Here are a handful of updates ahead of the start of the symbolic second half of the season:
- C Ryan Hanigan has been placed on the 15-day DL with a strained oblique (retroactive to July 9); the Rays have corresponded by recalling Curt Casali from Triple-A Durham. Tampa Bay also moved Wil Myers to the 60-day DL — clearing room on the 40-man roster. Myers will be eligible for re-activation on July 30, though he was expecting to return in mid-August anyway. Per Marc Topkin, Casali provides the potential for much more offense than Ali Solis, who was up earlier when Hanigan was hurt.
- Class act, that David Price! When his name was announced prior to Tuesday’s Midseason Classic, David Price tipped his hat then touched the Zim patch on his jersey — a nod to the late Don Zimmer.
- At 44-53 (.454 WP) overall, the Rays are finally catching up with their overall Pythagorean Expectation (46-51, .474). In fact, the Rays’ winning percentage has significantly increased from the middle of June until now. To put it another way, from the middle of June until Sunday, July 13, the Rays have significantly exceeded the expectation — as it relates to runs scored vs. runs allowed. The question begs: Can they keep it up throughout the (symbolic) second half of the season?
- Per Jim Bowden of ESPN (via Jeff Todd of MLB Trade Rumors), the Rays are in no hurry to deal David Price, while some possible trade partners believe that he will not change hands before the deadline. Todd writes, “The club still wants to see if a post-season run remains possible; though the club sits 9.5 games back at the break, the division does still look somewhat vulnerable. If Tampa does look to move Price, arguably the best potential trade chip in baseball, it will demand more in return than the Cubs received for Jeff Samardzija — who, you may recall, was the key piece in a package that brought back one of the game’s elite prospects in Addison Russell. Needless to say, Price is a rare commodity, especially given his additional season of control, and his potential absence from the market (combined with the A’s early strike for two other top starters) could have interesting repercussions.”
- In “No, really?!” news, former Rays DH Luke Scott was fired from his Korean team following a confrontation with the coach. I cannot help but ask, what took so long?
- Your tweet of the day, courtesy of Kevin Kiermaier:
What to watch for the 2nd half for @RaysBaseball … Me and @Joeycatch8 are tied in stolen bases w/ 2…gonna be a battle w/ my boy haha
— Kevin Kiermaier (@KKiermaier39) July 17, 2014
- Just one more day until our next watch party. Spread the word, people — we want to pack Green Bench Brewing Company!
