Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Fall 3-0 Amid Pitching Duel, Stadium News

Chris Archer fanned a career high 12 batters in eight innings of work on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Rays)
The marquee matchup between Tampa Bay Rays hurler Chris Archer and Seattle’s Felix Hernandez lived up to billing. Unfortunately for the Rays, King Felix put together yet another superb outing, and the Mariners won the game 3-0 after Archer departed the game following the eighth inning. At 24-24, Tampa Bay now has dropped a season-high five straight games.

Archer put together his best, most dominant outing of the season. The most trouble he got into came early in the first when he gave up a one-out double to Seth Smith that got between Logan Forsythe and first base.  From there, however, Archer started to settle in, fanning Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz to end the rally and the inning. Archer embarked upon a stretch where he retired 12 consecutive batters and 23 of 24. His only other blemish on the day came in the fifth inning when the ace allowed a single to Logan Morrison.  Archer struck out 12 and surrendered just two hits on 95 pitches.

The righty hoped for the opportunity to finish what he started, however, Rays manager Kevin Cash opted to pull the righty in favor of Brad Boxberger in the ninth. The decision proved costly. Boxberger struck out the first two hitters before walking Seth Smith and Robinson Cano on 3-2 pitches. Nelson Cruz stepped into the box and took a 1-0 pitch into the Ray Tank for the only runs of the game.

The question begs, why did Cash pull Archer at that point in the game?

At that time, Cash said in his post game presser, it makes the most sense to go to Box.

Cash sited a handful of reasons* for pulling Archer after eight innings: he was at 95 pitches. That he would have been pulled anyway before facing lefties Seth Smith and Robinson Cano, who were due up third and fourth, with a man on. That they didn’t want to extend him since he had worked only 5-1/3 innings (though threw 107 pitches) in his last outing. That they wanted Boxberger to start with a clean inning.

Yet Archer was coming off a shorter outing, and he has an extra day before his next start in Anaheim. Too, he dominated the Mariners, mixing in his change up to complement his mid-90’s fastball (repeatedly touching 97 mph) and his filthy slider.

Archer wanted to be the guy who went back out there and posted another goose egg on the scoreboard:

I always want to stay in the game, even last game when I didn’t have my best outing. If I haven’t thrown 120 pitches, I want to stay out there. Had a good talk with (pitching coach Jim) Hickey and Cash. The reasoning behind why I came out, and I understand, but I felt so good and pitches were relatively low. And I knew that Felix was going back out and I wanted to be the guy to put another zero on the board.

While Hernandez isn’t boast a shiny line, he was still effective. Seattle’s ace was a ground ball machine and needed just 100 pitches to put the Rays away. King Felix didn’t now throw more than 12 pitches in any of the first six innings, and was aided by four double plays (three inning ending double plays).

Tampa Bay mounted a threat in the second inning after David DeJesus reached on a single and a Nick Franklin walked, but Jake Elmore grounded hard into a 5-4-3 double play. Then in the third, Kevin Kiermaier bounced into a double play after a Rene Rivera base hit, and Nick Franklin followed a Logan Forsythe single in the fifth with a 4-6-3 double play.

In the sixth, the Rays staged their biggest threat. Brandon Guyer led off with an infield hit, and was bunted to second by Rivera. Tampa Bay got another base runner when The Outlaw was hit on the ankle by a pitch, yet Joey Butler hit a bullet off the mound but right to Robinson Cano, who turned it into, you guessed it, another double play.

Kiermaier told Rays Radio that he believes he’ll be okay after rest and treatment on the off-day Thursday:

Hernandez put down the last 10 Rays in order starting with the ill fated, Butler double play ball.

*Source: Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times)

Noteworthiness

— Despite the outcome, that was a hell of a pitching duel:

— The Rays were shutout for sixth time this season, which is most in the American League, and the 24th time since the start of 2014 season (second most in majors to San Diego).

— The St. Petersburg City Council will meet again Thursday to discuss the Tampa Bay Rays stadium saga. On the list of topics to be discussed is the possibility of tying the Tropicana Field property to the economically distressed poor neighborhoods to its south.

Similar to Ybor City’s designation as a Community Redevelopment Area (CRA), there is a potential to redraw the boundaries of St. Petersburg’s south-side CRA (bounded by Fourth Street to 49th Street and from Second Avenue N to 30th Avenue S), which does not currently include the baseball stadium and its parking lots.

In short, the benefits to the CRA could be huge, pumping millions in revenue into poor neighborhoods from rising property values in the region. If the Rays opted to stay at Tropicana Field (or, if a new facility was to be built on the property), they would likely need perhaps 15 to 20 acres, leaving the bulk of the property to be redeveloped. If they were to leave, all 85 acres would become available.

There are a few caveats. As Charlie Frago (Tampa Bay Times) noted,

City officials are hesitant to lock up what could be massive revenue generated by new construction on the Trop property into a specific area of the city. And requiring development in the CRA could also limit the pool of developers willing to take on both the Trop and the 7.5-square-mile area. Additionally, to redraw the CRA boundaries would require a study showing the Trop site to be blighted — a long shot. And the County Commission would be likely very reluctant to be on the hook for decades more of tax money on that property going to a specific area, city officials said.

Nevertheless the idea is intriguing, and it will be interesting to see what may transpire on Thursday.

— Rays INF Ryan Brett has been reinstated from the 15-day DL and optioned to Triple-A Durham Bulls.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Fall in Extras, 6-5

Cool photo? Absolutely. That, however, does not deter from the fact The Outlaw went 0-5 on the night while stranding five base runners. Those eyes, however, are dreamy. (Photo credit: the Tampa Bay Rays)

The Rays came within inches of a game-winning grand slam in the ninth inning from Evan Longoria. Yet in spite of a career best four RBI night from utility man Jake Elmore, the Rays fell 7-6 to Seattle in 10 innings on Tuesday. Kyle Seager, thanks to a pair of homers (including an eighth inning grand slam) and six RBI for the Mariners, led Seattle to the winning margin. For Tampa Bay, it was the fourth straight loss, as the Rays dropped a half game behind New York in the AL East. Seager’s solo shot off Brad Boxberger spoiled a fantastic ninth inning rally.

In no certain terms, four things factored into the Rays loss:

  1. Defensive gaffes directly contributed to four of Seattle’s runs.
  2. Poor calls by the umpiring crew.
  3. The Rays went 3-16 wRISP.
  4. Jake-and-the-Box combined for a pair of homers and five runs.

Defensive misplays contributed to Seattle’s two-run first inning against starter Alex Colome, who posted a 38-pitch, two-run frame. They also contributed to the four-run eighth against Jake McGee.

Austin Jackson, after leading off the game with a single to center, swiped second base — getting in just ahead of Rene Rivera’s bullet to SS Tim Beckham, who allowed the ball to glance off his glove and bound into center field. Had Beckham made the catch, Jackson easily would have been dead to rights. Instead, however, Jackson found himself at third with no outs. Still in the first, Robinson Cano smoked a ground ball a step or two away from Beckham. Instead of attempting to get in front of the ball, Beckham tried to backhand the grounder which ultimately made its way into left field.

Later on with two runners on and no outs in the eighth, Nelson Cruz hit a sharp ground ball, right at second baseman Nick Franklin, that looked to be a tailor made double play. Unfortunately for the Rays Franklin booted the play, consequently loading the bases for Seager who made McGee pay.

Bad umpiring calls also hampered the team.

The most egregious play of the first was a safe call at the plate that withstood a replay review to give the Mariners their second run. It looked as though catcher Rene Rivera took a throw from Alex Colome after a comebacker from Seager, and tagged Seth Smith thus keeping him from getting to the plate.

On an irate scale where Lou Pinella was a 10 and Joe Maddon was a 1, Manager Kevin Cash was a five. The Rays skipper made it clear how much he disagreed with the call  after the game:

Terrible. Terrible. It’s embarrassing. We spend so much time on pace of play, let’s just get the damn call right on the field. It’s terrible. They ought to be embarrassed. Feels like we got beat twice tonight.

Another bad call drew the ire of Cash. In the seventh inning with joey butler on first, Evan Longoria hit a drive down the left-field line that was initially called foul by third-base umpire Jerry Layne. The call was reversed upon review, however Butler was awarded third base, not home.

I’d like to know where Joey Butler was on Longoria’s double. Very curious. They missed the call, they place the runner. That’s a run. I look at it as two runs, one for us, one against us. It’s terrible.

Yet gaffes and bad calls do not take deter from the fact that, on the whole, the Rays were cold offensively for the majority of the game. going 3-16 wRISP on the night, the had chances to add to their 3-2 advantage in the fifth inning by getting two on with none out. They had another shot in the seventh, getting runners to second and third with one out.

In all fairness, the ninth inning was pretty glorious. Neil Solondz (Rays Radio Network) wrote about the little inning that (almost) could:

Trailing 6-3 in the ninth, the Rays tied the game against closer Fernando Rodney, but almost won the game. Pinch-Hitter David DeJesus started the rally with a single to left, Brandon Guyer blooped a hit to right and Joey Butler was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Evan Longoria fell behind 0-2 and then hit a ball of the yellow line in left for a two-run double, pulling the Rays within a run at 6-5. Logan Forsythe popped out in foul ground to first for the first out. Asdrubal Cabrera pinch-hit for Tim Beckham and was walked intentionally, re-loading the bases. Elmore then hit a potential double-play ball, but Robinson Cano’s throw was wide of first, scoring Butler with the tying run. Kevin Kiermaier then grounded hard to second to send the game to extra innings.

Still, when you consider that the tandem of Kevin Kiermaier and Nick Franklin combined to go 0-10 on the night, and that The Outlaw stranded five men on base, you come to the realization that the woulda-coulda-shouldas don’t win games.

Speaking to point four, Cash summed up the uncanny appearances by Jake McGee and Brad Boxberger, who combined to allow a pair of homers and five runs late in the game:

We got beat with our best guys out on the mound and lined up perfectly. And sometimes that’s going to happen.

By the by, this tit-for-tat thing that the Rays and Lightning have going on needs to stop. It seems as though whenever the two Bay Area franchises play on the same night, the outcome, more often than not, is similar.

The New What Next

The final game of the series is on Wednesday afternoon when Chris Archer takes the hill opposite of Felix Hernandez. King Felix had his worst outing of the year, going six innings and allowing four earned runs in a 4-2 loss to Boston on Saturday. He dropped to 6-1 with the effort. Still, it won’t be easy for the Rays who will attempt a to put a kibosh on the Mariner’s hopes of a sweep. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.

Rays 5/27/15 Starting Lineup

Kiermaier CF
Butler DH
Longoria 3B
DeJesus LF
Forsythe 1B
Franklin SS
Elmore 2B
Guyer RF
Rivera C
Archer RHP

Noteworthiness

— Amid all the late-night developments, the Rays announced postgame that Grant Balfour opted out of his Triple-A deal, and was granted his release, writes Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times). Topkin continued, it was clear Balfour wasn’t going to be called up by the Rays, now the question is whether he seeks to keep pitching elsewhere or retire.

— Kevin Cash is a man of many words:

— Desmond Jennings told Topkin his knee is getting better:

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Drop Third Straight, 4-1

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi delivers to the Seattle Mariners during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, May 25, 2015, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
For the second consecutive day, the Tampa Bay Rays fell behind the opposing ball club before their first at-bat, this time in a 4-1 losing bid to the Mariners on Monday. It was also the third straight loss for AL East leading Rays, whose lead over the second place Yankees was cut to a half game in the division.


Source: FanGraphs

With the team strapped defensively, thanks to a trifecta of injuries on Sunday, manager Kevin Cash had to shuffle the lineup — something that played into the two-run first inning. Tim Beckham, who was recalled from Durham because of the Loney injury, committed a fielding error on Seth Smith’s ground ball into the shift. With a runner on first and nobody out, Brad Miller walked on four pitches. Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz followed with a pair of RBI singles for a 2-0 advantage.

Starter Jake Odorizzi labored through 24 pitches in the front frame, yet he turned it on from there and did a terrific job throughout the course of his seven inning start. Odorizzi fanned seven and walked two while scattering seven hits and two runs (one earned). Unfortunately the Rays offense has been non-existent with the lanky righty on the hill, scoring just 16 runs in the 10 starts with Odorizzi on the mound.

Moreover, the team has scored a total of six runs in Jakes five losses, despite Odorizzi being the Rays’ most consistent starter thus far:

I don’t really know if I can pinpoint (why I’ve been so consistent) or not, it’s just maturity, really. I’ve been happy with the results this year. …Just trying to stay out of habits, just throwing the same thing at the same point. I’m just kind of mixing my stuff and trying to be in the zone as best I can.

Odorizzi went on to tell Bill Chastain (MLB.com) that while he he threw too many pitches in the contest (overall), he felt that he really settled in after the fourth batter of the game:

I just thought I needed to go out there and make some better pitches. A lot of pitches in the first. … I kind of had the mind-set to get some early-count outs and pitch as many innings as I could to save the bullpen. I know we’ve been kind of using them a little — a lot — but I was just trying to go inning by inning, to be honest with you.

As the saying goes, you can’t win games if you don’t score runs. That said, Roenis Elias stifled the Rays, holding them to 0-9 with runners in scoring position. While Tampa Bay threatened in the second, fourth and fifth innings, Elias calmly made the all important big pitches and held them scoreless through five.

With two on and one out in the second inning, Kevin Kiermaier grounded into a 4-6 fielder’s choice, and Nick Franklin flew out. Then in the fourth, with runners on second and third and one out, Kiermaier went down swinging, and Franklin flew out once again. Rene Rivera led off the fifth with a long double to center, but Brandon Guyer chopped a ball to short, and Rivera couldn’t advance. Joey Butler following by grounding out to second with Rivera moving on the play, and Evan Longoria flew out to the warning track in right-center.

The Rays got on the board in the sixth when Logan Forsythe belted a 1-0 fastball into the left field seats — his fifth of the season.  However, Roenis Elias was stingy with runners in scoring position all night.  After a hustle double by Jake Elmore with one out, his second of the night, Kevin Kiermaier struck out and Nick Franklin walked.  Rene Rivera, who had doubled off the center field wall his previous at-bat, hit a comebacker on a first pitch changeup, ending the threat.

Seattle padded its lead starting in the eighth when Smith hit a hard grounder against Steve Geltz that went off Beckham’s glove. Although the play was scored a double, Smith’s hit was playable and Beckham should have made what would have been a routine out. After Miller struck out, Cano singled into right, scoring the first of two insurance runs. In the ninth, Mike Zunino homered off Brandon Gomes for the final run of the game.

Seattle’s bullpen held Tampa Bay scoreless over the final three innings. Mark Lowe worked a scoreless seventh, Carson Smith the eighth, and former Rays righty Fernando Rodney the ninth.

The New What Next

Alex Colome will look to build on his most recent (solid) start, when he ties the rubber against J.A. Happ on Tuesday. Thanks to a rain delay, Happ lasted only two innings Thursday in Baltimore, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks while striking out three. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.

Rays 5/26/15 Starting Lineup

Guyer RF
Butler DH
Longoria 3B
Forsythe 1B
Beckham SS
Elmore LF
Kiermaier CF
Franklin 2B
Rivera C
Colome RHP

Noteworthiness

— Lest we forget, the Rays and Mariners traditionally play each other close. Tampa Bay is 18-16 with a +2 run differential since 2012.

— The Rays have scored three runs total in the last three games.

— As Marc Topkin wrote, Monday also was the ninth time in his (Odorizzi’s) 10 starts the Rays (24-22) scored two or fewer runs for him, as his support of 1.70 runs per start is lowest in the majors.

I can’t really think about it, to be honest with you, Odorizzi said. It’s something that’s out of my control. I can just control what I do out there and make pitches and go from there. Hopefully the runs will come. At some point, it’s got to change right? It is what it is.

— Per Topkin, there are a few external options available on the free-agent market, should the Rays look to pick someone up between now and when Loney returns. Externally, Casey McGehee, just designated for assignment by the Giants, might be the top readily available option. Other possibilities could be Travis Ishikawa, also DFA’d by the Giants; Kila Ka’aihue, released from Triple-A by the Nationals; or Garrett Jones, though that would require a trade with the Yankees.
— Cuban born outfielder Dayron Varona has been added to the Stone Crabs active roster. He signed minor league contract with the Rays on May 8th.
Per Marc Topkin, there is lots of chatter for another potential candidate for the Rays fill-in at first base: former Ray Casey Kotchman, hitting .364 with a .972 OPS for the Royals Triple-A team. Kotchman, 32, last played in the majors for the Marlins in June 2013.
— Topkin also wrote of another pre-game development, Nick Franklin took balls in left-field from 1B/OF coach Rocco Baldelli. It’s uncertain whether this should be viewed as a tacit indicator of any potential disabled list moves.
— Speaking of injuries, Steven Souza Jr. told Topkin that he’s feeling better, although he has not done anything to test his sprained wrist. Both he and Asdrubal Cabrera are available to pinch hit tonight or tomorrow, however (per Cash), they are aiming for a return to the lineup on Friday. As for Desmond Jennings, Cash said the left-fielder is “getting closer” to baseball activity; he played catch and took some swings, although there is no timetable for rehab games.

Rays 5/25/15 Starting Lineup, Roster Moves, Etc

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Rays 5/25/15 Starting Lineup

Guyer RF
Butler DH
Longoria 3B
Forsythe 1B
Beckham SS
Elmore LF
Kiermaier CF
Franklin 2B
Rivera C
Odorizzi RHP

Noteworthiness

— As I wrote in the series preview, the Rays made a few roster moves to compensate for the loss of James Loney, who was placed on the 15-day DL after sustaining a broken left finger. First, the team optioned Preston Guilemt back to Triple-A Durham, opening a spot on the 25-man roster. Tim Beckham was recalled to fill the roster spot opened up by Loney’s placement on the DL, and the team also recalled Jake Elmore to fill the other open spot.

— Speaking of our series preview, have you read it yet? If not, have at it here and now!

— Here’s your Rays fact of the day:

The New What Next: Rays vs. Mariners — A Series Preview

Asdrubal Cabrera falls as he forces out Eric Sogard at second base and relays the throw to first to turn a double play on Sunday. (Photo credit: AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Despite falling 7-2 in the series finale with the Athletics, the Tampa Bay Rays are set to kickoff a three-game set against the Seattle Mariners on Monday, with a 1-1/2 game lead in the AL East. All is not well in Mudville though; not only have the Rays dropped two straight against the AL worst Oakland while scoring just two-runs in the last 19 innings of play, they start the series amidst injury concerns — yes, again.

Not one or two, but three players were nipped by the injury bug on Sunday. For the three players in question — Steven Souza Jr., James Loney, and Asdrubal Cabrera.

Souza Jr. left Sunday’s game in the third inning after a first inning collision with Athletics’ catcher Stephen Vogt at the plate. Although the X-Rays came back negative, it is uncertain whether he’ll be in the lineup at any point against the Mariners.

On the collision I kind of felt something and figured it would just go away, Souza told Matt Baker (Tampa Bay Times). Took some swings on deck. It was lingering a little bit, but nothing too severe. But on the check-swing, I felt the pain. We’re just being precautious.

Souza is listed as day-to-day.

Loney left the game after breaking his left middle finger on a headfirst slide, on a well executed double steal in the eighth inning. The first baseman was able to play defense in the ninth, however, his finger swelled up afterward. Although it was initially thought to be just a sprain, Loney was placed on the 15-day DL after an MRI showed a break. The first baseman is projected to miss four-to-six weeks, although he remains confident the Rays can be successful in the interim:

It’s going to take more than one guy to win the division and we’ve been doing that with all our guys; everybody’s been chipping in.

As for Cabrera, the shortstop left the game with what has been called a mild groin strain, after sustaining the injury trying to get back to second in the seventh inning. Cabrera started a double play in the sixth, where he lost his footing and extended his left leg toward the bag. One can’t help but wonder if that play may have agitated things, at least initially.

Cabrera downplayed the severity of the injury, saying:

I feel a little sore, but it’s more tightness, I think I’ll be all right in a couple of days.

Neither Souza nor Cabrera have been placed on the DL, and per Baker, Cabrera’s injury seems to be the least concerning of the three. I asked him (via Twitter) if the groin injury is still considered mild, to which he responded:

Further evaluations on Souza and Cabrera are expected on Monday.

To compensate for the injuries, the Rays made a few moves prior to Monday night’s game. First, the team optioned Preston Guilemt back to Triple-A Durham, opening a spot on the 25-man roster. Tim Beckham was recalled to fill the roster spot opened up by Loney’s placement on the DL, and the team also recalled Jake Elmore to fill the other open spot.

Per Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times), the plan is to use Logan Forsythe as the regular first baseman, with Rene Rivera and Tim Beckham filing in if needed. 

Moving forward.

The Rays can bounce back against Seattle, thus avoiding their longest skid since dropping four straight April 17-21. The question isn’t whether Tampa Bay’s pitching staff can stifle Nelson Cruz and company, rather can they put up runs against Roenis Elias, JA Happ, and Felix Hernandez.

Seattle has batted .226 while averaging just three runs over its last 11 games. Robinson Cano (5-32), Mike Zunino (4-24), Seth Smith (4-23) and Logan Morrison (5-35) are among those scuffling in the Mariers offense.

Too, Tampa Bay dropped four of seven meetings in 2014, including the last three at Tropicana by a combined 15-4 score.

Rays and Mariners series starters over the last 14 days.
Rays and Mariners series starters over the last 14 days.

Rays and Mariners offensive production over the last 14 days.
Rays and Mariners offensive production over the last 14 days.

Rays and Mariners by the numbers.
Rays and Mariners by the numbers.
Roenis Elias: Per Rotowire, Elias (1-1) spun 7.2 strong innings Wednesday in Baltimore, allowing just one run on six hits to come home with his first win of the year. He struck out four and didn’t walk a batter. The 26 year-old lefty surrendered four runs and five hits over 7-2/3 innings in a 7-4 win at Tropicana on June 7 last season. Interestingly enough, Elias is said to be a predictable pitcher, in that batters have a good sense when he is going to throw his breaking stuff. One of the culprits, Elias’s release points are all over the place. Against right handed hitters his curve and change are off by almost half a foot. Per Jeff Zimmerman (FanGraphs), the difference between the two pitches to lefties is almost five inches (.4 ft). Another culprit, pitch count patterns and situations. If the batter knows he’s going to get a curveball, especially in a traditional curveball count, he’s prone to sit on the pitch for a ball. It’ll be interesting to see if this hold true on Monday. Key matchups: Asdrubal Cabrera (2-4, 2B, RBI), Logan Forsythe (1-3), James Loney (1-3, HR, RBI), Evan Longoria (1-4, HR, 2 RBI), Rene Rivera (1-3, HR, RBI).

JA Happ: Per Rotowire, Thanks to a rain delay, Happ lasted only two innings Thursday in Baltimore, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks while striking out three. The Rays have a storied history against Happ, extending back to the ill-fated comebacker off the bat of Desmond Jennings which put him on the DL a few seasons back. Key matchups: Asdrubal Cabrera: (2-6, 2B, BB), Nick Franklin (1-2, 3B, RBI, BB), Kevin Kiermaier (1-1, 2 RBI), James Loney (7-16, 2 2B, RBI, BB), Evan Longoria (4-14, 2 2B, RBI, 2 BB).

Felix Hernandez: Per Rotowire, Hernandez had his worst outing of the year, going six innings and allowing four earned runs in a 4-2 loss to Boston on Saturday. He dropped to 6-1 with the effort. Still, King Felix continues to generate ground balls at an insane rate (61.1% GB% over the last 14 days) and he remains a model of durability — he hasn’t made less than 31 starts in any season dating back to 2006. As the saying goes: accept the best, expect the worst. Key matchups: David DeJesus (12-36, 4 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB), Logan Forsythe (2-7), Kevin Kiermaier (1-3), Evan Longoria (6-24, RBI, 3 BB).

Noteworthiness

— NPR’s To the Best of Our Knowledge explored the subject of baseball diplomacy on their most recent episode. The description from their website sums up the excellent piece: Rumors are flying that we’ll see a Major League baseball game in Havana next year. But that doesn’t account for the thorny problem of Cuban defectors now playing in America, or the crumbling infrastructure of Havana’s baseball stadiums. Check it out, it’s definitely worth your time.

— Tim Casey (Vice Sports) wrote a fantastic article about Rocco Baldelli, one of most beloved members of the Rays organization.

— Jordi Scrubbings opines that the Tampa Bay sports market is overstretched and over-saturated, writing, “According to the study, the Tampa Bay area is tied for the fifth most overextended market in professional sports.”

— Well-known St. Pete author Peter Golenbock offered a rather simple, Jeff Vinik-like suggestion for a way that Rays owner Stu Sternberg could turn things around in the stadium saga. I won’t ruin it for you…you’ll have to read the article yourself.

— Matt Moore threw a bullpen session on Monday. Manager Kevin Cash said he’ll likely pitch in an extended spring game again.