Uribe not necessarily on Rays' wish list

The Rays are believed to have very limited interest in White Sox SS Juan Uribe, who suddenly became available Monday when Chicago acquired All-Star SS Orlando Cabrera from the Angels for RHP Jon Garland.

Tampa Bay is looking to upgrade at shortstop, especially in a defensive capacity, and Uribe, who fielded to a .976 fielding percentage in 150 games at shortstop last season and owns a career .975 fielding percentage in his career, would seem to be a good fit. And Uribe's bat, which has produced 20 homers on three of the past four seasons, has some pop.

But Uribe's recent battle with his weight is reason for concern for the Rays, who are believed to think his defense is in decline and at a $4.5 million 2008 pricetag might not be in the team's best interest. As the crop on shortstops thinned out, and Chicago couldn't land SS Edgar Renteria, the White Sox resigned Uribe for one season earlier this month, but they pulled a surprise trade for Cabrera, who is coming off the best year of his career, which included a Gold Glove.

White Sox GM Kenny Williams said Monday he wants to do what's best for Uribe and trade him to a place where he would start -- something he's undoubtedly do in Tampa Bay. But if Chicago didn't get the right deal, they could keep Uribe in a utility role. The White Sox have expressed interest in Rays LF Carl Crawford, but Chicago would likely have to put together a package deal that included solid young pitching to get a whiff of Crawford.

Comments

[HoratioAlgae]

The only pertinent question to a Rays fan is this...Can he hit the Catwalk consistently?

[bullrays]

I love the attitude on here. Throw money at an obese shortstop or you don't care about getting better. We don't need a guy with mediocre power and no plate discipline.

[Tony]

md,
He's not asking for $4.5 million, he has a contract that guarantees he'll make that. He is not a free agent. It wouldn't be worth giving up one of our good young players for a SS who can't hit above .234.

[****]

Speaking of new stadiums, let's get it built. We need a real MLB ballpark.

[DRaysBay]

Rays need to go get Ian Snell, Xavier Nady, and Jack Wilson from the Pirates and offer up Iwamura and Upton.

Posted by: PirateJake
----

Uh...why? Wilson is overpaid, Nady is awful, and Snell is good, but we're giving up two good players and getting one good player in return while creating more holes, no thanks.

[DRaysBay]

Okay, let me re-phrase, they are ways, just not good ways.

Norton's F% last year was 1.000 is he a good fielder? Oh God no.

Aki didn't hit more homeruns than Wigginton, he's still a better player though.

Uribe's RZR (Range Zone Rating) went from .841 to .796 and that from .823 and .853, he's gotten plump and if he loses the weight he'll be a fine defensive shortstop.

As for the bat, homeruns are completely irrelevant, his .676 OPS is not, that is stupendously awful, and since he's fat and ineffective on defense I'll pass and take a cheaper option like Cesar Izutris.

[PirateJake]

Rays need to go get Ian Snell, Xavier Nady, and Jack Wilson from the Pirates and offer up Iwamura and Upton.

[md...]

DRaysBay: Home runs and fielding percentage are absolutely ways to judge a player's value. They aren't the only ways (two of many evaluation tools), but they are useful and they are metrics on stats that would be welcome from that position on the D Rays. Uribe is consistent in the field. If he lays off the chorizo, he could be useful on this team and stabilize the SS position, although preferably for less than the $4.5 mil he wants. I see an upgrade here. The reason he is not in the CWS plans is because they have more to spend on this key position. They want an upgrade too. It's all relative to how much $$$ you have.

[DRaysBay]

Homeruns and fielding percentage aren't how you judge players value.

[Bill]

Hey people, The way i read the story, he is not a free agent. wake up.
who would you trade for him?

[TD]

Hey RAYS FAN, would you play David Ortiz at Shortstop? Uribe better get in shape or he will look like Ortiz in a couple years. If Uribe is committed to getting in shape, he would be a good pickup for about 4 mil. a year.

[Tampabaysportsfanatic]

Rays fan--

Ortiz is a DH, not a SS who needs to have range to play defense

[RAYS FAN]

TBsports fanatic -- don't make excuses for this ownership. if it weren't uribe's supposed fatness, it'd be some other excuse for not signing him or other free agents. anything but "they'd want too much money and ownership is too cheap." truth hurts, doesn't it, but we all need to confront it.

by the way, take a look at some of the other "big" players in the league. is david ortiz eating himself out of boston's lineup? doubt it.

[Tampabaysportsfanatic]

Uribe has progressively gotten worse because he is stuffing his face and eating himself out of the league. There is a reason he was not in the CWS plans. The guy is not worth 4 million.

[RAYS FAN]

HAH -- don't believe the lies you read, people. the rays aren't interested in him because he's worth too much. plain and simple. if he were willing to come play for six figures, then maybe the rays would talk. otherwise forget it. remember these are the same multimillionaires who want the taxpayers to fund their proposed stadium.

[md...]

Uh, $4.5 million is not much for a guy who fielded .976 and regularly hits 20 jacks. How do people think his def is in decline? He's only 28 and he fielded above his career avg. If anything, I'd be concerned about Tons of Fun's career .254 bat, and his 2007 .234 avg. Offer him $4 mil. Remember Lugo got $9 mil from the Pink Hats. He's not twice as good as Uribe. It may be a good deal.

[****]

No player costing more than the minimum is "in the team's interest" with this skinflint ownership. They want to rip off taxpayers using land they don't own for a pie in the sky stadium. This from an organization that has finished ahead of one team in ten years.