Eveland, 33, pitched in 33 games (23 innings pitched) for Tampa Bay in 2016, collecting an abysmal 9.00 ERA/5.89 FIP/.397 BABIP. However, the lefty excelled over 20 games (29 2/3 innings pitched) with the Rays Triple-A affiliate, posting an excellent 0.30 ERA and 0.74 WHIP
The right-handed Wagner spent last season with the Class-A Charlotte Stone Crabs and Triple-A Durham Bulls, as he continued to work his way back from Tommy John surgery. He too received an invitation to Spring Training.
Baez, who posted a 3-1 record, and a 3.21 ERA at Class-A Bowling Green last season was the third hurler to sign a Minor League deal with Tampa Bay.
In other news, it appears that rumors surrounding the Rays and the city of Montreal have again reared their ugly head. On Sunday, Pierre Trudel (a freelance journalist from Montreal) tweeted that Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg commissioned a viability study for a baseball stadium in Montreal’s Griffin Town neighborhood.
…1/3 Sérieux! Stewart Sternberg, propriétaire des Rays de Tampa Bay a RÉCEMMENT financé une étude de viabilité d’un stade à Griffin Town.
— Pierre Trudel (@trudelpierre) November 6, 2016
Canadian journalist reporting #Rays principal owner Stu Sternberg has funded stadium viability study in Montreal. Will advance in AM… https://t.co/Aq1VeQiuIM
— Shadow of Stadium (@StadiumShadow) November 7, 2016
Seeking clarity on the series of tweets, the ever intrepid Noah Pransky (Shadow of the Stadium blog) asked the Rays for a comment, and received a statement from team president Brian Auld reaffirming the franchise’s commitment to the region:
While there continues to be speculation surrounding the Rays future, we remain committed to keeping Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay for generations to come.
However, the Rays — who actively are working with Pinellas and Hillsborough on a new stadium — neither confirmed nor denied the rumors, allowing the rumor mill to spin in the team’s favor as it continues to build leverage.
The Rays’ non-denial is a not so subtle reminder to the elected officials in Pinellas and Hillsborough that the ball club might leave if subsidies for a publicly funded stadium aren’t available regionally.
In a way, the #Rays crossed the Rubicon today with this non-denial denial. You can’t put Pandora back in the box now. https://t.co/gOKETFy7gz
— Shadow of Stadium (@StadiumShadow) November 7, 2016
If anything, the ongoing rumors could force a further detachment between fans of the ball club and the ball club itself, on the heals of a marginal improvement in attendance.