Among other Hot-Stove moves, the Rays have announced the addition of RHP Kirby Yates, INF Vince Belnome and LHP C.J. Riefenhauser to the Tampa Bay Rays 40-Man Roster. We’ll post more on this, and other roster moves, shortly.
Noteworthiness:
A shocker, if you ask me. Per Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors,
“The Rays are making progress on re-signing catcher Jose Molina, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney (Twitter link). The two sides could be working on a two-year deal, Olney hears.” Adams goes on to note, “The 38-year-old Molina batted .233./.290/.304 in 99 games for the Rays last season — the lowest offensive output of the past four years for Molina. However, he’s regarded as one of the game’s best defensive catchers and is an expert in the art of pitch-framing. He’s also caught 38 percent of opposing base-stealers throughout his career.”
Reliever Mark Lowe (pictured above) has agreed to a minor league contract with The Rays. The deal includes an invite to the big league spring training camp.
It’s time for another edition of This Week in Rays Baseball — the first in some time. I digress.
First on the docket, details on the Rays previously announced renovation of Tropicana Field have surfaced. They’re planning what is being called a 360-degree “interior stadium fan access” with the creation of walkways behind the outfield seating areas, similar Rays’ Port Charlotte spring stadium which has a boardwalk and centerfield tiki bar. They’ll also open up what was the dark, glass-fronted Batter’s Eye restaurant into an open-air meeting spot with concessions. “Fans can actually walk around the stadium without having to go into the concourse area,” said Joe Zeoli, the city’s managing director of development administration, in a Tampa Bay Times article. “You will be able to watch the game as you move from left field to right field, for example.
“Most of the other items are maintenance,” noted Zeoli. “This item will kind of get everybody’s attention.” Those renovations will include restroom upgrades, pipe replacement and ceiling restoration in the home clubhouse, improved exterior lighting in employee parking areas, and refurbishment of exterior awnings. All of the work is expected to be complete before the start of the 2014 baseball season.
The Tampa Bay Times’ article goes on to note,
Though the glass walls are coming down, there still has to be a dark area in centerfield that provides the hitting background, which is known as the batter’s eye. In the new configuration, that may be a screen or a mesh banner, and it will be smaller than the fronting of the restaurant, though it will meet league requirements. The Rays likely will consult with the coaching staff — and possibly have hitters test it out — to make sure it provides the proper background.
The majority of the $1.3MM overhaul will come from a special stadium capital projects escrow account which the city controls. Since the team cannot spend money from the account without city approval, they will be asked to approve the project at a November 25th city council meeting.
The Rays have signed 30 year-old RHRP, Mark Lowe, to a minor league deal, including an invitation to Spring Training. Lowe posted a 9.26 ERA in 11 appearances with the Angels this season before he was released in June. Lowe was picked up by the Nationals from there, though he pitched exclusively with Triple-A Syracuse before opting out of his contract after being passed over for a September call-up.
In his time with the Mariners and Rangers, from 2009-2012, Lowe compiled a 3.60 ERA over 177 appearances, impressively posting a 10 K/9 over a span of 193 innings. Lowe represents another in a long line of Rays reclamation projects that have have found recent success. DJ Short of NBC Sports’ was quick to remind us, “The Rays have earned the benefit of the doubt at this point, so it would probably be more surprising if he didn’t end up being a contributor in 2014.”
Finally, Noah Pransky reported this week, “Despite his August promise to intervene in the Rays’ Stadium Saga, Commissioner Bud Selig told reporters on Thursday that he has no plans to get involved in negotiations right now. He went on to write, “A departure from his previous frustrations, Selig said he was comfortable with the direction of the conversation.”
Noteworthiness:
Jeff Niemann has been dropped from the 40-man roster, and elected for free agency.
The Rays announced they’ll be making significant improvements to Tropicana Field, presumably ahead of the 2014 season. On the list of improvements, are extended walkways around the outfield, and replacing the center-field restaurant with an open-air patio. Now if they’d only lop off the top and replace it with a retractable roof, and lay down some sod. On the subject of those renovations, Daniel Russell of DRaysBay notes:
The GM meetings in Orlando have given us two bits of news this week, which is more than the expected zero.
Friedman clarified the Rays are looking for a first baseman and catcher, using language that indicated a search for new players, as opposed to bringing back Loney and Molina, and Stu Sternberg announced major renovations are being made to Tropicana Field.
Per Marc Topkin:
The Rays are making a major renovation to Tropicana Field, creating 360-degree circulation by adding walkways behind the outfield seating areas and opening up what was the dark-walled Batters Eye restaurant into an open-air meeting spot for fans.
Similar renovations have been made at the Rays Spring Training facility in Port Charlotte, at Chicago’s US Cellular, and the Angels Stadium in Anaheim. Each greatly improved the quality of viewership for fans in house.
The ability to traverse the stadium and not miss the game is a great value add for Tropicana Field, and should improve traffic in the outfield causeways.
The Rays may not be able to break their lease in the short term, but Sternberg’s ownership group has always been committed to improving the conditions and fan experience at Tropicana Field.
This appears to be yet another significant financial investment into a field the Rays have no intention of maintaining, and it is a welcomed one that should greatly add to the fan experience.
Sternberg did not give further details, but re-affirmed his commitment to improving the fan experience, and confirmed the renovations are already underway.
Noteworthiness
The Rays have extended the contracts to all of their assistant coaches. Jim Hickey, Tom Foley and company are slated to be with the ball club for the next two seasons. Yes, that also includes hitting coach Derek Shelton.
Wil Myers has been named the 2013 AL Rookie of the Year, beating out fellow teammate Chris Archer and the Detroit Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias. Myers, the Rays’ third AL Rookie of the Year in the past six seasons, received 23 of 30 first place votes, while Iglesias came in second with five votes and Archer scratched the surface with one. The Marlins’ Jose Fernandez won the award on the NL side, to which we retort, “Ha ha, Puig!”
In other news, the Atlanta Braves are getting a new stadium. On Monday, the Braves announced plans to move to a new ballpark in the suburbs, north of downtown Atlanta. Their current home, Turner Field, opened only 17 years ago, however team president John Schuerholz said the current facility needs “hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of upgrades” that “will not do anything to improve access or the fan experience.” Sound familiar? In addition to moving away from the traffic and parking issues that plague downtown, the Braves’ new location will put them closer to the heart of their fanbase. That they’ll be moving away from the city’s downtown core is particularly interesting. In short, the announcement bucks the “build stadiums in livable, walkable districts” model that many have argued in favor of, including MLB commissioner Bud Selig and Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. How this bodes for the Rays in their search for a new ballpark is unknown. An owners meeting is scheduled in Orlando this week, which should allow principal owner Stuart Sternberg and commissioner Bud Selig to discuss the stadium stalemate. In short, something hyperbolic is all but expected.
The reasons for moving away from downtown are compelling. Each red dot on the heat map (below) represents a Braves ticket sold in 2012. Turner Field is at the very bottom of the dark red area, while the new stadium’s right in the thick of it.
(Courtesy of HomeOfTheBraves.com)
Marc Topkin writes, “This will be a key week, not as much for making moves but focusing on what Friedman openly admits is an “ever-evolving” plan, as the GMs gather in Orlando for their annual get-together, in advance of the traditional December winter meetings.” On the docket for the annual get-together, Friedman and company will be talking to other teams as well as outside free agents. They’ll also attempt to engage the 10 players hitting free agency, while plotting how to fill several large holes (first base, closer, DH). To that end, they’ll deal with the 10 arbitration eligibles and, as Topkin put it, “fit it all into a payroll expected to be around the same $60 million as this past season while remaining competitive.” That’s no easy task.
Ladies and gentlemen, your newly elected mayor of St. Petersburg, Rick Kriseman.
Bill Foster’s rein of error came to an end last night, after Rick Kriseman beat the incumbent by a 12 point margin. During the mayoral race, Kriseman acknowledged the throng of issues he’s tasked with fixing, including (but not limited to) the Pier, curbside recycling, economic redevelopment in Midtown, and the Stadium Saga. As the Shadow of the Stadium‘s Noah Pransky noted,
“But in 2013, with Rick Kriseman knocking Foster out of office, 56% to 44%, once again, it seems to be a “win” for the Rays. Kriseman promised an end to the gridlock over a replacement stadium, while Foster maintained it was impossible to move forward and still protect the interests of St. Petersburg.”
The Tampa Bay Times took one last, post election, shot at Foster,
St. Petersburg voters sent a clear message Tuesday that they want their mayor to provide stronger leadership and their city to aim higher. That is why they replaced incumbent Mayor Bill Foster with Rick Kriseman, who promises to bring new energy and fresh ideas to City Hall. Now Kriseman should build on his solid victory, unite the city and lead St. Petersburg in a more positive direction.
In other Rays related news, the organization declined Juan Carlos Oviedo’s option. Initially signed to a minor league contract prior to the 2013 season, Oviedo sat out the entire season recuperating from Tommy John surgery. It was believed that Oviedo would be a contender for the closer spot in 2014. The Rays can either restructure a new contract for him, or start looking for a new closer. Keep in mind, you’ve got a pair of pitchers in the pen that would make excellent closer’s — Jake McGee and Alex Torres.
In case you’ve been living under a rock, the Rays locked up Ben Zobrist, Yunel Escobar, and David DeJesus. The left handed outfielder and the Rays have agreed to a new two-year contract that will cover the 2014-15 seasons, including a club option for the 2016 season. He’s projected to make $10.5MM over the span of his two year extension. The contract replaces the $6.5 million 2014 club option the Rays picked up on Sunday. As our buddy at the Rays Tank noted,
“Originally his deal wasn’t that great of a pick up, over six million for a 34 year old outfielder. But with a three year contract, a player like DeJesus is a steal. And gives the Rays some options.
On the other side of the coin it also means that Matt Joyce’s time in a Rays uniform may be over. Joyce is being pushed out, with Myers, Jennings, DeJesus, and Fuld taking up spaces. And Kiermaier and Guyer waiting in the wings, Joyce seems to be trade bait.”
Finally, Wil Myers has been lauded with another award. This time, the Rays rookie right-fielder has been awarded the MLB Players Rookie of the Year. Jose Iglesias of the Marlins was awarded the same on the NL side. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced their finalists for the 2013 Jackie Robinson Award, better known as American League Rookie of the Year. Chris Archer joins Wil Myers on the list of finalists. The BBWAA will announce the AL and NL Rookie of the Year on November 11.
Noteworthiness
Per Noah Pransky, mayor-elect Rick Kriseman says he will reach out to the Rays this week to “Get to know each other better.”
