is telling Tampa and the Rays they have had enough time to figure out this stadium thing. Either put up the money now, or move on.

…we still haven’t had the important debate. For all the arguing and fussing during the last 10 years, the building of a new stadium was always going to come down to the money.

The Rays are not going to build a stadium on their own. Hillsborough County is not going to fully fund one either. So the team and community need to find some kind of balance that works for both sides, or else begin planning for a future without Major League Baseball in the marketplace.

The point is, all the other debates are ultimately minor and pointless.

I know there might be some temptation on the St. Pete side to revamp the agreement with the Rays to extract more cash if the team leaves Tropicana before the lease ends in 2027.

Honestly, I think that’s shortsighted.

Instead of putting up more impediments, St. Pete should be helping the Rays pack their bags. Whatever extra cash the city might extract from the deal is going to pale in comparison to the windfall of kickstarting the development of the Trop land as soon as possible.

If the city wants to adjust the agreement, it should consider this:

Either the Rays come up with a signed deal in Tampa in the next 12 months, or else the team agrees to immediately begin negotiating for a new stadium on the Trop land.

Either way, St. Pete needs to know how to proceed.

The Rays stand to potentially lose property value if they move from their current location in Downtown St. Petersburg to Tampa, said Noah Pransky in a piece for Action 10 News.

That is part of the reason that neither the team, nor the City of St. Petersburg, is crossing Tropicana Field’s 86-acres off the list of proposed stadium sites.

In the end, the City of St. Petersburg made it’s formal stadium pitch in April of 2017, while the Rays had met with representatives from both sides of the bay multiple times leading up to their announcement four months ago. Had the Rays taken the MOU window seriously, and less like a glaring opportunity to build leverage in the stadium saga, the hope for a deal by the deadline would be more realistic.

*That is, to those deemed the loudest.

The New What Next: Rays vs Yankees part two — a series preview

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Matt Duffy’s walk-off single gave the Rays their fourth win in five games — including a three-game sweep of the Jays — on Wednesday. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees are set to kick off a four-game divisional series Thursday evening at Yankee Stadium. The Rays are coming off a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays, thanks to solid pitching and a walk-off RBI base hit by Matt Duffy. The Yankees are coming of a series split against the Nationals punctuated by a 5-4 loss Wednesday night.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

Tampa Bay followed a 1-10 stretch of play by winning four of the last five games. But even in the midst of a poor stretch of play, the Rays’ offense began to put together more consistent at-bats, scoring 4.57 runs per game (on average) over the last seven games. The Yankees, on the other hand, appear to be on the opposite trajectory, scoring just 3.14 runs per game (on average) over the same stretch of play. And while the Yankees boast a more powerful lineup (.216 ISO/.449 SLG vs .118 ISO/.346 SLG), both teams claim very similar run production totals over the last 14 days.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

That’s not to say that the Rays should discount the Yankees in any way, shape, or form — the Bronx Bummers are fully capable of putting crooked numbers on the board. What I am suggesting though, is that the good guys could be facing the Evil Empire at the right time, heading into their toughest stretch of play where they will compete against three playoff contending teams 15 times over the next 17 days.

…Now, if they can keep Didi Gregarious and company in the ball park.

Pitching Probables

Kevin Cash will lean on Blake Snell (8-3, 2.30 ERA) and Nathan Eovaldi (1-1, 3.94 ERA) in the first two games, and presumably Ryan Yarbrough (5-2, 3.90 ERA) and Austin Pruitt (2-3, 4.50 ERA) on Saturday and Sunday, based on when they last pitched. The Rays, however, have not set the openers for the final two games. We will offer updates when the situation clarifies. Aaron Boone will counter with Domingo German (0-3, 6.00 ERA), Johnathan Loaisiga (3-1, 4.32 ERA), Luis Severino (9-2, 2.27 ERA) and presumably CC Sabathia (4-1, 3.27 ERA) although the starter in the final game is to be announced.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Blake Snell didn’t have his A+ stuff in his last start, however, he made big pitches when he needed to. Snell pitched out of the stretch in each of the six innings he worked, and notched just one strikeout. However, the southpaw held Seattle to 0-for-8 wRISP. While his line was not spotless — he gave up seven hits, walked a pair, and plunked the first batter of his big league career — Snell still limited any damage caused by the Mariners, and gave up just two runs. The southpaw is 2-3 with a 4.58 ERA in nine career starts against the Yankees, and 0-3 with a 6.58 in six starts at Yankee Stadium

Domingo German allowed three earned runs on five hits and no walks across six innings Saturday against the Mets. He struck out nine, and did not factor into the decision. The 25 year-old right-hander is still looking for his first win of the season. This season German has relied primarily on a whiffy 83 mph 12-6 curveball and a hard 96 mph four-seam fastball that generates plenty of swings and misses, while also mixing in an 88 mph changeup with obvious armside fade, and a 96 mph sinker with natural sink.

Nathan Eovaldi allowed three runs on four hits with no walks over five innings of a no-decision on Sunday against the Mariners. He struck out three. Eovaldi was staked to a 3-1 lead when he took the mound in the sixth inning, after causing through the Mariners’ lineup over the previous four innings, yet a leadoff single and a full count homer on a hanging slider spelled his doom. A former Yankee, Eovaldi will be making his first start in the Bronx (and against his former team), where he had gone 10-4 with a 3.74 ERA over 23 starts at Yankee Stadium.

Johnathan Loaisiga is a 23 year-old right-hander that is 3-1 with a 4.32 ERA in his last six starts with Double-A Trenton. In his last start he went just two innings and 49 pitches, while allowing four runs. Loaisiga will pitch in place of Masahiro Tanaka (strained both hamstrings) who was placed on the disabled list Saturday. The scouting report on the right-hander (per MLB.com)

While Loaisiga is small and skinny, he has surprising power to his three-pitch repertoire. His quick arm repeatedly generates 93-96 mph fastballs that top out at 98 with life down in the strike zone. His low-80s curveball features a high spin rate and his upper-80s changeup has nice fade, albeit with a bit too much velocity.

Loaisiga has a clean delivery that he repeats well, allowing him to work the bottom of the strike zone and issue just three walks in 32 2/3 innings last season. His stuff and control give him a ceiling of a mid-rotation starter, though his size and health history are concerns. If he winds up in the bullpen, his stuff should add even more power and he could rush through the Minors.

Ryan Yarbrough allowed four runs on seven hits and one walk across six innings and 88 pitches (59 strikes, 67% strike rate) while earning the win Monday night against the Blue Jays. He struck out four. Rays manager Kevin Cash was pleased with how Yarbrough battled to provide the Rays some length. The left-handed strike thrower has never faced the Yankees.

Luis Severino took the loss against the Mets on Sunday, allowing two earned runs on five hits over five innings. He struck out seven and walked two. Severino was on cruise control through the first four innings, but he gave up a two-run home run to his former teammate, Todd Frazier, in the fifth that proved to be the difference in the game. He, however, is still in the midst of a monster campaign, as Severino has performed to a 2.27 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP and a 4.74 K/BB over 91 innings this season. He held the Rays to just two runs over 7-1/3 innings against the on April 4, and is 6-1 with a 2.77 ERA in seven career starts against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: CJ Cron (1-3, 2B, RBI), Matt Duffy (1-2), Mallex Smith (2-4), Jesus Sucre (1-4, RBI)

Austin Pruitt allowed one earned run on four hits over 2-2/3 innings against the Blue Jays on Tuesday. He struck out one.

CC Sabathia blanked the Nationals over 5-2/3 innings on Wednesday. He allowed four hits, walked three, and struck out just three on 101 pitches (62 strikes, 61% strike rate). Sabathia has allowed three runs or fewer 10 times this season, and has been blown up just twice (both losses). Sabathia has replaced his overpowering fastball with guile and craftiness, relying heavily on  his 89.4 mph cutter, which he throws up and in on righties. The swarthy southpaw is 16-14 with a 3.77 ERA in 45 starts against the Rays. Key Matchups: CJ Cron (3-7, HR, 2 RBI), Matt Duffy (1-3), Carlos Gomez (5-16, HR, RBI), Wilson Ramos (1-4), Rob Refsnyder (1-3)

The New What Next: Rays look for sweep vs Jays, 6/13/18 pregame notes

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Joey Wendle drove in an important RBI in last night’s 4-1 win against the Blue Jays. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After defeating Toronto on Tuesday night, by a 4-1 margin, the Tampa Bay Rays (31-35) look to sweep the Jays this afternoon at Tropicana Field. The Rays have not swept Toronto since 2016 (May 16-18) at the Rogers Center. With the win, Tampa Bay is 20-9 against teams with a sub .500 record this season.

Rookie phenoms, SS Willy Adames and 1B Jake Bauers, did their part on the field and at the plate last night. Adames made a spinning 360-degree play on a grounder in the seventh, then Bauers followed with a dazzling diving stop.

Together they went 3-7 at the plate with a run and a walk.

Tampa Bay used six relievers yesterday to hold Toronto to just five hits. Leading the charge was Ryne Stanek, who tossed two perfect frames. The right-hander came out throwing gas, and appears to be getting acclimated in the opener’s role.

The New What Next

Piggybacking on what I said above, the Rays are also expected to use the ‘pen today with Wilmer Font (0-3, 9.59 ERA) getting the start as the opener. Font has performed well with Tampa Bay, pitching to a 3.24 ERA over five appearances. In his last outing, Font retired the first six batters he faced, then allowing a walk and a pair of singles, before ending the inning with a punch out. Eventually he was charged with two runs.

Matt Andriese (1-3, 3.58 ERA) is expected to pitch the bulk of the innings, although Vidal Nuno is available to provide length too. They’ll be opposed by left-hander JA Happ (8-3, 3.71)

Matt Andriese allowed two earned runs on five hits, a walk and an HBP over 2-1/3 innings of a loss to Seattle on Friday. He struck out two. Andriese stayed away from the long ball, although he struggled overall through 48 pitches. The two runs he allowed came on soft contact — a Guillermo Heredia fielder’s choice and a Mitch Haniger single — but, the fact remains that Andriese has already allowed three earned runs over his first two June outings, and multiple runs in four of his last five appearances. All this after he performed to a .169 BA/.217 OBP/.338 SLG/.555 OPS line, and a 2.04 ERA/3.33 FIP, over 17-2/3 innings in May.

JA Happ picked up the win in a 5-1 victory over Baltimore, allowing only one unearned run on two hits and two walks over seven innings. He struck out three. The punch outs tied a season low, although pitching to contact seemed to suit the left-hander just fine as he delivered his fourth quality start in his last five trips to the mound, and seventh on the season. Happ allowed three runs on four hits (including a homer) over 5-2/3 innings of a 6-2 loss to Tampa Bay on May 4. Key Matchups: Matt Duffy (5-10, HR, 3 RBI), Johnny Field (1-2, HR), Wilson Ramos (2-6, RBI), Rob Refsnyder (1-4, 2B)

You can read about the series in our preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs Blue Jays, part two — a series preview

Rays 6/13/18 Starting Lineup

Duffy 3B
Bauers 1B
Adames SS
Cron DH
Arroyo 2B
Gomez RF
Field LF
Smith CF
Sucre C
Font RHP

Noteworthiness

— Kevin Kiermaier began his rehab assignment as DH in Port Charlotte yesterday, going 2-4 with a walk. He is slated to play six innings in centerfield tonight, while Adeiny Hechavarria is to play the field as well.

— The Rays signed first round draft pick, LH Matthew Liberatore last night.

The New What Next: Rays vs Blue Jays, part two — a series preview

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CJ Cron enters the series against the Blue Jays with 15 homers on the season, one shy of his career high. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays will begin a three-game series at Tropicana Field on Monday night. Toronto is coming off a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles, while the Rays dropped three of four against Seattle, and nine of their last 10.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

The Blue Jays have been scorching at the plate of late, racking up 27 runs and 56 hits en route to a four-game sweep of Baltimore.

For their part, the Rays are not a bad team, however, they are just shy of being a good team … more often than not one run shy. Tampa Bay has lost a Major League leading 17 games by one run, including three in their last series.

With yesterday’s loss, the Rays have fallen to 29-35 on the season and run fourth place in the AL East — 1/2 game behind the Blue Jays.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Pitching Probables

Kevin Cash will lean on Ryan Yarbrough (4-2, 3.68 ERA) in the series openers, and presumably Austin Pruitt (1-3, 4.57 ERA) and Matt Andriese (1-3, 3.58 ERA) on Tuesday and Wednesday, based on when they last pitched. The Rays, however, have not set the starting rotation. We will offer updates when the situation clarifies. John Gibbons will counter with Sam Gaviglio (2-1, 2.51 ERA), Jaime García (2-4, 5.57 ERA), and JA Happ (8-3, 3.71 ERA).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Ryan Yarbrough will get the start on Monday. He has made 14 appearances this season, and has pitched to a 3.68 ERA/3.91 FIP over 58-2/3 innings overall. And though he is averaging just over four innings each time he gets the ball, that’s due in large part to his usage from March 31 to April 28. In his last outing, Yarbrough allowed five runs (four earned) on 10 hits and two walks over 5-1/3 innings.

Sam Gaviglio gave up three hits and three walks over seven scoreless innings, while striking out four. Gaviglio has allowed three runs or fewer in three of four starts and two of those were scoreless outings. One key to his success? He has walked seven over 28-2/3 innings this season. Be that as it may, he has managed just a 2.66 K/BB over the last 14 days. Gaviglio also has performed to a 1.38 HR/9 (20% HR/FB) and a very lucky — yet unsustainable — .216 BABIP over the same span. This season he has relied primarily on an 89 mph sinker and an 84 mph 12-6 slider, while also mixing in an 89 mph four-seam fastball with heavy sink and slight armside run, an 84 mph changeup with natural and a 79 mph curveball with little depth. Key Matchup: Daniel Robertson (1-2)

Austin Pruitt (1-3) allowed five earned runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out six across seven innings on Thursday. To be sure, the five earned runs are ugly, however, the bulk of the damage came in a three run second, and the other runs came on a pair of solo homers to Denard Span and Mitch Haniger. That is to say, Pruitt settled in and kept the Rays in the game. Pruitt has allowed four or more runs just three of his 10 appearances this season.

Jaime García threw six innings Thursday, allowing one run on three walks and four hits while fanning six in a 5-4 win over the Orioles. The Jays couldn’t give him much run support until a ninth-inning rally, so he didn’t factor into the decision. The 31-year-old southpaw lowered his season ERA to 5.57 to go along with a 2.08 K/BB ratio over 53-1/3 innings. Garcia has relied primarily on his 90 mph four-seam fastball with some natural sinking action, and a whiffy 90 mph sinker, while also mixing in an 82 mph slider with depth and armside cut, a whiffy 82 mph changeup, and a 73 mph curveball with sharp downward bite and slight glove-side movement. He is 0-0 with a 1.93 ERA in one start against the Rays (4-2/3 IP). Key Matchups: CJ Cron (1-3, HR, 2 RBI), Carlos Gomez (12-33, 2 2B, 3B, 2 RBI)

Matt Andriese allowed two earned runs on five hits, a walk and an HBP over 2-1/3 innings of a loss to Seattle on Friday. He struck out two. Andriese stayed away from the long ball, although he struggled overall through 48 pitches. The two runs he allowed came on soft contact — a Guillermo Heredia fielder’s choice and a Mitch Haniger single — but, the fact remains that Andriese has already allowed three earned runs over his first two June outings, and multiple runs in four of his last five appearances. All this after he performed to a .169 BA/.217 OBP/.338 SLG/.555 OPS line, and a 2.04 ERA/3.33 FIP, over 17-2/3 innings in May.

JA Happ picked up the win in a 5-1 victory over Baltimore, allowing only one unearned run on two hits and two walks over seven innings. He struck out three. The punch outs tied a season low, although pitching to contact seemed to suit the left-hander just fine as he delivered his fourth quality start in his last five trips to the mound, and seventh on the season. Happ allowed three runs on four hits (including a homer) over 5-2/3 innings of a 6-2 loss to Tampa Bay on May 4. Key Matchups: Matt Duffy (5-10, HR, 3 RBI), Johnny Field (1-2, HR), Wilson Ramos (2-6, RBI), Rob Refsnyder (1-4, 2B)

Noteworthiness

— Kevin Kiermaier and Adeiny Hechavarria are set to begin their rehab assignments this week, with both players heading to Port Charlotte Monday and Tuesday.

— Daniel Robertson left yesterday’s game in the first inning with a strained hamstring. While not severe, the injury was enough to place Robertson on the 10-day disabled list. In his place, the team has promoted one of baseball’s top prospects, Willy Adames, back to the big leagues.

Brad Miller designated for assignment, Rays 6/7/18 starting lineup, Trop site update

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The end of the Brad Miller era is now. (Photo Credit: USA Today Sports)

The Tampa Bay Rays formerly announced the roster move which allowed for the addition of 1B Jake Bauers to the 25-man roster, designating INF/DH Brad Miller for assignment, as opposed to either releasing him from his contract, or optioning him to Triple-A Durham.

The move gives Tampa Bay 10-days to trade Miller before either losing him to waivers, or releasing him and eating the remainder of his $4.5-million contract.

Miller, 28, had started 34 games at first base for Tampa Bay this season, but the team needed to clear a roster spot for first baseman Jake Bauers, who has been promoted from Triple-A Durham.

Bauers, 22, was acquired by the Rays in the three-team, 11-player trade in December 2014 that sent Wil Myers to the San Diego Padres and Trea Turner to the Washington Nationals.

You can read more about Bauers’ promotion at the link below.

Rays Roster Moves: Jake Bauers to be promoted on Thursday

Rays 6/7/18 Starting Lineup

Robertson SS
Cron DH
Wendle 2B
Ramos C
Duffy 3B
Bauers 1B
Gomez RF
Smith CF
Field LF
Stanek RHP

Noteworthiness

— Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder, who was hospitalized on Saturday in Seattle, has been medically cleared to rejoin the team. We wish him nothing but the best on his speedy recovery back to full health!

— The St. Petersburg City Council has approved an agreement with HKS Architects to develop a plan for the future of Tropicana Field, and the remaining acres surrounding it, without the Tampa Bay Rays.

It, however, should be noted that the city of St. Petersburg — by way of the Baseball Forever Campaign and the above mentioned architectural firm — previously developed a master plan that took into consideration the construction of a new facility on the north-east side of the property.

Today’s agreement allows the city to enter phase two, developing a master plan without ballpark, something that has always been in the works.

Before we get way ahead of ourselves, by assuming that a sparkling new facility across the bay is an inevitability, the City Council is still planning for a future with the team, be that at Tropicana Field or somewhere else, like Derby Lane or Mid Pinellas/Carillon.

According to the terms of the memorandum of understanding which allowed the Rays to search for a new stadium site in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, the team can share 50% of the development rights should it choose to build a stadium at the Tropicana Field site, which has been appraised at $1.2-billion. The Rays, however, lose the ability to cash in if they ultimately build a stadium elsewhere, even within Pinellas County. Because of it, neither the City of St. Petersburg, nor the Rays, are closing the door on a new stadium adjacent to Tropicana Field just yet. In other words, development revenues will be bonkers, and the Rays stand to lose a lot of money by building elsewhere.

So why get the ball rolling on the development of a second master plan now, with seven months left in the Rays MOU with the city? Noah Pransky (WTSP Action News) said it best:

— You can read about the Rays/M’s series in our series preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs Mariners — a series preview, part two