Haynes claimed on waivers; Balfour out, other moves

Update 5:17 It was an unusual way to handle it, but the Rays eventually announced after Friday's game that eight players who had been in camp on minor-league deals did not make the team:
INF Chris Richard
RHP Scott Munter
INF Andy Cannizaro
C Mike Difelice
OF John Rodriguez
OF Jon Weber
C Josh Paul
RHP Grant Balfour

What the Rays won't say until after Saturday's game is the specifics of each move, though based on interviews Richard, Weber, Cannizaro and Rodriguez are all going to Durham. Munter seems likely to join them. The buzz in the locker room was that Difelice was also going to Durham and that Paul may have been released. Balfour earlier said he had been designated for assignment.

The moves leave the Rays with 29 players: Two, relievers Chad Orvella and Kurt Birkins, are likely headed to the DL; and another is reliever Juan Salas, whom the Rays actually expect to report shortly to camp after a six-week visa delay in the Dominican Republic but is headed to the minors.

That leaves 26 players for the final 25 spots, and the appearance that the decision is between INF/OF Joel Guzman and INF / OF Eric Hinske. Also factoring in is the health of 3B Willy Aybar (which if he was limited or out could make Guzman more valuable since he can also play third) and OF/DH Cliff Floyd (which if he were out could make Hinske more valuable since he is a more accomplished hitter).

Update, 2:38 The Rays filled their outfield void by claiming Nathan Haynes off waivers from the Angels. To make room on the 40-man roster, they placed OF Rocco Baldelli on the 60-day disabled list.
Haynes, 28, made his big-league debut for the Angels last May after nearly a decade in the minors. Haynes hits lefthanded, and hit .267 with one RBI in 45 games of reserve duty last season (going 3-for-5 against the Rays). He is a career .281 minor-league hitter, steals a lot more bases (254) than hits home runs (34), and tends to get on-base a lot. Haynes hit .265 in 19 games this spring. He has tremendous speed and can play all three outfield spots.
Haynes was out of options, and it appears the Angels - having decided to keep Reggie Willits - were hoping to sneak Haynes through waivers.
Haynes' acquisition could mean trouble for Eric Hinske, who looked to have the fifth outfielder job. Or it could be an indication the Rays are concerned about the availability of Cliff Floyd, who has been slowed by some seemingly minor injury issues.
Haynes is a product of perseverance, having signed with an independent league team in 2006 after missing most of 2004 and 2005 with a tear in his left hip.Overall, he has had eight - yes, eight! - surgeries: three knee, three hernia, one for torn ligaments in his left thumb and another for the tear in his left hip.
Also, he is the nephew of the Pointer Sisters signing group, and the son of 1980 Olympic Trials triple-jumper John Haynes.
By being placed on the 60-day DL, Baldelli won't be eligible to play until June.

Update, 2:35 The injury issues apparently are concerning because now the Rays are saying they won't announce their final roster until after Saturday's spring finale.

The Rays appear to have decided on their final bullpen slot as Grant Balfour was told before Friday's game he will be designated for assignment, which seems to mean Scott Dohmann made the team.
Balfour said he hoped to be picked up on waivers by another team, but would be open to going to Triple-A Durham if he isn't claimed. (A player designated for assignment is taken off the 40-man roster and the team has to be traded, released or passed through waivers within.).

Balfour had the better spring of the two - with a 3.00 ERA in 10 games (allowing only four runs) even after a rough outing Thursday - but the Rays apparently felt more comfortable with Dohmann, who had an 8.74 spring ERA, allowing 16 hits and four walks in 11 1/3 innings, but pitched well for them in the second half last season.

"I thought I threw the ball pretty good but at the end of the day it makes no difference - I'm out of here,'' Balfour said. "That's the way it goes. ... They made a business decision and that's what they went with. ... They know who they want from the get-go, probably. I don't know what they wanted to do. I could have maybe given up no runs and still not made this team. I don't know. It's disappointing.''

The Rays were in the process of making other cuts before the game so team officials have not been available for comment. Manager Joe Maddon said earlier Friday that they hoped to make 95 percent or even 100 percent of their moves by the end of the day to get down to the 25-man limit in advance of the 3 p.m. Sunday deadline.

The sense during the week has been that the bench jobs will go to INFs Elliot Johnson and Joel Guzman, OF Eric Hinske and C Shawn Riggans.

The Rays, though, have some injury concerns with two potential starters - 3B Willy Aybar and DH Cliff Floyd - which could impact their final decisions.

Comments

[Jamie]

Brilliant. That's a typical Rays decision. Pick the guy who plays the worst.

[Billy Beantown]

both of those guys SUCK

so long Grant Ball-Four!

[raysfan]

oh shut UP balfour. idiot. you're a terrible pitcher anyway. good riddance!!

jamie -- rather than spout off as if you know what you're talking about, dohmann is actually the better of the two. just because balfour had a better spring doesn't mean he gets the job automatically. and it's a pretty classless move for him to go rant to the media about it.

i would NOT pick riggans over difelice though. riggans is average. at least difelice, while old, can be a veteran presence. honestly i have no idea how good a catcher he is.

one thing i do not understand (can someone help me out?) -- what is the difference between optioning a player to the minors and designating him for assignment? thank u

[Jamie]

Raysfan...baseball is a game of numbers. Dohman has not done it this spring. Balfour has done better. For most teams that would mean that the player who has performed best will make the team. With that said, both players are below average, and neither one will do much to help the bullpen.

Designating a player for assignment means that they must pass through waivers before they can be assigned to the minors, because they are out of options.

[raysfan]

hinske should win this job easily over this scrub haynes.

[The Professor]

designated for assignment means that he has to clear waiver first and then they can put him in the minors --- you can only send a player to the minors so many times and then he's free game

if another team wants to put in a claim for him, they just have to have room on their roster to do so

YOU'VE JUST BEEN EDUCATED!

[raysfan]

jamie -- i agree that both are below average pitchers. however, there were a lot of games last year where dohmann looked much more mentally tough and got us out of some big jams. whereas every time i saw balfour, he was giving up hits and runs all over the place. he didn't look tough out there. he didn't look like he wanted to stop the bleeding -- he looked weak and susceptible. this is intangible stuff, but coming from a diehard rays fan (myself) nonetheless. i think the rays chose the lesser of two evils here.

[raysfan]

professor -- OK, but how is that different from "optioning" a player to the minors?

[Smarter than a professor..]

Designated for assignment means the team opens a roster spot while they look for a trade or to delay the outright release.

"Optioned" has to do with the number of years a player can be optioned back and forth, not the number of times.

Now you've been properly educated.

[Eric]

We picked up a guy with 1 RBI in 45 games? Super. Very questionable moves by management in the final week of spring. They should play J-Rod he could easily be this years Carlos Pena.

[LoriO]

Yeah, Eric, I am with you. Why did we pick up a guy like this? He has had more injury issues...which is not waht we need.