Rays get relief help in Bradford

[Associated Press photo]

The Rays acquired veteran reliever Chad Bradford from Baltimore today for a minor-league player to be named later.

Bradford, a 33-year-old right-hander, adds a new dimension to the Rays bullpen - he is a submarine style thrower who gets a tremendous amount of ground balls, with a major-league reliever high ground ball to fly ball ratio of 4.98, and is very tough on right-handed hitters (allowing a .265 average this season, .241 for his career).

Overall, Bradford is 3-3 with a 2.45 ERA in 47 appearances. He could join the Rays on Friday in Seattle, but Saturday seems more likely. When he does, they will have to make room, though the status of the bullpen, which has been used heavily lately, will factor into their decision. Al Reyes, who continues to be inconsistent, could be a candidate for action.

"He gives us a very different look from what we currently have,'' Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman said. "He's an extreme ground ball pitcher who should enjoy success pitching in front of our infield defense. We're excited to add him to the mix and feel like he'll strengthen a strength we already have, which is our bullpen.''

Bradford is an 11-year veteran with a career record of 34-28 with 11 saves and a 3.31 ERA, pitching for the White Sox, A's, Red Sox, Mets and Orioles. Bradford, who was available because he got through waivers, is signed through the 2009 season, making $3.5-million this season and next. He also gets $500,000 from the Rays for being traded.

Bradford was home in Mississippi on the Orioles off-day, so will have to travel back to Baltimore to collect his belongings, then head to Seattle.

And, for what it's worth, he has been in the playoffs six times, and has not allowed a run in 17 postseason appearances (15 1/3 innings, 12 hits). No active reliever has thrown that many postseason innings without allowing a run.

Also, a decision on activating OF Rocco Baldelli is related to when SS Jason Bartlett (bruised right index finger) can return to the field, so the Rays may wait until pregame workouts today to know. If Bartlett is ready, they could make room by either sending Ben Zobrist back to Triple-A or putting Willy Aybar on the DL depending on the severity of his recent hamstring issues.

And there are some reports that the Red Sox claimed OF Brian Giles from the Padres to keep him from going to the Rays.

Finally - for now - Triple-A Durham SS Reid Brignac is headed to the disabled list with a possibly fractured left wrist after being hit by a pitch on Wednesday. Ronnie Merrill was called up from Double-A Montgomery to Durham.

Comments

[DIZ]

Today's history lesson. The D-Rays tried to trade Canseco in August 2000, to Chicao, I believe. The Yankees, like Boston today, put a claim on him, thinking that the D-Rays, like San Diego today, would then pull the player back. The Yankees then, like Boston today, pull this move just to block the trade. The D-Rays turned the tables on the Yankees by NOT pulling Canseco back from waivers. The Yankees were forced to take Canseco and the balance of his salary.You may remeber seeing Canseco pinch hitting in pinstripes for two months.

[Mark]

I disagree with the sending Aybar down. He's been serving a very productive role on this team, especially being a switchy. I see Zobrist going back down once Bartlett's healthy and Reyes gone. Putting Baldelli and Bradford on the active roster. Then either T.Miller or J.Hammel are gone more likely Miller because we couldn't carry 3 lefties including Howell with Price coming up. Price may not even come up, who knows what the boss is thinking. GO RAYS!!

[T]

Bradford was brought in for 2 reasons: 1. he is a good situational pitcher vs. righty hitters

2. He killed the Rays with the A's and O's both, so it's better to have your enemies close to you that against you. Esp. if that enemy is in Boston and looking for middle relief

[JeffC]

We all stayin up tonight to watch the game in Seattle? I just put some coffee on so it'll kick in at just the right time.

BJ gets lumped in with Dukes & Young, which I tend to agree with. However, if he hustles all the time, all the tools are there for him to become an elite player. He's still only 24.

Anyone know why the Rays T-Shirts with his name/number on them all say "B.J Upton" as opposed to just "Upton?" It's not like Justin's on the Rays and they need to differentiate. Just wondering.

[Andy]

Dear anonymous poster directly above,

You suck at life.

[Baldelli]

I'd go to bed if I were you. School can be very tiring.

[Go Rays!!]

First day of school tomorrow and I'm going to be dead tired after watching the Rays tonight at 10! Go Rays!!

[JL]

Put Aybar(who clearly has hamstring problems) and Reyes on the DL. Reyes'
fast ball is at about 85 MPH(down 5+ from last year & to slow to make his change up effective). This is a clear indication something is physically wrong with Reyes.

This opens the slot for Bradford in the Pen, and to activate Rocco.

Aybar & Reyes do the DL stint, & then a
10 game rehab which gives the Rays flexibility going into the 09/01 roster expansion, which also happens to be the deadline to designate the 25 man
roster for any post season possibilities.

A ground ball relief pitcher with the
DP capabilities of the Rays infield is exactly one of the things the team was most in need of. This is a great pickup.

[JL]

Put Aybar(who clearly has hamstring problems) and Reyes on the DL. Reyes'
fast ball is at about 85 MPH(down 5+ from last year & to slow to make his change up effective). This is a clear indication something is physically wrong with Reyes.

This opens the slot for Bradford in the Pen, and to activate Rocco.

Aybar & Reyes do the DL stint, & then a
10 game rehab which gives the Rays flexibility going into the 09/01 roster expansion, which also happens to be the deadline to designate the 25 man
roster for any post season possibilities.

A ground ball relief pitcher with the
DP capabilities of the Rays infield is exactly one of the things the team was most in need of. This is a great pickup.

[skp]

correction:
"anybody who thinks Upton is (not "isn't") a bum hasn't been following the Rays long enough to know what a real bum looks like."

and yes he's sloppy in the field at times, but he's been playing CF for barely over a year of his ENTIRE BASEBALL LIFE after growing up an infielder, and already is one of the best defensive options in MLB at his position.

[skp]

"BJ is good trade bait. Trade the lazy bum now and get a righty bat."

i hear BJ Upton is available. he's one of the 3 best hitters on a 1st-place team...oh, wait....

anybody who thinks Upton isn't a bum hasn't been following the Rays long enough to know what a real bum looks like. can't argue with his defense and his plate approach is validated by his high OBP, if he could just quit getting caught stealing, i'd be happy.

the kid is nowhere near as good as he's going to be, this is sorta like those bolts fans many years ago who wanted us to get rid of that bum vinny lecavalier.

[Andy]

Steve,

We may have plenty of outfielders who can show more hustle than BJ, but none of them can get to near as many balls in the outfield as he does. Just yesterday Zobrist let a ball fall that was about 7-10 feet short of the ball Upton caught to save the game the previous game.

While I agree that hustle is a desirable trait, and that Maddon did the right thing yesterday, hustle is no substitute for talent. At least not if winning is the end-goal.

[chux2]

Gene,
Of course BJ is spoiled and has somewhat of an attitude problem. He has been worshipped since he was 14. I don't know him, he may be nice, but he strolls after balls on the loose in cf. He can certainly cover ground, but is still learning the position. I saw him play in Orlando. His athleticism was easily seen. He moved like a panther, but his execution was terrible. He was proud of his arm velocity and would fling the ball to first with no idea where it would wind up. Do you remember the game tetherball? That's what he looked like at bat. He kept his body still, like the pole, and wrapped his arms around his body. No bending of knees, striding in to the pitch, no unloading of the hips, etc. I could not believe this legendary HS. player was so poor in fundamentals. CF is a much better position for him, and he has made some improvements in his swing. I had hoped the outfield of CC, BJ, and DY would be together for 10 years.

[Manuel]

Screw all the negative talk about BJ and not picking up Bay --Boston still has no middle relief pitching--if you knock out their starter there are done--same thing goes for the Yanks Question when we bring up David Price who do we send down in our staff or do we start him the Bullpen?

[steve]

BJ is good trade bait. Trade the lazy bum now and get a righty bat.We have plenty of OF players who would hustle all the time. See Ya BJ!!!!!

[Slappy]

Has anyone noticed the dearth of pithy comments from the Nation? Perhaps some of that Red Sox Hubris has been tempered? Oh, the humanity!!!

[Jeff]

Hammel is useful in blow out games, he really helps save the pen' down the stretch. Reyes has yet to find his grove this year, but he was our best reliever last year... I would send down Trever Miller. I know hes a lefty but as Joe Madden said, and I am paraphrasing, you shouldn't have a lefty out in the pen just to have him, he should be the best pitcher, and Miller is not. He has given up 7 runs in his last 3.2 innings.

[Gene]

No Doc, BJ is not a punk, neither was DY, but you got it right on ED. BJ is still young, has spent his life being catered to because he was a good ballplayer. His talent is obvious, yes his attitude is not great, but I am willing to give him more time to mature. Did you notice he was one of the first to the plate to welcome Pena Wednesday afternoon? He was not sulking on the bench like a punk would be. He has not been in a mature, winning clubhouse in his life till now. Some people take longer to get it than others. As for Bradford, I don't know if he is the answer, but this gives the "haters" less amunition on the "Rays won't spend money or make moves" argument. Hope JB's finger heals up soon and we can add Rocco's bat to the mix.

[Manuel]

Great pickup--Now we can bring up price at the end of August before we play the Yanks and Boston in September for the pennant GO RAYS

[Novak]

A player to be named later - I hope it wasn't Price!!

[Steve]

It's always good to have pitchers having different styles coming in to a game relieving,for 'matchup' purposes.

[Doc]

Reyes has no pop..time for him to go. This releiver will earn him money right away. Especially if Kaz can't go more tha 4 innings in every start. They got rid of Gomes. He wouldn't make any adjustments on pitches or the strike count. Now all that needs to happen is that BJ needs to pick up his game so we can trade him like the other two punks we unloaded (Dukes/Young).
It is no coincidence that we are doing better without those two clubhouse poisons around. BJ doesn't hustle all the time. He takes plays off and sometimes it costs us BIG. He wasn't in the lineup yesterday and we had one of our biggest comebacks to date---the guys in the lineup may not be as talented but they play harder. BJ is a punk---get rid of him!

[KyleE]

I like it. Whenever I see him come out and start warming up my first thought is 'Oh no...not that guy' even though I can't remember his name. Now we have one of those side-arm guys. The quality of a bullpen has to do with mix. Different types of deliveries keep the hitters off balance. The Sox took Giles so we couldn't? I doubt that Mr. Friedman even considered Giles. Gabe Gross for clutch hitter of the year award! Is there one?

[chux2]

Ray F
Actually, I would like to know if Brett wears boxers or briefs. Now, could ESPN broadcast for 2 minutes without the latest Brett update. Enough, already.

[Dead Horse]

Exhibit A: The Rays made a trade today, and the only comments you've made are the following:

1. An inflammatory comment about Reyes
2. A remark about how much money Bradford makes (as if 3.5 mil is much for a ballplayer in this day and age)
3. You noted he must have cleared waivers (DUH!)
4. You went back to BJ bashing, since apparently bashing players and their salaries is what you do best.

You sir are a troll. If you want to comment on whether this makes the Rays a better team ( I certainly think it does), I'd be more than happy to discuss it with you. But instead, you continue to beat a dead horse.

[Dead Horse]

It's not relevant at this point. Upton also said "I didn’t run it out - but It's over, done with, you move on. Learned a lesson.”

I was under the impression you were actually a Rays fan, and not just some moron looking for a chance to stir the pot on issues that have now become non-issues. My bad.

[Adam]

I am a huge Mets fan. Their bullpen hasn't been the same since the O's overpaid Bradford in free agency. He's a trip to watch. The ball literally comes from the turf UP to the bottom of the bat. The turf right in front of home plate is going to get worn out. Good job Rays.

[Longoria Man Crush]

"I just work here" was the dismissive comment Upton made in the papers in response to being benched.

[Ray F]

I'm sorry Mr. Horse,

Is all this relevant baseball talk getting in the way of you worrying about what color underwear Brett Favre is wearing?

My bad.

[Dead Horse]

Jeff and Ray,

You guys done yet?

[Ray F]

Great post Jeff,

What kind of reply was that anyway???

When asked about his pending one game punishment, BJ replies "I just work here".

What the hell is that?

[Aaron the Orioles fan]

I watched Bradford during his tenure with the Mets. This is a good acquisition.

That's your problem. You saw him as a Met. He hasn't been consistent with the Orioles. Allow me to throw some numbers out there. Righty's are hitting .265 against him, lefty's .311 (Yes, .311) In 2006 with the Mets, only 10 of his 53 inherited runners scored. In 2007, 21 of 58 scored. In 2008, 8 of 29.

I hope Bradford works out for the Rays. I really do cuz I'd love to see the Sox and Yanks miss the playoffs. But forgive me for being skeptical.

[jeff]

"I only work here."

[Dave]

Didn't Baltimore have to release Bradford before we can make a waiver claim? Good pickup either way.

I'd drop Reyes too he's still hurt. Maybe Pittsburgh will trade a minor league prosprct for Reyes since their current GM doesn't have a clue.

[JeffC]

I watched Bradford during his tenure with the Mets. This is a good acquisition.

It would have been nice if the Rays could have gotten Nady or Bay (other ex Mets), and where is Darren Oliver these days?

I just hope he doesn't scrape his knuckles on the ground first time out and end up on the DL! LOL

Hopefully Andrew has more similar moves coming. GO RAYS!!

[mike]

Good solid acqusition. Too bad Reyes did not return to his solid form of a year ago and necessitated the Rays to have to shore things up in the bullpen. Welcome Bradford.

[mike]

Perhaps now we can get back to the BASEBALL season and stop all this silly dreaming of a once great QB coming here and eventually falling out with Chuckie. Go Rays!!

[Andy]

Tim beat me to the punch. Bonds wouldn't have to be claimed. They could sign him and pay him the league minimum (which he has already promised to donate to charity). Otherwise, Boston could sign him as insurance in case Ortiz continues to have wrist problems.

[Andy]

It goes by last year's record for the first month of the season, and then switches to current record.

[Ray F]

Brian Giles was claimed by the Red Sux just to block the Rays?

What's next? Claim Barry Bonds just to be safe?

While we're at it, claim Honus Wagner and Mickey Mantle if you like old timers.

***This just in***

McDonalds claimed Timmy Jones off waivers from A&W because there were reports of Timmy working the register at his hometown Burger King. Timmy's no trade clause includes 5 fast-food restaurants and 3 clothing chains that he may veto a trade to.

[Razzlegator]

In some trades, one of the components is a "player to be named later" which usually turns out to be a minor league player. The unnamed player is included as part of a trade when the teams cannot immediately agree on a specific player or when the player is not yet eligible to be traded. In these cases, the player in question must be named within six months.

[tim]

It only goes by last season's record for the first month of the season. Then waiver priority goes by teams' records on the day the first waiver claim is made. Google "MLB Transaction Rules" for a full rundown on how the waiver wire works.

[Slappy]

This is a very good, "value-based" move. Everyone well-knows the Rays are not going to sign a $30M pitcher. Oakland has made a living on this type of move for 10 years. But, then again, their fans are only slightly more indifferent than the Rays'. When was the last sellout in Oakland? And not for the Raiders, I mean.

[Razzlegator]

Any player under contract may be placed on waivers at any time. If a player is waived, any team may claim him. If more than one team claims the player from waivers, the team with the weakest record in the player's league gets preference. If no team in the player's league claims him, the claiming team with the weakest record in the other league gets preference. In the first month of the season, preference is determined using the previous year's standings.

[Robert]

Sorry Nate you are incorrect

[Nate]

Joe is right. It's last year's record meaning the Rays got to go first.

[Mike]

My choice would be Reyes, but who am I but just a fan.

[Robert]

Right on JK. Didnt see your post there

[Robert]

Joe, it goes by your current record not last years. Great pick up though. It looks like the Red Sox just put in a claim for Brian Giles. That might have been to block him from the Angels or Rays.

[JK]

Joe, the waiver claims go by current worst record in the league. So no other team claimed him in the American League...Anaheim never got a shot. No NL team had a chance either. Having watched him pitch quite a bit, he is deceptive and a ground ball guy---good for this defense. Saw him melt down with his sidearm control several times with the Mets. Cut Reyes and Miller. Add Bradford and promote Price. Aybar is the odd man out, as it is Rocco time! Gross and Zobrist are too valuable to go anywhere.