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The New What Next: Rays vs Orioles part four — a series preview

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The Tampa Bay Rays left the confines of Tropicana Field after a 3-3 home stand, including another series win against the New York Yankees. (Photo Credit: X-Rays Spex)

The Tampa Bay Rays head to Baltimore to battle the last place Orioles in a four-game series at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, starting Thursday. The Rays rebounded from an ugly series loss against Miami to take two of three from the Yankees, while the Orioles split a rain shortened two-game set against Boston.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

Tampa Bay made a pair of trades that will impact the team in the present and future tenses, dealing Nathan Eovaldi and Matt Andriese for southpaw Jalen Beeks, catcher Michael Pérez and RHP Brian Shaffer. Beeks and Pérez are expected to join the team on the road in Baltimore.

Pérez, 25, is highly regarded for his defensive prowess as well as his ability to hit right-handed pitching. He’s gunned down 34.8% of would be base stealers this season, and is slashing .284 BA/.342 OBP/.417 SLG/.759 OPS/.338 wOBA/99 wRC+ with nine doubles, six homers and 29 RBI in 58 games for Triple-A Reno. He is a career .246 BA/.321 OBP/.396 SLG/.717 OPS hitter over 572 games across eight Minor League seasons.

In adding the new backstop to the roster, the Rays designated catcher Adam Moore for assignment. The tandem of Jesus Sucre and Pérez should, if anything, help maintain the team’s offensive productivity over the balance of the season, especially if Wilson Ramos is moved within the next month.

When Perez and Beeks appear in a game, that will mean the Rays have had 19 rookies play and 48 different players this season. The youth wave has been learning and winning at the same time.

The Rays enter the series as fringe contenders in the AL Wildcard race, which isn’t lost on General Manager Erik Neander. Yet they are expected to make a few more deals by the trade deadline, with SS Adeiny Hechavarria, OF Carlos Gomez, Ramos, and RHP Sergio Romo said to be on the market. Yet the moves shouldn’t be viewed as a team that is conceding or waiving the white flag, rather the Rays are working on the now rather than only the distant future.

I hope that the current look and feel of this team and this roster, that there’s a different vibe to our fans than there has been the last few years, Neander said. I really hope that. There is for us. There is in the clubhouse. Will we win more games this year than we did last year? I don’t know. But there’s a trend line on this, there’s an arrow that’s pointing up instead of neutral with this group and what’s ahead of them, and it gives a lot of hope and excitement for the future. And that’s different.

That changes the focus a little bit, to just being a little more balanced to the now than the future than I think we have been.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

The Rays enter the series with Baltimore nine games back in the AL Wildcard race with an easier schedule over than either the Mariners (13 series vs. +.500 teams) or Athletics (12 series vs. +500 teams) with just over two months left to play. A series win would give Tampa Bay a W/L record of five or six games over .500 by the time the returns home for a nine-game home stand against three sub .500 ball clubs. Meanwhile, the Athletics will move on to a series against the fringe contending Rockies, while the Mariners have a few games against the Angels before they face the AL West leading Houston Astros.

All this is to say the Rays find themselves with an excellent opportunity to gain some ground in the Wildcard race against the worst team in baseball, which happens to be in the throes of a historically bad season.

Pitching Probables

As of right now the Rays have confirmed one opener and one starter for the series: Hunter Wood (0-0, 2.93 ERA) and Chris Archer (3-4, 4.30 ERA). The known known, Jaylen Beeks (5-5, 2.89 ERA at AAA) is expected to pitch at some point during the series … I assumed that might be on Saturday, although that will likely change. I’ll update things as they become clear. Buck Showalter will counter with Alex Cobb (2-13, 6.17 ERA), Andrew Cashner (2-9, 4.40 ERA), Kevin Gausman (4-8, 4.54 ERA), and Yefry Ramirez (1-3, 4.24 ERA).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Hunter Wood allowed one run on two hits and a walk while striking out two over two innings against the Yankees on Monday. Kevin Cash elected to use Wood as an opener for the second time this season, and he was lifted after tossing 37 pitches. Wood has been an effective arm out of the ‘pen this season, as he’s posted a 2.93 ERA and 1.30 WHIP with 14 strikeouts over 15-1/3 innings. However, 4.40 FIP suggest regression is due. Whatever the case, the right-handed Austin Pruitt or Ryan Yarbrough figure to pitch the bulk of the innings on Thursday.

Alex Cobb allowed four runs (one earned) on four hits and three walks against Toronto on Saturday. He struck out four. The former Ray got through three scoreless innings without really being threatened before he gave up three runs in a fourth inning in which Tim Beckham’s error played a key role. Since three of the four runs were unearned, Cobb lowered his ERA to a still-ugly 6.17. So far he is 0-2 with a 6.97 ERA in two starts this season (10-1/3 innings) against his former team. Key Matchups: CJ Cron (2-6, 2B, HR, 3 RBI), Daniel Robertson (1-4, 2B, RBI), Mallex Smith (2-4, 2B), Joey Wendle (3-5, 2 RBI)

Chris Archer allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits while striking out 13 over six innings against the Marlins on Sunday. Archer collected a season-high 13 strikeouts in his 16th outing of the season and now sits with a 3.41 K/BB over 90 innings of work. Archer looks to improve his 4.30 ERA ahead of the trade deadline (it now appears the Rays may hold on to the right-hander).

Andrew Cashner allowed one run on six hits and one walk across 5-2/3 innings on Sunday. He struck out two. Cashner surrendered his lone run in the fourth inning, and he was lifted from the game in the sixth inning after throwing 79 pitches (51 strikes, 65% strike rate). While Cashner improved on his previous outing (five runs over 6-1/3 innings vs. the Yankees), he couldn’t collect the victory. The 31-year-old is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA against the Rays this season after allowing five runs on 11 hits and four walks over five innings on May 26. Key Matchups: CJ Cron (3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB), Matt Duffy (4-16, 3B, RBI, 2 BB), Daniel Robertson (3-3, 2B), Joey Wendle (1-3, 3B, RBI)

Jaylen Beeks is 34-28 with a 3.63 ERA in parts of five Minor League seasons, including a 5-5 record and a 3.29 ERA with Triple-A Pawtucket this season. He had two appearances for Boston in 2018, but he didn’t fare too well. In his first start against Detroit, Beeks allowed six runs over four innings of work, and in a relief appearance against the Rangers he allowed three runs in 2-1/3 innings. Yet in in Triple-A, he was named to the All-Star Game thanks in part to a 33% strikeout rate which leads qualified pitchers in the league. He’s also only walking seven percent of opposing batters.

Stuff wise, Beeks previously relied on a two-seam fastball and a slider at the start of his career, although he currently relies on a 92 mph four-seam fastball, a whiffy 86 mph changeup, a 75 mph curveball with sharp downward bite, and an 88 mph cutter with good “rise,” which has aided in his growth.

Kevin Gausman gave up five runs on three hits and three walks while striking out two over 4-2/3 innings on Monday against the Red Sox. Gausman allowed a second inning solo homer, followed by four runs in the fifth on just three hits. He exited the ballgame with a five-run deficit after tossing 79 pitches (44 strikes, 56% strike rate). The right-hander has struggled over his past two outings, surrendering 10 runs over 9-2/3 innings while striking out just four. Gausman is 1-1 in two starts this season against Tampa Bay. In his first outing he surrendered just two runs on 11 hits over 7-1/3 innings of work, but his second start against the Rays didn’t go nearly as well, as Gausman allowed seven runs on six hit over 2-2/3 innings on May 27. Key Matchups: CJ Cron (5-15, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB), Matt Duffy (2-4), Mallex Smith (3-12, 3B, RBI, BB), Jesus Sucre (2-6, 2 2B, RBI), Joey Wendle (2-6, RBI)

Tampa Bay’s starter in the series finale is TBA.

Yefry Ramirez allowed three runs on four hits and a walk over five innings against the Red Sox on Tuesday. He struck out six. Ramirez gave up three solo home runs but otherwise earned his first big league win against one of the top offenses in baseball. The 24-year-old has been solid through his first six starts with a 3.49 ERA/4.61 FIP, 1.16 WHIP and 3.00 K/BB over 28-1/3 innings. This season he has relied primarily on his 87 mph cutter with strong cutting action, an 83 mph changeup and a 90 mph sinker with some armside run, while also mixing in a 91 mph four-seam fastball and an 83 mph slider.

Rays Roster Moves: Nathan Eovaldi traded to Boston for Triple-A prospect

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Nathan Eovaldi has been traded to the Boston Red Sox for a Triple-A prospect.

Six days before the non-waiver trade deadline, the Tampa Bay Rays have traded RHP Nathan Eovaldi to the Boston Red Sox for southpaw Jalen Beeks.

Eovaldi was slated to start this afternoon’s contest against the New York Yankees, but instead the Rays will start Ryne Stanek. Austin Pruitt has been recalled from Triple-A Durham to take Eovaldi’s place on the active roster for the time being.

Eovaldi has been hit-or-miss for Tampa Bay this season, delivering a couple of lengthy no-hit bids, but also four starts where he allowed four earned runs or more. This season Eovaldi has performed to a 4.26 ERA/4.28 FIP over 10 starts (57 innings of work). It is believed that Eovaldi’s recent track record and injury history likely limited the return the the Rays achieved.

Eovaldi, who will be a free-agent at the end of the 2018 season, was acquired in 2016 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. He was slated to be a part of the Rays’ Opening Day rotation, yet loose bodies were found in his elbow, requiring arthroscopic surgery, which sidelined the hurler until mid-May.

In return for Eovaldi, the Rays acquired 24 year-old LHP Jalen Beeks, who has two games of big league experience with the Red Sox this season. Beeks was a 12th round selection in the 2014 draft, and spent the bulk of the past two seasons in Triple-A Pawtucket. Most recently he has shown an uptick in strikeouts, while his walk rate is the lowest of his professional career.

While the decision to trade with an AL East foe might be questionable, that Tampa Bay will face Boston just six more times (two series) likely factored into the decision to deal the free-agent to be to the Red Sox.

LBWMF: Rays hold on for 7-6 win over the Yankees in wild ballgame

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Back-to-back exciting games has Willy and Blake like… (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

Another wild one at the Trop last night, as the Tampa Bay Rays staved off the mighty New York Yankees in their 41st one-run game of the season. The Rays held on to a 7-6 victory, and are now 18-23 in one-run affairs.

Tampa Bay got on the board in the first inning after Jake Bauers hit a two-out double to right, off the top of the wall. With Ji-Man Choi at the plate, Severino uncorked a passed ball which Gary Sanchez lallygagged after. Bauers took advantage of Sanchez, scoring all the way from second base to score the game’s first run. It was a heads-up play by the rookie who easily could have settled for just moving up 90 feet.

Everything was right in front of me there, Bauers said after the game. I saw it kick pretty far away. Hustled to get to third, then once I got to third, I saw that tight window that was there and decided to take a chance. In the first inning, I would have told you that hits off Severino are hard to come by so you have to take a chance when you get one.

Meanwhile, Hunter Wood opened the game. And while he was tagged for one run, that probably shouldn’t be held against his line. In the second inning, Giancarlo “doubled,” and by that I mean Kevin Kiermaier lost the ball in the rubbed up baseball colored roof. Three batters later, Stanton came around to score on Miguel Andujar’s two-strike, two-out single to center. When you leave a hanging breaking ball over the plate, expect it to be hit.

Matt Andriese followed Wood for 3-2/3 innings, and looked pretty good. Andriese scattered three hits and fanned five, keeping the game tied through the fifth, when the Rays struck for three runs.

Jesus Sucre went down swinging on three pitches for the first out of the inning, yet Kevin Kiermaier and Matt Duffy hit back-to-back with singles (to center and left, respectively), bringing Bauers to the plate. Severino left a hanging slider over the heart of the plate, and Jake responded by sending the mistake pitch to deep right field for a three-run lead. Nevertheless the Yankees cut into that lead with a two-out rally a half inning later.

After Stanton reached on a single to right, Sunday’s hero Daniel Robertson committed an error that both allowed Aaron Hicks to reach base, and for Stanton to move into third. Rays manager Kevin Cash called upon the hard throwing Diego Castillo to get the final out of the frame, yet he promptly uncorked a passed ball, scoring Stanton. Three pitches later, Sanchez hit a 2-2 single to left field, bringing New York within one. but Greg Bird grounded out on the very next pitch, ending the threat.

With penance on his mind, Robertson led off the bottom of the sixth with a one-run homer to left field, atoning for his error.

The Rays weren’t done though. Mallex Smith doubled, Willy Adames singled, and Tampa Bay chased Severino after allowing double-digit hits for the first time in over two years (April 8, 2016 vs. Detroit). Jesus Sucre singled home Smith with Chad Green on the mound, and Matt Duffy plated a run on a fielder’s choice to short, giving the good guys a 7-3 advantage.

Not content with a four-run lead and the promise of a non-nailbiter of a game though, the Rays sent four different pitchers to the mound in the top of the seventh, as Castillo walked a pair, Jaime Schultz walked Aaron Judge to load the bases, Adam Kolarek got a ground out which plated a run, and Ryne Stanek allowed a two-run single before striking out Hicks to end the inning.

The Rays went quietly in the bottom of the frame, while Jose Alvarado — who got the final out of the eighth — again took the mound in the ninth with Sergio Romo out with the flu. That set up a wild end to the game.

As he is wont to do, Brett Gardner led off the inning with an infield hit. Judge was next, walking on six pitches including a wild pitch by the shockingly erratic southpaw. With the left-handed hitting Didi Gregorius stepping into the batter’s box, Aaron Boone called for a sacrifice bunt, which one one hand allowed both runners to move into scoring position, but on the other hand gave the Rays their first out and opened up first base. Instead of facing Stanton, who had reached base each of his past 10 plate appearances against Tampa Bay, Cash called for an intentional walk, setting up the double play opportunity.

Hicks followed with an RBI or bust opportunity, however, he grounded a ball to Duffy, who fired home to cut down the runner (Gardner) and keep the Yankees off the board.

Finally, with two outs and the bases loaded, Sanchez represented New York’s last opportunity to at least pull even on the ledger. With a 1-1 count, Sanchez grounded a ball to the left side of second base, but because of the shift Robertson made the play. For whatever reason, Robertson flipped the ball to Adames, who had a lot of ground to cover as he made his way across the diamond toward second base, subsequently allowing Hicks to beat him to the bag. And while it appeared as though the Yankees had tied the game, Adames made a heads up play, recognizing that Sanchez was lackadaisically making his way to first base. Adames fired over to Bauers, and got the final out of the wild contest.

Extremely heads-up, extremely heads-up, said Bauers of Adames’ play. That’s how you win games right there, with plays like that. He’s the guy who is going to make plays like that.

The New What Next

The Rays are expected to recall right-hander Yonny Chirinos (0-1, 3.71 ERA) from Triple-A Durham ahead of Tuesday night’s game. He will get the start opposite of Masahiro Tanaka (7-2, 4.54 ERA). To make room for Chirinos on the roster, LHP Adam Kolarek was optioned back to Durham.

Yonny Chirinos made six appearances (five starts) for the Rays in 2018, and sits with a 3.71 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 24 strikeouts over 26-2/3 innings. It will be his first big league start since April 28 when he was placed on the DL with a flexor tendon strain in his elbow. He later found himself on the shelf in Triple-A with a shoulder injury. He threw five innings his last time out for Durham, allowing three runs (two earned) against Buffalo.

Masahiro Tanaka allowed two runs on six hits and a walk while fanning five over 6-1/3 innings on Sunday. He did not factor into the decision. The right-hander gave up a two-run lead in the fourth inning after surrendering a home run to Edwin Encarnacion. In spite three straight solid performances (six runs allowed over 15-2/3 innings), Tanaka doesn’t have a win to show for his efforts. The splitter throwing Tanaka has not faced the Rays this season. He has a 7-2 record against Tampa Bay in 11 career starts, but with a 4.10 ERA, and is 3-2 with a 5.96 ERA in five starts at the Trop. Key Matchups: CJ Cron (1-3), Matt Duffy (1-3), Carlos Gomez (3-10, 2B, RBI, BB), Adeiny Hechavarria (3-5, RBI), Kevin Kiermaier (7-15, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, BB), Daniel Robertson (1-1, 2B), Jesus Sucre (1-2, 2B, RBI)

You can read about the series in our preview.

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

Rays 7/24/18 Starting Lineup

Kiermaier CF
Duffy 3B
Bauers LF
Cron 3B
Choi DH
Robertson 2B
Smith RF
Adames SS
Sucre C
Chirinos

Injury plagued Rays are in salvage mode Sunday afternoon

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Accounting for 1/2 half of last night’s offensive output, Joey Wendle hit one of two homers for the Rays. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After dropping the first two games of the series against the Marlins, the Tampa Bay Rays find themselves in salvage mode this afternoon. The Rays are looking to get back over .500 after dropping five of the last six games — a stretch of play where the team has been hit hard by injuries.

Aside from Wilson Ramos, who strained his hamstring in Minnesota, Matt Duffy has been out the past two games with back spasms after he tweaked his his back while turning the steering wheel on his truck. Duffy is back in the lineup today though. Kevin Kiermaier was pulled from Friday’s game with right foot soreness — extending from a bone bruise that he suffered in April — requiring a cortisone shot. And last night Adeiny Hechavarria left the game with left oblique tightness, he is listed as day-to-day. The injuries forced Rays skipper Kevin Cash to play Carlos Gomez at second base for a few innings yesterday.

Due to the injuries, Tampa Bay recalled Willy Adames from Triple-A Durham, and optioned Justin Williams after he made his big league debut last night.

The New What Next

A battle of titans in the series finale, as Chris Archer (3-4, 4.29 ERA) takes the mound opposite of Trevor Richards (3-5, 4.74 ERA).

Chris Archer lasted just 4-1/3 innings on Saturday, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk while striking out seven. The erratic right-hander failed to finish five innings for the second straight start, laboring with just 59 strikes on 93 pitches (63% strike rate). On the bright side, he induced 16 swinging strikes (27% SwStr), allowing him to supplement his line via the strikeout column. It was only his second start since returning from the DL, so maybe he still has some rust to shake off. For Archer, the hope is for a turnaround in the second half, pushing him more toward his 3.79 FIP.

Trevor Richards threw 3-/23 innings in a no-decision against Washington on Sunday, allowing two earned runs on four hits, while striking out five but walking seven (a season-high). Richards couldn’t put himself in line for a win thanks to his command issues, resulting in him tossing 87 pitches over the course of his outing. Overall, Richards’ 5.24 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP through 56-2/3 innings. Richards allowed four runs on nine hits (including a homer) against the Rays on July 3. Key Matchups: Adeiny Hechavarria (2-2, 2B, RBI), Kevin Kiermaier (1-3), Daniel Robertson (1-2, 2B), Mallex Smith (2-2, RBI), Joey Wendle (1-3)

You can read about the series in our preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs Marlins part two — an interleague series preview

Rays 7/22/18 Starting Lineup

Wendle 2B

Duffy 3B
Bauers LF
Cron 1B
Choi DH
Gomez RF
Smith CF
Adames SS
Moore C
Archer RHP

Noteworthiness

— Pitching reinforcements. Jake Faria is expected to start this afternoon for Durham, while Jonny Venters should appear for the Charlotte Stone Crabs after his appearance was washed out yesterday. Both hurlers are expected back soon.

Rays 7/21/18 pregame notes, Kiermaier injury update, Williams promoted, Stadium Sagapacolypse 2018

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Left-hander Hoby Milner gave up a three-run homer to right field before allowing a two-run Little League homer to left on Friday. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After a 6-5 loss to the Miami Marlins on Friday, the Tampa Bay Rays look to bounce back in game two of a three-game series tonight. Tampa Bay starts the day one game over .500 and a bit banged up.

After leading off last night’s contest with a hustle double, and subsequently coming around to score on Adeiny Hechavarria’s first inning base hit, Kevin Kiermaier left the ballgame with lingering soreness in his right foot, extending from a deep bone bruise he suffered at the start of April. Three-plus months — and a stint on the 60-day DL — later, the injury still has a grip on the centerfielder.

Kiermaier said he has had “good days and bad days,” since he injured his foot, although last night was pretty bad.

Today was the worst day I’ve had and I just felt like I wouldn’t give the team any justice by me possibly pushing this and making it worse than it is. Kiermaier said. For me it’s frustrating, because I haven’t been able to get rid of this. It’s a severe bone bruise, and they told me I might not be the same all year. Going on the 60-day DL, I thought I would get over it.

He had MRI on his foot and a cortisone shot this morning, and is expected to miss tonight and Sunday’s games, yet he expects to be “100 percent” by Monday when the Yankees come to town.

Nathan Eovaldi made just one mistake during his start last night, allowing a one-run homer to Derek Dietrich to tie the game at one. That score stood until the Marlins put up a five run seventh against Tampa Bay’s bullpen, which hasn’t been sharp since the start of the series with the Twins.

Diego Castillo took the mound in relief of Eovaldi and struck out JT Riddle to start the seventh inning. Yet Castillo issued two walks to Miami’s eight and nine hitters, Garrett Cooper and Cameron Maybin. With the left-handed Dietrich stepping into the batter’s box, Rays skipper Kevin Cash called upon southpaw Hoby Milner.

The left-hander got ahead of Dietrich before the outfielder unleashed a three-run shot to right field, his second of the game, giving Miami a three-run lead. After a walk of Brian Anderson, Milner allowed a double-cum-Little League homer to J.T. Realmuto, wherein Hechavarria and Daniel Robertson both committed errors when getting the ball back to the infield, extending the lead to five runs.

Tampa Bay put up a good fight, but came up a run short in a ninth inning rally. Carlos Gomez kicked things off with a one-out walk, which was followed by a Joey Wendle double to put a pair of runners into scoring position. Jesus Sucre was next, reaching on an error when Marlins hurler Javy Guerra bobbled a comebacker, found it, and then had the ball slip backwards out of his hand when he tried to make the throw.

With the bases “juiced,” Mallex Smith laced a base clearing triple into the right-centerfield gap, bringing Tampa Bay within a pair. A batter later, Smith scored on C.J. Cron’s sacrifice fly. The Rays put both the tying and winning runs on base after Hechavarria and Jake Bauers went back-to-back with a pair of two out singles, yet Robertson went down swinging against Adam Conley to end the game.

The Rays fell to 1-3 on the season against Miami, while they have allowed five runs or more in five consecutive games for the first time this season. They are just 1-4 during that stretch. Tampa Bay has also allowed 39 runs over the last five games, after giving up a total of 37 over the previous 15 contests.

The New What Next

Ryne Stanek (1-2, 2.08 ERA) will open the game for Tampa Bay, pitching opposite of Pablo Lopez (1-1, 6.35 ERA).

Ryne Stanek gave up a run in two innings his last time out against Minnesota, just the third run he’s allowed as an opener. Ryan Yarbrough (8-4, 3.61 ERA) could follow Stanek for the bulk of the innings.

Pablo Lopez gave up five runs on six hits and three walks while striking out six over six innings against the Brewers on Tuesday. He took the loss. The Brewers made their hits count in this one, as they were able to pummel Lopez early for the first big league loss of his short career. He settled down later on, not allowing a hit or a walk over his final four frames of work. This season Lopez has relied primarily on his 93 mph worm-killer sinker and a 93 mph four-seam fastball, while also mixing in a 78 mph curveball with slight glove-side movement, and a whiffy 86 mph changeup. All of his offerings boast natural sinking action.

You can read about the series in our preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs Marlins part two — an interleague series preview

Rays 7/21/18 Starting Lineup

Wendle 2B
Robertson 3B
Bauers LF
Cron 1B
Choi DH
Gomez RF
Smith CF
Hechavarria SS
Sucre C
Stanek RHP

Noteworthiness

— The Rays optioned Hoby Milner to Triple-A Durham and promoted OF prospect Justin Williams, who will wear No. 6. It is thought that Kiermaier being out through weekend adds to team’s need call Williams up to the bigs in his first Major League promotion.

— Marlins closer Kyle Barraclough was unavailable last night due to illness, and it’s unclear if he will be available this evening.

— How much stadium madness can you take?!

On Wednesday, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred gave one of his tri-yearly “state of the Stadium Saga” updates; preceded by one at the start of the season, and to be followed by one during the playoffs. It’s the same cycle every season, and will be until it’s not … rinse and repeat.

Manfred reiterated the same, saber-rattling threats, as well as tired blanket statements of praise for Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg:

I thought the design was innovative and well-suited to the Tampa Bay market, Manfred said. I think it was economically efficient.

…I am a fan of Mr. Sternberg’s creative ability and persuasive ability in terms of getting something done, I really am. I think he’s going to get this done.

Yet Manfred openly advocated for the use of public subsidies for the estimated $892-million facility, saying it is completely appropriate’ for business and “governmental entities” to participate in the financing, touting stadiums as “municipal assets” that are indicative of a region’s status.

Stadiums are municipal assets, Manfred said. They are indicative of a … region’s status kind of as a major league city, and participation either in terms of businesses or governmental entities in the financing of the stadium I continue to believe is completely appropriate.

Forget not, a funding mechanism to pay for the stadium is not in place, and there are less than 5-1/2 months left to figure out how to pay for the project.

Still, writers from the region’s loudest bullhorn in favor of a stadium, the Tampa Bay Times, sounded off following the commissioners presser.

Columnist Ernest Hooper wrote in favor of a publicly subsidized facility, saying,

With ingenuity, solutions can be found. …There always will be naysayers who dismiss every idea and every project with cynicism.

Some of Hooper’s suggestions?

What if the Rays built school district offices into its stadium, possibly allowing the district to sell its valuable downtown real estate and use the money to address its current budget deficits?

Yes, you read that correctly. Cooper suggests selling downtown real estate owned by the Hillsborough County School District, which, like most public school districts in the state of Florida, is facing a budget shortfall and cannot adequately pay it’s teachers. But fret not, the school board could have a shiny office overlooking left-centerfield, and teachers could pay a nominal fee to enter the facility. Perhaps DJ Kitty and Raymond could moonlight as campus security?

Neil deMause (Field of Schemes) pointed to another response to the press conference, this one a far more acerbic take by Times columnist Daniel Ruth,

…boggling at the $892 million price tag for what would be MLB’s smallest stadium at a time when “public transportation is barely above the level of rickshaws.” Then he closed with the suggestion that Tampa could build “a museum dedicated to the history of architectural renderings of all the stuff that’s never happened,” called “the Field of Schemes Institute of Higher Chutzpah.”

One of our very own attended last night’s game, and had his own take on Stadium Sagapacolypse 2018.

The most aesthetically pleasing facility in Major League Baseball? Clearly not — I’m willing to bet most homers would say the same. BUT, when the clouds are dark and imposing, this fabric big top assures that all 81 games will be played without risk of postponements, etc (well, with the exception of the occasional major tropical system). . I fully understand the valid reasoning behind the want of a new facility. Hell, my participation in #BaseballForever speaks to that. Yet I also acknowledge that there has been a push for a new stadium on the other side of the bay based on reasoning that attempts to correlate causation when, frankly, the facts don’t necessarily jive. I also tend to think with an $892-million price tag, paired with less than 5-1/2 months to figure out a funding apparatus, an Ybor stadium is nothing more than a pipe dream. Time will tell. . A new stadium will get built somewhere in the area in the near future. That is to say the #Rays aren’t going to move to Las Vegas, Portland, Charlotte or Montreal. The commissioner and the ownership may as well stop fanning those flames. In any case, until a REASONABLE stadium deal is in the table, let’s enjoy what we have, after all a subpar stadium and a scrappy team are way better than neither of the above. #RaysUp #TheTrop

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All of this is headache inducing. Is it January yet?