Thanksgiving stove talk

Just because it's Thanksgiving, it doesn't mean that the hot stove isn't cooking.

Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman didn't expect any activity today, but interestingly enough the Nationals team website ran a somewhat cryptic story on Washington's interest in Elijah Dukes.

We've touched on it before. Dukes is playing well with Licey of the Dominican Winter League and has made an impression on his manager there, Nationals third-base coach Tim Tolman.

"He's an intense competitor and he has done a fine job for us," Tolman said in the story. "When he leaves the ballpark, I'm not worried about him."

The story also said that if the Nats acquired Dukes, they would work hard to have manager Manny Acta and first baseman Dmitri Young mentor Dukes. Young said he's been told by his younger brother, Rays outfielder Delmon Young, that Dukes is "a great kid."

Comments

[Sweet Lou]

That's good food for thought Bob R. I hadn't thought of that. You are right the Rays do suck incredibly. I'm not investing any more of my unchecked emotions in their future. Thanks again.

[Bob R.]

Imagine..trying to defend your team from being labeled the "Worst Sports Team of All Time." The Bucs made the playoffs in their fifth year and the Lightning won the Stanley Cup in their 10th. The attendance at Rays games is absolutely putrid. The closest thing the Rays have to a brain trust is Raymond and he beomes a free agent after this year. The management won't part with a nickel. They have beaten ONE team in ten years. No other franchise in the history of professional sports has come close to that level of futility. NONE.

[Sweet Lou]

After each of their 1st ten seasons in existing:
Rays win % is better than the Bolts & Bucs win % after their 1st ten.
There are plenty worse franchises than the Rays. Try the Pirates, Nats, Royals, Marlins, Brewers, etc... & just because some of these teams have won a few more games than the Rays with higher payrolls throughout out the past decade, doesn't make them a better franchise. The Rays foundation is alot more solid than alot of teams building blocks. Rays rock & rule, and so does St. Pete, jealous haters

[DRaysBay]

Faker...don't try to discredit my post by saying it's false. I generally agree with Reality and that's it. Don't pretend you are me.

[DRaysBay]

Nice job trying to steal my name, I'm done here, people know where they can to not have idiots stealing names and forging comments.

[DRaysBay]

I am not a name stealer. Where do you get your ideas from?

I see what Reality is saying, though. Better to have a team that is competitive than one who overpays. That argument has a lot of merit.

It's true fans only care about the product on the field, not how much the owners paid (or overpaid) for it. If the team is competitive--and the Rays never have been--it doesn't matter what's spent.

The problem with the Rays is that the amount spent for players is so miniscule. They rank 28th in player salaries and if that amount was doubled, they would rank 24th. That's how bad it is.

[noname]

That also being said, name stealer is a little girl.

[DRaysBay]

I'm getting a full cut -- what a stupid question, you do realize that some fans don't want their teams to become laughingstocks like the Dodgers giving out huge contracts to overrated players like Juan Pierre, right?

Salas will outperform Linebrink next year, bank it.

[noname]

That being said, however, it's not the agents who are stopping the Rays from spending money; it's Sternberg.

[noname]

Linebrink should be an affordable upgrade. He is getting worse, but he's still an upgrade. The Rays bullpen is horrible. Even Reyes wasn't really that great last year, he was just alot better than the rest of the pen.

Linebrink would still have to want to come here. The Rays would not only have to outbid everyone, they'd have to outbid them enough to make Linebrink play here. We don't know that Linebrink's agent didn't tell the Rays to not even bother. It happens sometimes.

[noname]

"Guy who steals names" is a broken record, broken record, broken record, broken record, broken record.

[Reality]

What do you care if he is not worth the money?? What cut are you getting from Sternberg for not spending any money?
None, so why not go out and get a guy like Linebrink, who you say is horrible....is he worse than Stokes who they threw out there way too much last year? Wouldnt you like to see Linebrink in the 7th, wheeler in the 8th, reyes in the 9th?

Do you think Mark Cuban cares what he pays Josh Howard or Jerry Stackhouse??

[DRaysBay]

If you'd take a Wilson Alvarez then I advise you to have your head checked. Forget Lilly / Meche, if we had a league average pen last year we would've prevented 100 runs / won at least 10 more games. Spending nearly 30 million for five more wins is moronic when you can spend five million for 10 more wins.

Get it through your head guy, Linebrink isn't worth that money and he's getting worse each year.

[noname]

Come to think of it, I need a reality check. The Venezuelan academy is a land deal. Sternberg's $150 will be at most one-fifth of the final cost of the new stadium (which won't be approved because of the economic climate and the fact that the owners have yet to spend money on improving the worst team in the history of professional sports).
Last in the Division.
Last in the American League.
Last in the major leagues.
Last in the quality of facility.
Next-to-last in attendance.
28th in payroll.
First in jersey bribes.
Beaten one team in ten years.

[Reality]

I would gladly take a wilson alvarez at this point.

You cant tell me that Gil Meche and Ted Lilly would not have gotten the Rays to 71 wins at least......22 million dollars a year gets you a little better....throw in a linebrink and a wade davis or some other "young" pticher you guys love, and the Rays would be a nice team next year.....and Stu would still be making money....

[DRaysBay]

The team did make amazing money last year, but you're giving Naimoli far too much credit here; he bought two pitchers -- one was fat, the other shot -- instead of paying Aaron Sele a few extra million he blew that on Guzman, nicely done Vinny.

[noname]

Reality, two of the "hit show" free agents were pitchers. They paid alot of money to two guys who did almost nothing for the Rays.

[noname]

If Sternberg was only interested in lining his pockets, he wouldn't have dumped millions into the new Venezuela academy and he wouldn't have spent 10 million trying to improve a cruddy dome that he knew he wanted to leave in five years. He also wouldn't be offering up 150 million towards a new stadium. He would just try to get the new stadium like most owners do, without using any of his own money. Or he would try to move the team to a bigger market, get a "free" stadium there, and make even more money.

Of course Sternberg wants to make money. He isn't in this to lose money. He is choosing to spend money improving the future of the team instead of mediocre free agents that might make them a .500 team now. This team needs alot of pitching to contend and no amount of spending on free agents last year or this year would make them contenders. If they had signed Zito last year everyone would have been happy, the Rays would have still finished in last or close to it, and they'd be hamstrung by a giant contract.

[Reality]

The Hit Show, great idea, if you had some pitching...I will give Naimoli credit, he at least tried to win.....then he saw what happened and went into Culverhouse mode.

Sternberg is bleeding this team dry. By getting the luxury tax money and not paying payroll, one would imagine he is making amazing money.

Stat guys, isnt that true?

2nd most profitable franchise??

Culverhouse like indeed....

[DRaysBay]

Right, if by trying to do something you mean having a GM who didn't have enough backbone to tell his owner that the plan wouldn't work.

[mrincredible]

Oh yeah, the "hit show." At least they were trying to do something. What we've got now is a moribund ownership that just wants to line its own pockets with revenue sharing from the league and tax money from the St. Petersburg citizenry and the State of Florida.

[DRaysBay]

They haven't been relying on prospects for 10 years; or did you miss the years when they overspent for free agents near the end of their careers? I'm guessing so.

[mrincredible]

You make good points, Reality. Upon rethinking, the Rays by doing NOTHING are making absolutely NO commitment. You are correct in that the Rays have been relying on prospects for years and it hasn't worked. Beating one team in ten years DOES speak volumes.

[DRaysBay]

That or keep overpaying players on the downside of their careers so uneducated fans can whine later when they suck!

[Reality]

That is true Mr. Incredible, that throwing money around isnt going to promise victory, but it sure helps.

10 years and one time out of last place.

Great record.

Keep waiting for those prospects!!!!

[mrincredible]

Well, here's the reality, Reality: cutting checks to free agents is not a sign of commitment. Ask the Orioles how that philosophy is working out. It floors me to see how short-sighted people can be when the Orioles and Yankees are on display as organizations that thought they could buy a championship and can't. It goes a little deeper than that. The Rays are doing it the right way by developing from within. The Rays were right not to throw 4 years and 19 million at a guy whose ERA and homer totals have risen each of the last two seasons.

[DRaysBay]

Actually Linebrink is going the wrong way. Wheeler > Linebrink

http://draysbay.com/story/2007/11/23/11188/616

[Jeff]

Did Delmon say Dukes great at having kids?

[Bob R.]

The ones who complain most? Married Rays fans, of course. This franchise will never get untracked until Sternberg sells to a committed owner and I dump my wife.

[steve]

Here's a poll.........who complains more? Rays fans,or men about their ex wifes?

[Reality]

Well if Delmon Young says you are a great kid, then it must be so......

That could be the quote of the year.

The Rays are a waste, I see Scott Linebrink just signed. He would have been a step in the right direction. 5 million a year to shut down the 8th inning. Show some commitment!!!