Wigginton traded for relief pitcher Wheeler

The Rays have already reshuffled their lineup today and now they have traded Ty Wigginton to Houston for relief pitcher Dan Wheeler.

About 40 minutes before tonight's scheduled first pitch, Wigginton was scratched from the Rays starting lineup, a sign that he was dealt.

Wheeler, who began his big-league career with the Devil Rays, is 1-4 with a 5.07 ERA and 11 saves in 45 games with the Astros. Last season, he was 3-5 with nine saves and an impressive 2.52 ERA working under current Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey.

Wheeler, a Seminole resident, is also the son-in-law of Rays TV announcer Dewayne Staats.

Also, SS Ben Zobrist wasn't in the starting lineup for Triple-A Durham Saturday, a sign that he might be the one to take Wigginton's space as a position player on the Rays' roster.

Comments

[Reality]

Who did we get for Dan Wheeler the first time around?

[fredkjr]

I am really disappointed in the Rays.Is Dan Wheeler all they could get for Ty Wigginton.It appears to me they need some real baseball people to run this team.What a SHAME.

[Alan]

Since we are picking up ex-Rays (Dan Wheeler) ... can Bobby Smith,Russ Johnson,Roberto Hernandez,Gerald Williams,and Bubba Trammel play too.

[Reality]

You can keep all of those guys, I think the bullpen needs Jim Mecir and Rick White.

Shame Rod Beck had to die. He would have been a great addition to the bullpen.

[Matt]

Without being too critical it appears that this organization's lack of baseball experience is catching up to it. While I understand the Rays' dire need for bullpen help, their choices do not really appear to be the solution. A 1-4 record with a 5.07 ERA does not sound like the type of innings eating stopper they so desperately need. We shall see.

[Terry Pryor]

C'Mon now Stewie Sternberg. Again, another step back for the AAA Rays from St. Pete.
You've got to be kidding. Dan Wheeler for Ty Wiggington??
This is absurd. Wheeler is and always will be a Double A pitcher at most.
On the other hand, any major league team would covet Ty Wiggington down the stretch, since he can play 5 or 6 positions. The veteran hit for power, and was the teams most experienced and tenured player. He was a guy that "The Rookies" could emulate because he played like Paul O'Neill, who also would not tolerate a bad at bat.
Sternberg, I,ve heard of fair market trade value, but you just traded in your Mercedes Benz for a Dodge Fart...I mean Dart!!

[Terry Pryor]

C'Mon now Stewie Sternberg. Again, another step back for the AAA Rays from St. Pete.
You've got to be kidding. Dan Wheeler for Ty Wiggington??
This is absurd. Wheeler is and always will be a Double A pitcher at most.
On the other hand, any major league team would covet Ty Wiggington down the stretch, since he can play 5 or 6 positions. The veteran hit for power, and was the teams most experienced and tenured player. He was a guy that "The Rookies" could emulate because he played like Paul O'Neill, who also would not tolerate a bad at bat.
Sternberg, I,ve heard of fair market trade value, but you just traded in your Mercedes Benz for a Dodge Fart...I mean Dart!!

[chipper]

Stew, count me out from attending any more games this year. Unbelievable! Trading a quality hitter for a middling *ex-Ray*? Wait! Did Vince cash the check yet?

[chipper]

Stew, count me out from attending any more games this year. Unbelievable! Trading a quality hitter for a middling *ex-Ray*? Wait! Did Vince cash the check yet?

[J]

Keep it goin'...trade every veteran player who has value for pitching now. Get rid of any pitcher who can't throw strikes. Trade Norton and Pena next. Release Fossum, as he has no value. Demote Navarro. Bring up John Jaso, Evan Longoria, Cristopher Mason and Jeff Neimann and Dale Thayer.

[Kevin King]

More than ten years ago I ditched my New York Mets allegiance and gear and camped outside the Trop for opening day tickets for the inaugural season. A few years prior, as a young teen, I wrote a letter to former San Francisco Giants owner Bob Lurie encouraging him to move his team to Tampa Bay. I’ve been a dedicated fan, attending well over one hundred games, buying merchandise, being an ambassador for the team, and watching them religiously on television. With the trading of Ty Wigginton and the continued implosion of this dollar store bullpen, those days are officially over. I have attended my last Rays game, at least until ownership proves that they value winning more than profit margin. In trading Wigginton, perhaps the hardest working Devil Ray and a veteran presence, management has again informed us that winning today is not quite as important as saving money for the future – a future that never seems to arrive. How exactly is this front office different than their predecessor? Should we just be happy with our spruced up dome and free parking and shut the heck up? Such improvements and incentives are easy. Creating a winner on the field takes hard work and real money, and this group has shown neither. In fact, for the first time, the ineptitude has trickled all the way down from the owner’s box to the field. Joe Maddon’s optimism would be refreshing if it weren’t so annoying, but his managerial skills often seem suited for a beer league softball game. Again, blame an inexperienced front office for this failed experiment.

I have an old blue and orange jersey to dust off now and a winning team to root for. And if the Rays want me back, they’ll have to win me back

[Frank]

This organization is a joke. Wiggington is one of the only things they had to dangle as trade bait and they get a crappy middle reliever for him? Watch what the Astros do with Wiggington. He will be traded AGAIN and they will actually get quality for him.

Crawford, Upton, Young, anyone on this team with talent are not going to stay here when the organization continues to prove they aren't interested in winning. Crawford gave them a bone by extending, I bet he doesn't do that again.

They are making it impossible to root for this team. Its a shame too because they really have some talent. Too bad the organization continues to be run by business men who are only interested in making money. See Culverhouse and the Bucs for reference.

[Tim]

I think we got Dwayne Statts and the Miller Lite beer guy for Wheeler the first time... I just sat thru one of the ugliest innings I can remember..Brian Stokes walks 3 batters including the winning run in the 12th.. WE had 3 chances to pull this one out ( the 9th,10th, & 11th ) bottom line, another ugly loss for the "Mutts"...
I am glad football season is just around the corner... GO USF BULLS !!!!!!!!!

[Tim]

I think we got Dwayne Statts and the Miller Lite beer guy for Wheeler the first time... I just sat thru one of the ugliest innings I can remember..Brian Stokes walks 3 batters including the winning run in the 12th.. WE had 3 chances to pull this one out ( the 9th,10th, & 11th ) bottom line, another ugly loss for the "Mutts"...
I am glad football season is just around the corner... GO USF BULLS !!!!!!!!!

[rick]

F you rays you traded a good ball player for a ball player we already got rid of thats it I give up baseball in this town was not to be I watched the rays with there young and aggrisive players but managemaent SUCKS NO MORE RAYS DONE

[Dana]

Hey, if we were going to trade Wiggy for an ex-Ray, how about getting Chad Gaudin. At least he can pitch.

And who is the NDRO going to get to teach these kids how to play ball and give them the leadership they are so lacking.

Perfect example is BJ looping it back to 2nd while the Sox player steals the base. Then goes on to score. If the Rays kept that run off the board, Gomes HR would have won in the bottom of the ninth.

These kids need someone to either take money out of the pockets for not playing fundamental baseball or have them run laps til their legs fall off. It might have some kind of affect, but highly doubt it.

Hey Stew, when do you start the 5-year plan again, today? You just traded away another veteran that busted his butt on every play, who's going to teach them now?

[DJ]

Does any Rays fan actually have a clue? All I ever hear is how bad the bullpen is. But when they go get a proven bullpen arm, it's all about how stupid the Rays are. Someone even said "Wheeler is and always will be a Double A pitcher at most". Really? A guy who pitched 145 major league innings from 2005-2006 with an ERA around 2.35 and WHIP around 1.05? A guy who was the main setup man for the Astros? A guy who was Astro's closer while Lidge was hurt? Dan Wheeler had a bad stretch from June 1st to June 24th. His ERA went from 3.04 to 6.55 during that stretch. Outside of that 24 day span, he has been a very good major league relief pitcher since 2003... Oh, and to everyone who likes to say "that's what we get for having wall street kid's in charge of a baseball team", don't forget Jerry Hunsicker is evaluating talent for this team. He isn't a kid and he isn't from Wall Street. He is a very well respected baseball man. And he knows more about this sport than you will ever know in your wildest dreams.

[PEM]

Yes DJ you are 100% correct you can tell by this team's record what an impact Hunsicker has had!

Are you on the payroll like the clowns on the radio? How can those guys live with themselves?

I had some hope for the future until today. Can you tell me what the future of a 30 yo reliever who washed out of 3-4 previous clubs is on this team? This is garbage! And the smell will keep me ( 1st 6 years season ticket holder)from attending this year any more!

[Frank]

I know it says DJ but it sounds more like AF.

The Rays do have talent, they are mismanaged from the top down. Are you trying to tell me that Dan Wheeler is the best they could get for Wiggington? There were plenty of playoff teams interested, Dan Wheeler can't possibly be the best offer they got for a guy who can play several positions.

I have lived through this BS from ownership before with Vince and with Culverhouse and the Bucs before that. These guys are looking to make money, not win. The Bucs stunk for years but were one of the most profitable teams in the NFL. The Rays had a ton of money come off the books this year and what do they do? They lowered payroll! They get a bunch of money from the luxury tax, where did that money go? Oh yeah, they needed some paint and a new scoreboard. Watch the exodus as these players leave one after the other when their contracts are up. They can't even sign their number one pick and if they don't do that in the next couple of weeks they lose him.

If you can't see that this 'organization' isn't interested in winning then you must have drank a lot of the Kool-Aid.

They are a joke and until they start putting money into players they will continue to be a joke.

[DJ]

PEM, Jerry Hunsicker was a great GM. Jerry Hunsicker knows how to build an organization. He brought Carlos Pena and Brendan Harris to Tampa when none of you thought they should even be given a chance. He was also around when they brought Al Reyes to town, and the beloved Mr. Wigginton... When the Rays call up Evan Longoria, where is he going to play? Third base, right? That leaves Aki to play where? Second? Pena is at first. Upton and Baldelli can't both play center field. So Baldelli probably gets to DH with Gomes. Wiggy was an obvious choice to go get bullpen help, and if you think they could get better than Wheeler for him, you're crazy... The facts are the facts. Wheeler's stats prove he was a great relief pitcher for Houston until June 1st of 2007. From June 24th to today, he's been an good relief pitcher. God forbid anyone ever goes through a bad 3 week stretch. That NEVER happens in baseball.

[PEM]

Pena??? The career .250 hitter?

I mean he's done a great job-but I don't see a Gold Glove in his near future. Yes he's shown us some decent power but the avg. keeps falling--and I have a funny feeling it will be around .250-.260 by season's end. At around 30 years of age (and we all know Dominican players don't fudge their ages right?) I don't see him fitting long range plans. But he DOES make about 1/3rd of Wiggy's salary so that makes him the obvious choice in Freidman's eyes....

Harris? Done great. No gold glover-but solid. A real suprize for sure. Still sceptical about the batting avg. come September but he's still 300+ right now. Of course-we had a very good SS with pop and speed-sort of a rally starter type-a real "team" type vet--but traded him for a 260lb SS "prospect" (who can't hit-or field) who has worn out his welcome on many teams and a guy who I think is still at single-A.

Of course-he left the Houston astros in fine position as well!

[Mike]

What do you mean, Dan Wheeler is a Double A pitcher at best? As a long-time Astro fan, I can tell you Dan Wheeler is as good as they come. We ran him out night after night in the 8th inning and nine times out of ten, he held the lead for Brad Lidge. If you go read the Houston blogs, you'll see the exact opposite reaction on this trade.

[LT]

PEM, you're high, dawg. You're just another of those that will bash the DRO no matter what happens. You scream that Wheeler is no better than a AA pitcher (absurd in itself) and that there's no way that's the best we could get for Wiggy. But for over a week, the only other names I've heard bandied about for Wiggy were Scott Proctor and Juan Rincon. Wheeler is better than eithar of them, and has ties to the area, indicating he may be one of the 11 players in all of MLB who might actually want to play here.

You complain about Pena's batting average and assume he will regress to the .250-.260 range. Wiggy was on fire for 2 weeks to get to .275 with way fewer HRs and RBIs than Pena, and almost 100 more ABs. And Pena's glove is 100x better than Wiggy's.

You say Hunsicker is a hack and complain about him trading Lugo. Lugo was gonna be a free agent and is getting $9M a year for 4 years from the Red Sox. I liked Lugo, but he's not worth close to that kind of jack. I'm not saying these guys need to save $$ and penny-pinch at every opportunity, but they certainly can't afford to make Julio freakin' Lugo the highest paid player in franchise history. It's ludicrous.

The bottom line is that they actually finally are living up to some of their talk. They said at the All Star break they would be addressing the bullpen and in the last 3 days they have traded Cantu, McClung, and Wiggy for 2 guys that will be in the pen right now and 2 more who may be later this year or next. They are using our spare parts to address the team's most glaring weakness. Camp is gone, Stokes will be when Wheeler gets here and you'd have to believe that if either of the guys they got for Cantu shows anything at all in the next week or 2, Fossum is next.

I liked Wiggy and thought that Cantu got kinda shafted, but IFs are the only things left in the minors (besides pitching) and they were expendable. These are good moves and address the team's needs today. I'm actually pretty jacked up to see a trade made to improve the major league club right now. It's been a long time since we've seen that in these parts.

[LT]

PEM, you're high, dawg. You're just another of those that will bash the DRO no matter what happens. You scream that Wheeler is no better than a AA pitcher (absurd in itself) and that there's no way that's the best we could get for Wiggy. But for over a week, the only other names I've heard bandied about for Wiggy were Scott Proctor and Juan Rincon. Wheeler is better than eithar of them, and has ties to the area, indicating he may be one of the 11 players in all of MLB who might actually want to play here.

You complain about Pena's batting average and assume he will regress to the .250-.260 range. Wiggy was on fire for 2 weeks to get to .275 with way fewer HRs and RBIs than Pena, and almost 100 more ABs. And Pena's glove is 100x better than Wiggy's.

You say Hunsicker is a hack and complain about him trading Lugo. Lugo was gonna be a free agent and is getting $9M a year for 4 years from the Red Sox. I liked Lugo, but he's not worth close to that kind of jack. I'm not saying these guys need to save $$ and penny-pinch at every opportunity, but they certainly can't afford to make Julio freakin' Lugo the highest paid player in franchise history. It's ludicrous.

The bottom line is that they actually finally are living up to some of their talk. They said at the All Star break they would be addressing the bullpen and in the last 3 days they have traded Cantu, McClung, and Wiggy for 2 guys that will be in the pen right now and 2 more who may be later this year or next. They are using our spare parts to address the team's most glaring weakness. Camp is gone, Stokes will be when Wheeler gets here and you'd have to believe that if either of the guys they got for Cantu shows anything at all in the next week or 2, Fossum is next.

I liked Wiggy and thought that Cantu got kinda shafted, but IFs are the only things left in the minors (besides pitching) and they were expendable. These are good moves and address the team's needs today. I'm actually pretty jacked up to see a trade made to improve the major league club right now. It's been a long time since we've seen that in these parts.

[LT]

PEM, you're high, dawg. You're just another of those that will bash the DRO no matter what happens. You scream that Wheeler is no better than a AA pitcher (absurd in itself) and that there's no way that's the best we could get for Wiggy. But for over a week, the only other names I've heard bandied about for Wiggy were Scott Proctor and Juan Rincon. Wheeler is better than eithar of them, and has ties to the area, indicating he may be one of the 11 players in all of MLB who might actually want to play here.

You complain about Pena's batting average and assume he will regress to the .250-.260 range. Wiggy was on fire for 2 weeks to get to .275 with way fewer HRs and RBIs than Pena, and almost 100 more ABs. And Pena's glove is 100x better than Wiggy's.

You say Hunsicker is a hack and complain about him trading Lugo. Lugo was gonna be a free agent and is getting $9M a year for 4 years from the Red Sox. I liked Lugo, but he's not worth close to that kind of jack. I'm not saying these guys need to save $$ and penny-pinch at every opportunity, but they certainly can't afford to make Julio freakin' Lugo the highest paid player in franchise history. It's ludicrous.

The bottom line is that they actually finally are living up to some of their talk. They said at the All Star break they would be addressing the bullpen and in the last 3 days they have traded Cantu, McClung, and Wiggy for 2 guys that will be in the pen right now and 2 more who may be later this year or next. They are using our spare parts to address the team's most glaring weakness. Camp is gone, Stokes will be when Wheeler gets here and you'd have to believe that if either of the guys they got for Cantu shows anything at all in the next week or 2, Fossum is next.

I liked Wiggy and thought that Cantu got kinda shafted, but IFs are the only things left in the minors (besides pitching) and they were expendable. These are good moves and address the team's needs today. I'm actually pretty jacked up to see a trade made to improve the major league club right now. It's been a long time since we've seen that in these parts.

[LT]

PEM, you're high, dawg. You're just another of those that will bash the DRO no matter what happens. You scream that Wheeler is no better than a AA pitcher (absurd in itself) and that there's no way that's the best we could get for Wiggy. But for over a week, the only other names I've heard bandied about for Wiggy were Scott Proctor and Juan Rincon. Wheeler is better than eithar of them, and has ties to the area, indicating he may be one of the 11 players in all of MLB who might actually want to play here.

You complain about Pena's batting average and assume he will regress to the .250-.260 range. Wiggy was on fire for 2 weeks to get to .275 with way fewer HRs and RBIs than Pena, and almost 100 more ABs. And Pena's glove is 100x better than Wiggy's.

You say Hunsicker is a hack and complain about him trading Lugo. Lugo was gonna be a free agent and is getting $9M a year for 4 years from the Red Sox. I liked Lugo, but he's not worth close to that kind of jack. I'm not saying these guys need to save $$ and penny-pinch at every opportunity, but they certainly can't afford to make Julio freakin' Lugo the highest paid player in franchise history. It's ludicrous.

The bottom line is that they actually finally are living up to some of their talk. They said at the All Star break they would be addressing the bullpen and in the last 3 days they have traded Cantu, McClung, and Wiggy for 2 guys that will be in the pen right now and 2 more who may be later this year or next. They are using our spare parts to address the team's most glaring weakness. Camp is gone, Stokes will be when Wheeler gets here and you'd have to believe that if either of the guys they got for Cantu shows anything at all in the next week or 2, Fossum is next.

I liked Wiggy and thought that Cantu got kinda shafted, but IFs are the only things left in the minors (besides pitching) and they were expendable. These are good moves and address the team's needs today. I'm actually pretty jacked up to see a trade made to improve the major league club right now. It's been a long time since we've seen that in these parts.

[DJ]

PEM, since you don't seem to know, here's a short history on Gerry Hunsicker... "Hunsicker's tenure as Stros GM coincided with the most successful decade in Stros' history. During his nine years as GM, the Stros won four National League Central titles and finished second three times, including his last season in which the Stros won their first post-season playoff series in club history. Over that span, the Stros had a won/loss record of 701-595 for a sixth-best winning percentage of .541 in Major League Baseball." And your comment about how he left the Astros couldn't be any further off. The year after he resigned from the Astros, they happened to make their first and only World Series.

[Steve]

are you guys kidding ? Wheeler is a TOP reliever, this is what this team has needed all year. Dont just look at his stat line for this year and think hes not up to it, he had a terrible time when the Astros moved him to closer, as a set up guy hes one of the best.
Sure, Wigginton is a gamer but hes an expendable commdodity if you take a look at this clubs depth chart. This is a GREAT trade for the Drays.

[Bob R.]

It is incredible that any Rays' fan would criticize this trade. I never expected the Rays to do so well when all I heard was Proctor and Farnsworth and other potential disasters. Wheeler has been a solid reliever for a number of years. Never mind his era which is a result of one bad stretch. In 49.7 innings this year he has walked just 13 batters and struck out 56. In 33 of his 45 appearances this year he has given up no runs. And for 3 years he has been a solid contributor in a hitters' haven.

We all like Wigginton, but he should not be a regular. As a reserve, he is among the best. But to think he is integral to the Rays' plans for contention is delusional.

Please look at the facts when evaluating the Rays' front office. In the off-season, one pressing need was to upgrade the bullpen. Contrary to popular opinion, the Rays worked hard to do that. Of last years' group, only 3 remained in similar roles-Lugo, Camp & Salas-and all three had earned that confidence based on last years' performances. The other 4 were either new to the team or in a new role (Stokes).

It did not work out, except for Reyes. So since then, the Rays have used 9 different relievers and now have added 4 more to the system. The only possible argument of criticism could be that they have not signed a high profile reliever (although now they have one in Wheeler), and for that I am thankful as such signings are often disastrous. (cf: Baez, Farnsworth, Piniero, Julio et al) They did make legitimate bids on some but were outbid in each case, and it entirely reasonable not to overpay for middle relief.

Of course, we cannot know what the results will be, but so far the Rays have made 1 excellent deal and 2 more that make a lot of sense.