2018 Tampa Bay Rays

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MLB TRADE WHISPERS
If it's rumored, we hear it...

RAYS PROMOTE JAKE BAUERS

The Rays have promoted first baseman Jake Bauers (#83 overall prospect in MLB). Bauers was considered by many evaluators to be a year away from the bigs, but a collection of underperforming players appears to have forced Tampa's hand. Bauers is destroying triple-A currently, with a .321/.465/.718 slash line. He is primarily a first baseman, but can play well in left or right field as well.

Bauers is expected to slot into the starting lineup as the Rays shake up their roster once again. Brad Miller goes back to second, and Daniel Robertson gets bumped from the lineup, due to his sub-Mendoza average.

Demoted to AAA is Grant Kay. Kay only managed one hit in his 25 at-bats, and did not provide the platoon bat that the team thought he would.

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@ Detroit

L, 1-6---Another bad loss, held to only 3 hits.

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Overview after March/April


Pitchers:

Chaz Roe: 14.2 IP, 1.23 ERA, 1.0 WAR
Chris Archer: 33.2 IP, 5.61 ERA, 0.6 WAR
Chih-Wei Hu: 15 IP, 1.20 ERA, 0.5 WAR
Alex Colome: 14.2 IP, 4.91 ERA, 0.4 WAR
Jacob Faria: 33.1 IP, 4.59 ERA, 0.4 WAR
Yonny Chirinos: 24.2 IP, 4.74 ERA, 0.3 WAR
Chris Kirsch: 4 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.1 WAR
Ryan Yarbrough 26.1 IP, 5.81 ERA, 0.1 WAR
Andrew Kittredge: 13.2 IP, 5.93 ERA, 0.1 WAR
Diego Castillo: 16 IP, 7.88 ERA, 0 WAR
Matt Andriese: 26.1 IP, 6.84 ERA, 0 WAR
Jose Alvarado: 10 IP, 8.10 ERA, -0.2 WAR

Standouts:
Chaz Roe has been awesome, and his peripherals show he could be even better. 14.1 K/9, 1.2 BB/9, 0 HR.

Jose Alvarado needs to stop walking a batter per inning.

Chih-Wei Hu is HOT.

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Overview after March/April


Batters:

Adeiny Hechavarria: .375/.421/.473, 1.7 WAR
Wilson Ramos: .260/.302/.450, 0.5 WAR
CJ Cron: .269/.313/.529, 0.5 WAR
Denard Span: .280/.352/.415, 0.4 WAR
Matt Duffy: .256/.289/.331, 0.4 WAR
Kevin Kiermaier: .212/.282/.363, 0.2 WAR
Brad Miller: .198/.356/.358, 0.2 WAR
Mallex Smith: .184/.279/.342, 0.2 WAR
Carlos Gomez: .246/.328/.404, 0.1 WAR
Jesus Sucre: .263/.263/.526, 0.1 WAR
Joey Wendle: .286/.286/.357, 0.1 WAR
Jake Bauers: .000/.000/.000, -0.2 WAR
Daniel Robertson: .182/.281/.273, -0.4 WAR


L, 0-5 --- Matt Andriese was hammered again, as the Rays offense got 4-hit this time by a Tigers bullpen day following an injury to Fulmer. Things are looking dire.

Following the game, Matt Andriese was optioned to AAA-Durham. Ryne Stanek was promoted in his place. No word on who will replace him in the rotation though, as Stanek is definitely a reliever.

W, 9-4---We salvage the series with a win here. Ramos gets 7th and Cron gets 8th homer. Archer struck out 8 over 5 innings.

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vs Toronto

L, 3-4---An inside the parker off Kittredge to win it defined this game. Absolutely mind blowing. Other than that, Yarbrough pitched bad again, and Hechavarria had another two hits.

Following the game, the Rays claimed Bartolo Colon and optioned Andrew Kittredge to Durham.
Giants 2B Joe Panik has a 20-game hitting streak alive.

W, 2-0---Yonny Chirinos was on fire all game, as he threw 6 shutout innings before Alvarado, Castillo, and Roe finished it off. This is how we wanted our pitching staff to be all season.

L, 8-9---The Rays were held to only five hits but still managed to score 8 runs. Ultimately though, the bullpen doomed them, as Alvarado, Stanek, Roe, and Colome each gave up at least one run.

Reds 2B Scooter Gennett has had his season end with a torn ACL.
Indians LF Michael Brantley has signed a rare early-season extension for 4 years and 54.8 million dollars. Brantley was due to be a free agent after the season.

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vs. Atlanta

W, 7-3---Archer shut out the braves through six, striking out 8 and only allowing five to reach base. Ramos gunned down two base stealers as well, and the Rays managed 12 hits in a great team effort. Mallex Smith stole three bases, bringing his total to 7.

Red Sox RF Mookie Betts is out for the season. Boston is 18-18 currently, 4.5 behind New York.
W, 4-2---The Bartolo Colon experience was a resounding success. Big Sexy struck out seven over seven innings, allowing only two runs on a pair of solo shots. Interestingly, Ryne Stanek was given the save situation, and he responded by striking out three batters, although the third reached base on a passed ball, making it briefly a bit worrisome. Sugar Jesus hit two doubles to lead the charge on offense.

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@ Baltimore
L, 3-4---Another painful loss to Bmore. In the 8th, Hu came in with one out and one on. He got another out but loaded the bases. With two outs and bases loaded, Colome gave up a 2-run double to Valencia and that was it, Orioles take the lead and the game.

L, 5-8---Faria was hammered in the first two innings and we never recovered. Hechavarria was a homerun short of the cycle.

Nationals SP Gio Gonzalez signed an extension for 5 years and 89 million dollars. This is surprising given his 5.06 ERA this season. Also, pirates closer Felipe Vazquez is out.

L, 3-5---HELLO DARKNESS MY OLD FRIEND
Mark Trumbo’s grand slam off of Ryne Stanek doomed the Rays in this one. Only two of the five runs were earned though thanks to a costly error by pitcher Ryan Yarbrough, allowing the bases to be loaded.

Ryne Stanek was placed on the disabled list after the game and will be out for three weeks. LHP Tim Hill, acquired a few weeks ago for Rob Refsnyder, was called up once again.

Twins SP Jose Berrios has been injured and will not return to pitch this year.

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vs Kansas City

W, 8-0---Chris Archer was on point once again, as he has rebounded strong this month. Young Jake Bauers was 3-5 with a pair of doubles. The offense managed 13 hits. In an interesting wrinkle, Rob Refsnyder doubled off the pitcher we traded him for, Tim Hill. So far that trade has been a wash on both sides. Refsnyder has been replacement level and Hill has only pitched 3.1 IP in the bigs.

W, 3-2---Bartolo Colon was even better in his second start as a Ray, allowing only one run in seven innings. Brad Miller hit a homerun, and Kiermaier doubled twice in the effort. With a 3-1 lead, Alvarado allowed a homer, and then two singles. Roe came in with first and third and no outs and somehow escaped without a single run scoring to earn a great save. Very pleased with the Colon claim so far overall.

L, 3-4---The offensive struggles returned in this rough loss to the Royals. Duffy hit a homer but it was otherwise quiet.

Following this series, LF Angel Pagan was recalled from his rehab assignment. 2B Joey Wendle was optioned to Durham, and LF Denard Span has been bumped to the bench. SP Nate Eovaldi was sent on a rehab assignment.

Angels RP Cam Bedrosian will miss 4 months.

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MLB TRADE WHISPERS
If it's rumored, we hear it...

INDIANS ACQUIRE JOAKIM SORIA

The Cleveland Indians have acquired relief ace Joakim Soria and 6.04 million dollars in cash from the White Sox in exchange for minor leaguers RHP Triston McKenzie, LHP Steve Ascher, and 2B Jose Fermin. Soria instantly becomes a top bullpen weapon on Cleveland, strengthening something that is already a strong point. Soria carries a 2.14 ERA and more than 9 K/9 on the season. By doubling down on pitching, they hope that the 2nd-best pen in the league even before Soria will help lead a lackluster offense to the championship. Of note, the Indians have now scored over 10 million dollars in cash in trades where they acquired major leaguers. This is appearing to be a theme.

Soria costs 9 million this year, meaning that around 2/3 of his contract for the year was paid in cash. He has a mutual option for 10 million next year.

As for the return, the White Sox get a package headlined by pitching prospect Triston McKenzie. McKenzie is the #93 prospect league-wide (#6 CWS) and is said to already have a major-league ready mix of three pitches despite only being in A+ ball. He has a good feel for the zone and is a very hard worker. As for the other two players, Steve Ascher is little more than minor league depth, but 19-year old infielder Jose Fermin is at least an interesting prospect, with plus contact skills and a decent glove.

Trade Grades:

Cleveland: B ---- The Indians got a player who helps them right now, and by striking early they get him for a full season. But they dealt from a weak farm system to improve a position that honestly is not a position of need currently. Dealing McKenzie was a fairly solid move, as he would have trouble breaking into a crowded starting staff in Cleveland, but a year rental on a reliever is not necessarily where I would have gone.

Chicago: B+ ----Chicago took advantage of Soria’s good season and scored a solid prospect. The main issue with this deal for them was the monster amount of cash sent to Cleveland. All hopes ride on McKenzie from this deal likely, and it’s an expensive mistake if he doesn’t pan out.

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@ Los Angeles Angels

L, 1-13---Faria is hammered again in what may be his final start for a while. Kirsch was hit hard as well out of the pen. The Rays drop to 18-24.

W, 9-6---A solid win for the Rays today. Angel Pagan was named player of the game for his 3-5 effort, as he continues to hit well after returning from the DL. Unfortunately, Ryan Yarbrough struggled once again. We are removing him from the rotation, as he seems to do well in quick bursts but struggles from then on.

[treymancini]

MLB TRADE WHISPERS
If it's rumored, we hear it...

RAYS ACQUIRE MIGUEL GONZALEZ

The Rays have acquired starting pitcher Miguel Gonzalez from the White Sox, in exchange for 18-year old catching prospect Nigel Calmes. The White Sox will retain the entirety of the salary due Gonzalez. This move comes on the heels of a poor start by pitcher Ryan Yarbrough, who has struggled this year. But Gonzalez isn’t much more inspiring, carrying an 8.71 ERA on the season.

As for the prospect heading to Chicago, Calmes is an interesting lottery ticket, but he’s not about to land on any prospect charts. He has yet to play in pro ball but has a good feel for the zone and a quick eye, and could grow into perhaps a backup catcher.

To make room for Gonzalez, Chris Kirsch was optioned to AAA-Durham.




@ LA Angels continued

L, 0-2---This was a frustrating game. After Archer struck out the side and LA starter Garrett Richards went down in the 1st, this seemed like an easy win. But the offense was dumbfounded by a parade of mediocre relievers, and Archer gave up a few big hits. Tim Hill and Diego Castillo were lights out though out of the pen, after a high pitch count forced Archer out after 4.1 IP.

Braves RP Sam Freeman is out for the season with a torn UCL.

L, 5-15---All good things must come to an end. In this case, the two improbable pitching darlings of the season in Hu and Colon both imploded in spectacular fashion. It’s a real shame, Hu in particular had me excited greatly. The offense was bad once again beyond a couple of homers from Cron and Ramos. Our offense seems to be tied to whether they hit a homer or not. It might be time to start shopping players around.

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vs. Boston

W, 6-0---A shutout by Yonny Chirinos, allowing 5 hits and 0 BB, was the major storyline of the day. Chirinos was dominant and efficient. Brad Miller led the offense with two homers, as the team came together to defeat the Red Sox and get our 20th win.

W, 5-2---Jake Bauers was named player of the game for his efforts, going two for three with a triple and a walk. Ryan Yarbrough made his relief debut and was lights out over three innings. Alex Colome got the win and Jose Alvarado got the save.

Rangers SP Doug Fister has torn his rotator cuff and is out for 10-11 months.

L, 2-9---Miguel Gonzalez was horrible, and that’s really all I can say. It seems like every time we get in a groove, we lose one.

Miguel Gonzalez was optioned to Durham, and Matt Andriese was recalled in his place.

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vs. Boston

W, 6-0---A shutout by Yonny Chirinos, allowing 5 hits and 0 BB, was the major storyline of the day. Chirinos was dominant and efficient. Brad Miller led the offense with two homers, as the team came together to defeat the Red Sox and get our 20th win.

W, 5-2---Jake Bauers was named player of the game for his efforts, going two for three with a triple and a walk. Ryan Yarbrough made his relief debut and was lights out over three innings. Alex Colome got the win and Jose Alvarado got the save.

Rangers SP Doug Fister has torn his rotator cuff and is out for 10-11 months.

L, 2-9---Miguel Gonzalez was horrible, and that’s really all I can say. It seems like every time we get in a groove, we lose one.

Miguel Gonzalez was optioned to Durham, and Matt Andriese was recalled in his place.

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vs. Baltimore

W, 4-1---Chris Archer was on fire, going deep into the game to pitch a complete game, allowing only one run on a night inning solo shot. He struck out ten batters. Jake Bauers came in clutch with some hitting, and Wilson Ramos hit a homerun.

L, 2-5---Kevin Gausman pitched well for the Birds, and beyond a Matt Duffy homer the offense was quiet.

All-star voting update: Stanton leads AL, Goldschmidt leads NL. No Rays in the voting, not even Hecchavaria or Chaz Roe.
Carlos Gomez was injured, but we do not know the severity.

W, 4-3 (11)---What a thrilling win for us. Matt Andriese, fresh off a dominant stint in triple-A, made his triumphant return, pitching 6 innings allowing only one run off of an Adam Jones solo shot. But Chris Tillman was just as dominant as the last time we faced the hapless Orioles starter. In the bottom of the 8th, it was 1-0, until Angel Pagan sent his first homer the other way to tie the game. But in the tenth, disaster struck. Castillo allowed a homer, and then Roe allowed an inherited runner to score. 3-1 Orioles. But Adeiny Hecchavaria ripped a pitch down the left field line with two men on to tie the game again with a triple. And in the 11th, Angel Pagan brought home Jake Bauers on a walkoff infield hit to end it. Incredible game. Only bad thing was that Chih-Wei Hu was hurt.

Carlos Gomez is only going to miss one more day. Nice break for us. We are up to 19th in the power ranks.

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MLB TRADE WHISPERS
If it's rumored, we hear it...

PHILLIES ACQUIRE ANDREW MCCUTCHEN

The Philadelphia Phillies have struck a trade to acquire outfielder Andrew McCutchen and 0.5 million in cash considerations from the San Francisco Giants. In exchange, the Giants receive 27-year old outfielder Aaron Altherr and 23-year-old minor-league reliever JD Hammer.

McCutchen, who is a free agent at season’s end, has had a good year for the Giants, slashing .285/.362/.465 over the first few months of the season, good enough for 1.3 WAR. McCutchen was acquired by the Giants just this past offseason, but a lackluster 25-29 start in the competitive NL West appears to have them selling early on their big offseason catch. McCutchen will likely replace Jose Bautista and his counterpart in the trade, Aaron Altherr in the Phillie lineup. Clearly the team prefers the well-rounded player in McCutchen, who will cost just shy of 12 million in his final year before free agency.

The two players heading back to the Giants are by no means prospects, but both have some potential. Altherr had a solid year for Philadelphia last year in limited action but struggled to a .190/.282/.333 slash line this year. He has a plus glove and plus power but struggles to make contact at times. J.D. Hammer is an A-Ball fastball/slider reliever with the classic mix of two plus pitches and poor movement and control. He has gaudy strikeout numbers and allows few homers in the minors but has horrendous walk rates.

Trade Grades:
Philadelphia: A ------This move may end up a steal for the Phillies. Sure, McCutchen is older and clearly not what he used to be. His numbers are trending the wrong way. But he’s still a good player, and all they gave up was two expendable players. Altherr may end up having a good career, but at age 27, a large market team like Philly really shouldn’t waste time on him anyways.

San Francisco: D ------- There was no need to clear salary to this extent, down only 4.5 games in the wild card race. The Giants should have waited until they could get a better deal. The minor players they got in return for McCutchen are not worth selling on a race they are still very much in right now. Unless there are more moves to come, this is a very bad move by the Giants.

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@ Oakland
Game 1 was re-scheduled due to weather. A doubleheader was played the next day.
Chih-Wei Hu was diagnosed with a torn UCL. He finishes his season with a 3.48 ERA over 31 innings, with 9.0/2.3/0.3 (K/BB/HR) for his rates per nine. He was worth 0.8 WAR, and had a 1-1 record with one save. We wish him the best in his recovery. Hu was placed on the disabled list, and Sergio Romo was recalled from his rehab assignment.

W, 10-2 ----Cron’s bat woke up to the tune of 2 massive homers, including a grand slam, as everything went right for the offense. Chirinos had another good start.

L, 4-5 (13)----Rough loss in extras, but we deserved it. Oakland had twice as many hits all game, they just couldn’t bring them home. Jake Faria’s control issues are getting out of hand, and are real worrisome to me. He might be the pitcher that gets replaced by Eovaldi.

W, 4-3---Already exhausted after the double header, the pen was tested once again when Chris Archer had an injury. But Tim Hill rose to the occasion.

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Note: I encourage anyone following this series to post their own takes on the trades that go down. I plan to write retrospective posts on each one in the future, and I will gladly include your thoughts in the retrospectives!

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The month of May is over, and the Rays are 25-30.
Yonny Chirinos was named the rookie of the month by the AL! Chirinos is our 13th best prospect. Around MLB, the Yankees, Indians, and Mariners (!!!) lead their divisions in the AL, and the wild cards are the Twins and Astros. The Red Sox are within striking distance of a wildcard however. In the NL, the Mets, Cubs, and Dodgers lead their divisions. Despite being 8 GB in the division, the Padres have the first wild card, and the Phillies have the second. The Cardinals and Pirates are close behind both the Phillies and the Cubs. The Dodgers are by far the best team.
Individually, Mike Trout is having his best season, and Paul Goldschmidt, Jason Heyward, Giancarlo Stanton, Francisco Lindor, and Derek Fisher are all doing great as well. DeGrom and Strasburg lead in pitcher WAR, with several aces close behind.

Rays Pitchers:
Chaz Roe: 23.2 IP, 1.14 ERA, 1.4 WAR
Yonny Chirinos: 55.2 IP, 3.23 ERA, 0.8 WAR
Alex Colome: 26.2 IP, 3.38 ERA, 0.7 WAR
Jacob Faria: 59.0 IP, 5.64 ERA, 0.6 WAR
Matt Andriese: 37.0 IP, 6.08 ERA, 0.3 WAR
Sergio Romo: 8.1 IP, 7.56 ERA, 0.2 WAR
Ryan Yarbrough: 50 IP, 5.22 ERA, 0.2 WAR
Diego Castillo: 28 IP, 6.11 ERA, 0 WAR
Tim Hill: 18 IP, 3.50 ERA, 0 WAR
Jose Alvarado: 20.1 IP, 6.20 ERA, -0.1 WAR
Bartolo Colon: 45.0 IP, 6.00 ERA, -0.6 WAR
Chris Archer: 67.2 IP, 3.46 ERA, 1.8 WAR

Notes: Archer and Chirinos with Roe as the closer is a nice foundation for a staff. Sadly, everything else is terrible. Yarbrough has been better as a reliever though, Hill and Colome look to be okay, and maybe Faria translates his good WAR into results.

Batters:
SS Adeiny Hechavarria: .343/.383/.449, 2.2 WAR
CF Kevin Kiermaier: .252/.309/.394, 1.2 WAR
3B Matt Duffy: .269/.318/.384, 1.1 WAR
C Wilson Ramos: .242/.276/.435, 0.8 WAR
RF Carlos Gomez: .242/.357/.383, 0.7 WAR
1B/DH CJ Cron: .250/.305/.504, 0.6 WAR
LF/RF Angel Pagan: .360/.389/.453, 0.4 WAR
OF Mallex Smith: .234/.308/.404, 0.2 WAR
C Jesus Sucre: .257/.278/.457, 0.2 WAR
LF Denard Span: .268/.326/.362, 0.1 WAR
1B/2B Brad Miller: .183/.309/.340, -0.1 WAR
1B Jake Bauers: .223/.305/.330, -0.1 WAR
U Daniel Robertson: .206/.306/.324, -0.3 WAR

Notes: Whoever laid money on Hechavarria to be 3rd in the AL in batting average and lead the Rays in WAR, come collect your money. His May might not have been as good as his April but he still was great for us. Angel Pagan is also hitting well in a small sample size. Duffy and Kiermaier are getting by on defense. Brad Miller really needs out of the starting lineup. Jake Bauers is trending the right direction of late.

[treymancini]

MLB TRADE WHISPERS
If it's rumored, we hear it...

CUBS ACQUIRE CARLOS GOMEZ, RAYS PROMOTE CHRISTIAN ARROYO

The Chicago Cubs have acquired outfielder Carlos Gomez from the Tampa Bay Rays today. In return, the Tampa organization will receive pitcher Alec Mills. Gomez, who joined the Rays in free agency this past offseason, was in the midst of a solid season, hitting .242/.357/.383 for a struggling Rays club. The outfield for the Cubs has been in flux, with Kyle Schwarber having a rough season in the field, despite slightly above average results with the bat. Gomez will at the very least platoon with Schwarber, if not outright win the job, with his good defense and plate discipline skills, as well as his plus speed.

With the emergence of Angel Pagan in the outfield, and the contract of Denard Span on the books, it made sense to deal from a position of surplus for the Tampa club. And the player they get, 26-year old Alec Mills, will likely help them instantly. Mills is a starting pitcher with good control who has languished in the upper minors of the Cubs system behind several strong starters. He is not a top prospect but is a big-league ready arm for the Rays to try out. Mills pitched to a 4.46 ERA in AAA-Iowa this season.

Tampa has retained 10% of Gomez’s 4-million-dollar salary for the season. He is a free agent at season’s end. The Rays have promoted Mills to the 25-man to replace Gomez. In addition, they have designated SP Bartolo Colon for assignment and promoted infield prospect Christian Arroyo. Acquired for Evan Longoria, Arroyo is the #91 prospect in all of baseball (#7 Rays) and has hit .291/.365/.382 in AAA-Durham this season.

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@ Seattle

L, 3-6---Matt Andriese was the next Ray to go down and a burnt out pen couldn’t handle the load.

W, 11-4---CJ Cron was on fire all game, hitting two homers and a double, while Jake Faria carried a no hitter into the sixth inning. Great game for the Rays to boost their confidence against a top team. Cron is now third in all of MLB with 49 RBI.

Arizona SP Zack Greinke will miss the remainder of the regular season.

L, 2-3---Chirinos was strong all game but had a rough 7th inning that cost us dearly.
Bartolo Colon was released.