King David to dominate in Durham.
So, whats done is done. David Price will be starting his season in Triple A Durham.
Jeff Niemann's strong performance this spring may have locked him into the 5th spot in the Rays rotation.David Price will be starting the season in Triple A Durham.
From day one I have been an advocate that Price is ready to be a big league star in the making, but after seeing some of the strong Spring Training outings from Jeff Niemann and Jason Hammel, I personally feel a little bit better about the 5th spot in the rotation, BUT they are certainly not the long term answer.
I see one of two things happening within the first 25-30 games.
Either Niemann or Hammel, whomever wins the spot, either A. Pitches well and draws trade interest as King David dominates in Durham or B. Pitches horribly, and Price gets moved up with the incumbent simply being moved out.
So my big bold prediction for the starting rotation come opening day:
James Shields
Scott Kazmir
Matt Garza
Andy Sonnanstine
Jeff Niemann
Ok, so maybe that isn’t THAT bold…BUT, I think its pretty accurate non the less. Question is…what happens to Hammel? Time will tell.
Joyce to get look in center.
Matt Joyce is finally fully recovered from tendinitis, and getting a look late in the spring. Joyce, a prospect outfielder with a gigantic upside, came to the Rays in a trade for young pitcher Edwin Jackson.
Joyce has seen limited at bats this Spring, and even less time in the field, but his potential at the plate to be a power hitter is something the Rays can not ignore.
Couple Joyce’s potential with B.J. Upton likely starting the year on the DL due to being hit by a pitch in the hand, Joyce will likely garner some consideration, but how serious it will be remains to be seen. Joe Maddon has yet to see him in the field, other than a few innings when he played for the Detroit Tigers, and he has seen very little time roaming the outfield so far this spring.
From an outsiders perspective, the most sensible option would be to send Joyce to the minors, rotate Gabe Gross, Ben Zobrist and Gabe Kapler in and out of the centerfield and rightfield spot until Upton is ready to come back, and give the final roster spot to Adam Kennedy, who had a stellar spring after signing a minor league deal earlier in the year.
The beginnings of a long Fantasy Season for The Empire.
My fantasy baseball draft was this past Sunday evening, and I think I got a pretty good squad this year. In a 12 team league, I had the second pick in the odd rounds, and the ninth pick in the evens.
Rays on this years team…Scott Kazmir, Pat Burrell, Matt Garza and Grant Balfour.
Don’t let me down guys.
I will update my team’s stats each Friday.
That’s all for now.
Tampa Bay Rays | Sports Blog |Spring Training
Thomas Gemkow is the editor-in-chief of TampaBayRaysFan.com. Founded in January of 2009, TampaBayRaysFan.com is a compilation of all the best of the Rays, from across the web. The website can be followed on Twitter
