Rays Relieve Grant Balfour of Closing Duties

Rays manager Joe Maddon announced on this afternoon’s pre-game show (on WDAE), that Grant Balfour has been relieved of his closing duties. The Rays will opt for a closer by committee type of scenario — at least for the time being. Maddon didn’t specifically mention who may spend the most time in that key position, …

The State of the Rays with Two Weeks Left of Spring Training

Back in February I received an interesting email from a fellow blogger. His challenge, if I chose to accept it: answer six simple questions (below) about the state of the Rays going into Spring Training and the 2014 season.

Rays Claim LHP Reliever Wesley Wright Off Waivers (Updated)

The Tampa Bay Rays claimed LHP reliever Wesley Wright off waivers Monday, reports Marc Topkin. The now former Astros reliever will join the Rays Tuesday, while a corresponding move is expected to come down the pike shortly. Wright was presumably let go for salary concerns — he was the highest paid Astro on staff at $1.15M this season, and was acquired for cash considerations.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: The “At Least the Pen Has Improved” Edition

Following last night’s 7-2 debacle, Joe Maddon tweeted, “I know I sound like a broken record but we have to pitch a lot better to get to the spot we want to this year.” Maddon’s got a point. Three of the five starters have given up five or more runs in an inning this week. …