alexf388

Alex Ferguson Although during yesterday's press conference I did say I was happy with the Rays roster, the truth is that the roster can use some upgrades. The Rays are not a perfect team: their offense has much to be desired compared to the other AL East teams. Even though the lackluster Rays offense can be attributed to Tropicana Field, which is a pitcher's park due to its vast foul ground, there is no denying that the Rays offense could do better still. A brief discussion with Rays owner Stuart Sternberg today reveals that he feels there are slight weaknesses at catcher and first base. To be honest, I think his opinion is slightly too optimistic... Projected Starting Lineup: Catchers: Jose Molina ($1.8M/year) Molina's our starting catcher. His replacement level offense would normally warrant him being a backup catcher instead of a starting one. Harrison says he has outstanding defensive ability, but statistics say he actually is only slightly above average in terms of DRS (Defensive Runs Saved). His real game changer is his ability to call games and frame pitches: making balls look like strikes. Of course, more strikes means more outs, and more outs means more runs saved. While I appreciate Molina's pitch framing ability, I think even a marginally better offensive catcher with similar defensive skills would provide the Rays with more wins. First Base: James Loney ($2M/1 year) James Loney showed huge promise during his first two years with Los Angeles Dodgers. He then proceeded to be average offensively for the rest of his duration in the Dodgers organization. After posting subpar batting numbers with Boston (.254/.302/.344), the Rays signed him in a cheap one-year, 2 million dollar deal. An above-average defender at first base, Loney also has above-average contact, gap power, and plate discipline. But, unlike your prototypical first base slugger, Loney lacks home run power. Although there's a good chance to see him rebound from a disappointing 2012 due to his gap power (gap power usually means more line drives, and since line drives are harder to catch, this means more hits), it isn't a bad idea to sign/trade another better first baseman if given the chance. Second Base: Kelly Johnson ($2.45M/1 year) Signed as a free agent by the Rays, Kelly Johnson is simply an inconsistent hitter. On good streaks, he brings above-average offense to the table (his best year was 2010 with the Diamondbacks, where he posted .284/.370/.490). Last year, he batted a mediocre .225/.313/.365 with 87 OPS+ with the Blue Jays. Defensively, he is average at second base. If I could, I would have Zobrist as the starting second baseman instead of Johnson, but that would leave an offensive and defensive hole in right field. So Johnson it is at second right now, unless if we can find a better second baseman through trades or we are confident enough to call up Wil Myers from Triple-A. Shortstop: Yunel Escobar ($20.0M/ 4 years (2012-2015), 2014 & 2015 team option) Yunel Escobar was acquired via trade from the Marlins. He was a Blue Jay in 2012 before he was traded along with several players to the Marlins in a blockbuster deal involving Josh Johnson, Mark Buerhle, Jose Reyes, and others that made headlines everywhere. He is a decent offensive contributor for a shortstop (career wOBA of .323), but is a bit inconsistent year to year (wOBA of .265 last year with Toronto). It doesn't help that he continues to swing at bad pitches without the slightest remorse. Defensively, he makes fielding at shortstop look a bit too easy. At $5.0 million dollars a year, he is adequately priced in my opinion. Third Base: Evan Longoria ($130M/ 10 Years (2013 - 2022), 2021 team option) A household name, Longoria has great offensive ability along with plus-plus defense at a position where very few players are good at. At $6 million dollars this year, he is an absolute steal for the team, but his recent 6-year, $100 million contract extension starting from 2016 is certainly player-friendly and risky for a small budget team like the Rays. Nevertheless, he is a one of a kind player that Rays fans like to watch, and that is why Andrew and I want him as the face of the franchise. Left Field: Matt Joyce ($2.45 M/arbitration eligible) In his five years with the Rays, Matt Joyce has provided average to above average offense for the Rays. Except for 2009, he posted an OPS+ of more than 110 every year with the Rays. Although Joyce regressed slightly last year, he is a proven defender at left field, and has the potential to rebound. He is arbitration eligible this year (estimated around $3.9M /year), so offering him a team-friendly contract through his arbitration years is definitely a priority. Centre Field: Desmond Jennings ($500k/pre-arbitration eligible) Replacing B.J. Upton who departed for free agency (and signed with the Braves) is Desmond Jennings, and there is no doubt in my mind that Upton's offensive and defensive output is easily replaceable by the Birmingham native. Jennings is kind of similar to Matt Joyce: average to slightly above average offensive skills and good defensive outfielders. They both have the potential to offensively better than last year. Unlike Joyce however, Jennings isn't eligible for arbitration until 2015. Nevertheless, signing Jennings to a team-friendly contract is definitely in the order. Right Field: Ben Zobrist (18M / 4 years (2010 - 2013) + 2 Option Years) "Zorilla", as Maddon and teammates like to call him, is one of the better hitters on the Rays lineup. In the past two seasons, he's had a wOBA of .350 or more, and a RC/27 of 6.10. Not only does he boast great gap power (he hits a ton of line drives to outfield) and a great eye, he is a good infield and outfield defender. The only concerning this is his age: at 31, Zobrist is on the wrong side of 30, and he will most likely regress over the next few years. Nevertheless, Zobrist is one of the most versatile players in the sport, and fortunately he's a Rays player at a good price. Designated Hitter: Shelley Duncan ($550k/arbitration eligible) There isn't really much to like about Shelly Duncan, and he's seen better days as a hitter in other teams when he was younger. Offensively, now that he's 33 years old, he is an average hitter at best, although he does continue to hit a long one out of the park every once in a while without striking out a lot. He's an average defender, but compared to all the infielders on the roster, he is actually rated the worst at any position. Nonetheless, even though I'd prefer to have a better player to DH instead of Duncan, there are no other options, and I'm not a fan of paying a player $500k to play in the minors, so we have to make do with Duncan DH'ing. Reserve/Pinch Hitters: Reserve Catcher: Jose Lobaton ($496,500/pre-arbitration eligible) Compared to Molina, he is similar to Molina in terms of offense, but lacks the defense of Molina. We should definitely be looking out for a backup catcher with superior defensive and offensive skills. Better yet, if we get another starting catcher, Molina will definitely be replacing Lobaton as backup catcher. Reserve Outfielder: Sam Fuld ($725,000/arbitration eligible) Ah, the Legendary Sam Fuld. Videos of him making exceptional diving saves have earned him many nicknames, including Superman Sam. Great defense but poor overall hitting means he is the backup outfielder for the Rays. Even though he has spent most of his time fielding at left field, he should be able to play any outfield position really well regardless. Reserve Infielder: Sean Rodriguez ($2 M/ arbitration eligble) Sean Rodriguez has been a Rays player since being traded to the Rays by the Angels back in 2009. Of course, like most reserve players, Rodriguez simply does not have the offensive skills to be useful as a starter. He makes up with excellent defensive infield skills, especially at second base. I don't like paying 2 million for a player with replacement-level offense, but as there's no one in the farm system with similar defensive skills as Rodriguez, he will do for now. Reserve Infielder: Ryan Roberts ($2.95 M/1 year) Ever since traded by the Diamondbacks to the Rays, "Tatman" (his nickname originates from the fact that he has over 30 tattoos on his body) has slightly above average hitting skills but suffers from long droughts of inconsistency. Like Rodriguez, Roberts is a bit pricey considering he's not offensively dependable enough to be on the starting lineup, but he is a proven glove at third base. Sure it's not award-worthy defense, but it's good enough to replace Longoria if he's injured/tired. Summary: According to the preseason predictions, the Rays offense will score 698 runs, which is not a surprise. Truth be told, this year's starting lineup is more or less the same as last year's: much of the offense is being carried by productive and consistent hitters like Longoria and Zobrist. Matt Joyce and Desmond Jennings need to rebound from their disappointing seasons in 2012 so they can contribute positively to the Rays offense. The rest of the lineup consists of below-average hitters, players with inconsistent batting, and players who are past their prime. The good thing is that the majority of these players are inexpensive, and the majority of them have defensive upside. Nevertheless, it's important to look for upgrades at catcher, first base, second base, and designated hitter during the season: marginally improving the Rays offense may be the difference between winning a playoff spot or being eliminated.

Alex Ferguson It's just a few days before the season begins, and fortunately Andrew has done most of the hard work by signing players to fill the holes we had in 2012. The real question is whether or not those pieces will replace the holes left by those who departed for free agency or were traded. Before taking a look at the roster and figuring out the projected starting lineup and rotation, I'll first need to deal with management and budget decisions. During the press conference, I talked about several managerial changes that could be made. Andrew and I discussed these issues together before the changeover, and there are four managerial changes to be made. First, on Friedman's recommendation, I have decided to appoint Rocco Baldelli as my Special Assistant in Baseball Operations. A former Rays player who had to retire early due to a rare disease called mitochondrial myopathy, he is nevertheless gifted with an open mind and knowledge of the game. His attitude is great, and his experience in the major leagues will prove invaluable in assisting me with assessing players. The second one is that the current team trainer of the Rays, Ron Porterfield, has been fired. It's not that Porterfield has been a bad trainer (Andrew and I both agree he did a good job in keeping the Rays lineup healthy), but the fact of the matter is that we've decided that there are better team trainers that could be hired. One of those team trainers is Stan Conte, who has been offered 3-year, $90,000 contract to be the team trainer for the Rays. Hopefully we'll hear his decision by tomorrow before the season starts. The last managerial choice has to deal with the minor league coaches. Like the case with Ron Porterfield, Andrew and I felt several coaches could be replaced with even better coaches. Most of these coaches haven't been bad, and have made a positive contribution in training minor league players to be ready for the majors. But as it has been said before, there are better coaches out there, and if the opportunity arises, we will hire them to replace existing managers, even if it\'s during the season. In order for a small-market team for the Rays to sustain continued success in the AL East, it's important that we continue to spend money in player development and scouting. The Rays simply don't have the money to buy big talent from free agency, so many of our players will have to be drafted and homegrown continually over the years. This year, on a budget of $101 million (28th overall), a total of 16 million will be spent in player development, while another 9 million will be spent on scouting. That leaves $10 million for free agent signings, and another $10 million for extensions. This represents a huge jump from last year's 9 million in player development, and 7 million in scouting. Of course, many people probably think this kind of money could be spent on free agents for success now, but I believe this kind of huge investment will pay itself off over the next few years.

March 30, 2013 Jonah Keri A hastily set-up table is placed in a room in the confines of Tropicana Field. Four men in suits are sitting at the table, busy answering questions being thrown at them by twenty or so journalists, including me. When I sit myself down at the press conference, I immediately recognize three of the guys as Sternberg, Silverman, and Friedman. The fourth guy sitting at the far right side of the table obviously must be Ferguson. Standing at 6 feet 2, with chiseled facial features and an athletic, lean body hidden in a suit, he didn't immediately give the impression he would be the guy in baseball operations. The only giveaway were his funky, thick-rimmed glasses that probably came from his years of working in front of a computer. In fact, he more or less reminded me of Atlanta Brave's Freddie Freeman (who by the way, also happens to be Canadian). Sitting laxly in his chair with an air of nonchalance and looking slightly detached from reality, he doesn't really seem to be a guy who cares or pays attention in press conferences at all. "Matt's career as President of the Tampa Bay Rays has been instrumental in rebuilding this team and organization from 2005 to where it is now today," Stuart Sternberg explains with a heavy heart. "Although we are sad to see him go, we remain grateful for his work and contribution to the Rays." A reporter directs a question at Silverman, asking why he resigned so suddenly. "Well, I've been working with Stu for a long time already. When he offered me the job of being President of the Rays Organization, I was planning to write a book about my father and our mutual love for baseball. At the time, I decided to put the book project on hold. But things have since changed, and after reorganizing my thoughts, I've decided to resign my position to restart on writing my book again. To be honest, being President of the Rays has been a truly wonderful experience, and it's given me a whole new perspective on the game that I've loved and would love to write about." I remember years ago when I interviewed Matt Silverman, and he told me he had debated with himself about accepting Sternberg's offer as President of the Rays, or continue writing the aforementioned book. For an author like myself, I can totally understand this: there's no greater experience than to write a book about something you love, especially baseball. Another reporter asks Andrew if he will have any influence on day to day baseball operations now that he is no longer the de facto GM. "Look, Stu and I have full faith and confidence that Alex here will do a good job as Executive Vice President. He has the brains required for this job, and he does everything with great energy and dedication. There's no doubt in our minds that he's the right guy for the right job. I don't think he'll be needing my guidance and input at all." A sports journalist asks if the Rays are making any other managerial decisions before the upcoming season that is a few days away. Friedman grins, "I think I'll let Alex answer this question here." However, Ferguson appears to be daydreaming, probably envisioning himself slurping on some cocktail by the beaches not many miles away. Friedman chuckles, and quietly nudges him on the arm. Ferguson jerks back to reality and realizes the question is directed at him. "Oh, right. Well, there probably will be several changes in the team coaching staff before the season starts. These changes will occur throughout the year as we identify different strengths and weaknesses through our training staff. Andrew and I have talked about these issues during the offseason a few months ago. I won't specify details at the moment, but you will hear more about this soon." The same journalist asks a question about the team's strategy and direction moving forward from this management change. "Um, Andrew's done a good job making sure this team is ready for this year. We're confident that the pieces are in place for this team to clinch the AL East. That being said, if the opportunity to upgrade this ball club comes, we're not afraid to seize the chance. As in every year, a good amount of our resources is spent on player development and scouting this year. The Rays always had a focus on pitching and defense, and we're not changing that either," replies Ferguson. Then, with a cheesy grin, he ends his little speech with, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." After a few more questions here and there, the press conference concludes. To end the conference, Sternberg, Friedman, and Ferguson each give Silverman a handshake and a hug goodbye. This final farewell symbolically signals the end of Matt Silverman's term in the Three Musketeers of Sternberg & Company; Alex Ferguson's tenure as a fellow Musketeer has just begun.

March 30, 2013 Jonah Keri The first beams of sunlight radiate across the Eastern horizon. The faint rays of light slowly creep into the dark interior of the flight cabin, gradually illuminating seats and sleepy faces along its wake. For most people, it is the beginning of a normal and routine Saturday. But for a baseball team known as the Tampa Bay Rays, however, today is a special day. Today will herald the start of a new chapter in their franchise. And as a journalist, here I was, stuck in all the middle of it. Two years. Two years ago, I wrote the book The Extra 2%. Since the publication of my book, I've been writing baseball articles on Grantland, as well as a book on the former Montreal Expos. Besides the few articles I have written, it's been a while I've done anything big solely on the Rays since then. So it came as a surprise to me when I received an invitation to a Tampa Bay Rays press conference two days ago. I didn't know what the conference was about, but apparently something big was happening in the organization. My colleagues persuaded me to go anyways, and maybe if I was lucky enough, I could get an inside look at the Rays organization again. It wasn't until I was halfway through a nine-hour flight from Denver, Colorado to St. Petersburg, Florida, that I finally learned what the fuss was about. In a surprising turn of events, owner Stuart Sternberg announced that Matt Silverman has resigned from his position of President in the Rays Organization. Andrew Friedman, the current Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations, will be the new President. Simultaneously, Friedman's Special Assistant of Baseball Operations, Alex Ferguson, has been named as Friedman's successor. Ferguson's not a name not a lot of people outside of the Rays organization are familiar with, let alone myself. Surfing on the Rays webpage, I briefly look over Ferguson's biography. Alex Oliver Ferguson. Born in Toronto, Canada on March 24th, 1985. Scottish ancestry, and from what I understand, no relation to the great football manager or the funny comedian from the Late Late Show for that matter. He played briefly as an outfielder and pitcher during his college years, and eventually graduated with a B.Eng in Software Engineering, and a minors in Economics. Worked for a few years in various software companies (including IBM) before he was taken in by the Blue Jays as an intern analyst, and eventually landed himself a job as Special Assistant of Baseball Operations in the Rays organization. What kind of guy who is crazy enough to abandon a rewarding career in IT for an intern position is beyond me, but it will be very interesting to meet him in person when I get the chance. It\'s another three hours before the airplane finally arrives at St. Petersburg. As the plane descends into a tight turn for the final approach at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, I can see the shiny white roof of Tropicana Field from a distance. Around the domed stadium are the sprawling buildings of downtown St. Pete. The glistening blue water of Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico envelopes the city from east and west. The Home of the Tampa Bay Rays has never looked better.

The Tampa Bay Rays, formerly known as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, are a young team, with only 15 years of history in the MLB. The first seven years of the franchise, under the ownership of Vince Naimoli, were years every Rays fan would love to forget. The team's low payroll, combined with poor business and baseball management decisions, meant that the Devil Rays were destined to be pummeled by other teams in the competitive AL East year after year. Naimoli's antics and his hard-nosed, penny-pinching business attitude made him more or less public enemy number one in St. Petersburg. General Manager Chuck LaMar's sudden and questionable signing of the Vinny Castilla, Jose Canseco, and Greg Vaughn, baseball players who were past their prime, only worsened the team's rebuilding situation. The results? The Rays suffered sub .500 seasons every year from its inception, and the worst MLB attendance of any team in the league. However, things started looking up after a shakeup in the organization in 2005. The new owner of the franchise, Stuart "Stu" Sternberg immediately set things into action by firing LaMar, and appointed Andrew Friedman, his close associate and Director of Baseball Development, as the new de facto GM for the Devil Rays organization (his official, de jure position is Vice President of Baseball Operations). Matthew Silverman, another close associate of Stu's, was appointed as President to run the Rays in the business side. The majority of the front office under Chuck LaMar was shelved, and Stu hired younger and brighter people to run the office. These actions did not immediately pay dividends, as the Rays continued to finish last place for three more years until 2008. During this time, the Rays were quietly assembling and developing their own core of young players from trades and drafts. Players like Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza, David Price, Evan Longoria, BJ Upton, and Ben Zobrist would prove their worth in the years to come. 2008 was the year of redemption for the team. That year brought many changes to the franchise: the name "Tampa Bay Devil Rays" was exorcised, and shortened to "Tampa Bay Rays". Their uniforms were changed from traditional white/grey uniforms, with the old team name etched in heinous, multicoloured letters, into new and simplified Navy Blue uniforms. But besides the visual appearances, the Rays would achieve several firsts that season: their first season record over .500, their first division title, their first American League pennant, and their first trip to the World Series. The Rays would come short in the World Series, however, and were swept off their feet in a 1-4 series loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. Very few people would have predicted such a strong finish from a team that had finished under .500 its previous ten seasons. Many thought 2008 was a fluke, but the team's record after 2008 have since proven the naysayers otherwise. The Rays have won its first 3 playoff appearances in the past 5 years and have not finished under .500 since 2007. Nevertheless, the future is not crystal clear for the franchise. Questions remain whether the small-market Rays can compete with other teams in the AL East in the future as they continue to lose their young talented players to free agency, and whether or not the Rays will find another stadium to play in, even though their stadium lease contract does not expire until 2028. And despite all the success the Rays have had, they have yet to achieve the grand prize of winning the World Series either. Only time can tell whether or not these questions will be answered in the future.

Preface: I've been a Rays fan ever since the team's inception in 1998, which also happened to be the year when I first started playing baseball as a kid. Even though my family moved back to Toronto two years later and the Rays continued to suck, I still rooted for the Rays (more than the Blue Jays too, I blame the old Rays uniforms for this, just because they were so "colourful"). Ever since the Rays breakthrough year in 2008,I've been hoping that they would win the Championship one day. Of course they haven't yet, but the Rays continue to contend every year regardless of the difficulty in the AL East. All Rays fans remember and cherish memories of the Rays World Series run in 2008, the Rays clinching the division in 2010, and of course, the memorable Game 162 in 2011. Hopefully this thread will take the Rays to their first World Series win. The Rays dynasty thread will be played on OOTP14, starting from 2013 (aka it will replay this past season). Ratings are set from 20 to 80. All other settings are at default. The posts on this threat will consist of three different sources: the General Manager, the Tampa Bay Times, and Jonah Keri. Each source has their own strengths and weaknesses that are relevant in this dynasty thread. The first source is the General Manager himself. Simply put, the GM discusses (in first person narrative) about his personal thoughts and courses of action regarding the Ray's lineups, transactions, players, trades, draft picks, weekly updates, injuries...you name it. Regarding player discussions, stats will be used, as well as scouting ratings. Stars are there on various screenshots or what not as a general indication of the player's skill. I believe both aspects (stats and scouting) are important in an analysis of a player, none are better than the other. General info about other teams' "important" trades and transactions will also come from the GM himself too. Posts from the GM are marked GM: (Title) - (Date). The second source is the Tampa Bay Times. It's the local newspaper of Tampa Bay area, and for the most part will covers the basic news/updates from the Rays, as well as occasional third-person analysis/criticism of the Rays decision-making by sport writers (whether their analysis is correct or their criticism is justified...is debatable). In essence, the Times are your average sports newspaper: they reveal what the average person sees (or wants to see) in the headlines. Posts from the Tampa Bay Times are marked Tampa Bay Times: (Title) - (Date). The last source is Jonah Keri. If you haven't heard of him, he is the guy who wrote The Extra 2%, a book that talks about the Rays early history from 1998 to 2008, and how new management more or less turned the Rays into a winning team (it's a good read, sort of like Moneyball in my opinion). In this thread, Keri is now writing for a sports blog called GRANTLAND. He will offer some third-person insight and analysis on team transactions, as well as the occasional inside look into the Rays Front Office if he is lucky. He offers a unique perspective that acts as an intermediary between the GM\'s point of view and the newspaper's point of view. Posts from Keri are marked GRANTLAND: (Title) - (Date). Overall, hopefully the combination of these three sources will allow people to get a better perspective and feel of the organization at work. It also allows me to express myself creatively in different ways and writing styles. It's my first time writing a dynasty thread too, so any feedback/criticism is welcome! Hope you enjoy this Rays dynasty thread! And as always, LET'S GO RAYS!