BJ to the outfield?

by e 6 on Dec 15, 2006 10:26 AM EST Comment 17 comments

So the D-Rays are apparently close to signing gold-glove 3B Iwamura.

http://tampabay.devilrays.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061214&content_id=1761003&am p;vkey=news_tb&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb

Presumably this means BJ Upton will have to learn another position. Of course the outfield is full, barring trades. What's left... DH? 1B? 2B? Or maybe they can leave him in AAA for a couple more years.

Personally I hope they trade Upton so he can get a fresh start on another club.

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CF

I've always thought he was best suited for CF.

Hopefully they can trade Baldelli and put Bossman in center.

Where does Cantu go if Iwamura is going to play 2nd?

by eazyb81 on Dec 15, 2006 10:45 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Cantu

I think 1B is his likely destination. He's still cheap, so it's entirely possible the Rays try and move him also, although coming off a poor year I'd bet they'd wait until midseason to do so. If Cantu plays well, but Guzman or Bankston shows he's ready, my guess is Cantu gets swapped for a pitcher before the deadline. The fact he can play 1B, 2B, and 3B should make it easy to get a good return for him.

I don't get enjoyment out of reading baseball books. I'd rather watch a sci-fi movie on TV. -Joe Morgan, Emmy winning BASEBALL analyst

by gatling on Dec 15, 2006 10:52 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Dukes

Isn't Dukes also being groomed for 1st base now? I know they're reportedly trying to trade him, but if not, what are they going to do with this logjam?

by eazyb81 on Dec 15, 2006 10:56 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Cantu & Upton

Having watched them both a lot at Durham I've always thought BJ would be the better defensive 2B. Think about the offense. I'd play Upton at 2b & live with him learning to turn DPs in the majors. Cantu/Zobrist could be SS/utility players.

by kschell on Dec 15, 2006 10:58 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

It was just a matter of time

But is Longoria moving to 2B?

by Brett Perryman on Dec 15, 2006 10:59 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Talk is that Dukes will play first

Iwamura could play second if Cantu has another off year, or he could be traded.

There's also DH. Gomes might not be able to come back.

My best guess as to a lineup.

1B Dukes/Iwamura
2B Cantu/Iwamura
ss Zobrist/Iwamura
3B Iwamura/Upton
DH Gomes/Dukes/Upton
CF Baldelli/Upton
RF Young
LF Crawford
C Navarro

I'd bet Iwamura will either play 3B full-time with Upton going to centerfield or he'll move around the infield until they deceide who out of Upton/Zobrist/Cantu/Dukes isn't a regular.

by Montreal97 on Dec 15, 2006 10:59 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I don't think

Iwamura can play short, and the Rays are supposedly still looking to sign a backup SS. Also, don't forget that Greg Norton and Ty Wigginton are both still signed for next year as well. Barring a trade, there really is a logjam. I believe the Rays envision using Iwamura as a super-utility, backing up at 3B, 2B, 1B and OF. Even as such, there are still too many position players, and someone will end up unhappy:

Presently on the 40-man, guys in parenthesis likely not guaranteed a spot on the team, guys in brackets in limbo - either minor league deals or haven't been offered arbitration or released yet
C - Navarro, (Riggans), [Paul]
1B - Norton, [Choi], (Guzman), (Bankston)
2B - Cantu, (E. Johnson)
SS - Zobrist, [Backup]
3B - Iwamura, Wigginton, (Upton)
OF - Crawford, Baldelli, Young, (Dukes)
DH - Gomes

So, that's 10 guys who are guaranteed roster spots; 2 more roster spots are going to be taken with a backup catcher and a backup shortstop, unless someone can stomach the idea of Cantu or Iwamura backing up at short. It's relatively likely that the last roster spot will go to a backup outfielder, although either Norton or Iwamura could fill in in the OF in a pinch. If they go to a small bullpen, maybe they can fit one more guy. Presuming that the team wouldn't want Upton backing up at short, and presuming that there isn't a trade, that leaves one spot open for either Upton or Dukes, and either one probably pushes a deserving starter to the bench much of the time.

I suspect that Norton or Wigginton will get traded for relative peanuts in S/T. The team's supposedly also looking into moving Cantu, Dukes and one of Baldelli/Upton, but none of them will necessarily get traded if the team doesn't get a perceived upgrade at at least one position in return. Someone will probably be unhappy when the regular season starts.

by Brickhaus on Dec 15, 2006 11:34 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Trade

The D-Rays need to move Cantu, Dukes or Baldelli or all of them for some SPs!

All of these guys deserve a shot to play everyday. The D-Rays need to stop waiting for a Zambrano/Kazmir steal and just make a freakin' trade to get some SPs!

Elijah Dukes to Toronto for Dustin McGowan!

Dukes could play RF after Toronto trades Wells and they would put Rios in CF.

by bunner19 on Dec 15, 2006 11:57 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

uh

Wells looks like he is staying in Toronto now but Dukes can still play LF potentially.

by yoshimi on Dec 15, 2006 12:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Problem

is that they DO have SPs. They're not looking for a steal per se, but they do want a starter who's better than what they already have. If they want to start a guy with a shaky track record who may or may not pan out, they're just as well start Niemann and Talbot this year rather than trade for a McGowan. Other guys who are rumored to have been offered (Nolasco, Davies, Pinto, McGowan etc.) aren't any better than the guys the Rays already have competing for the back end of the rotation (Fossum, Seo, Howell, Hammel, Jackson).

I doubt Toronto even offers a McGowan for Dukes trade. That's who was floated for Rocco, before they resolved the V. Wells situation. When teams are offering Ricky Nolasco, Kyle Davies and Dustin McGowan for Rocco Baldelli, it's not the Rays who are looking for the Kazmiresque deal...

by Brickhaus on Dec 15, 2006 1:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Let B.J. compete in SP

Let him compete for the 3B/CF/SS/2B jobs in spring training, and if he is better than the guys they have at those positions, let him play.

Tell him straight out. If you want to make this team, here are the positions we have available, its on you to beat out the other guys playing for them. That simple.

by samjjones on Dec 15, 2006 5:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Upton

Why does everyone insist on moving BJ all over the field? I think it's the same people that complain about TB mismanaging him.

He is the starting 3B for next year.

Iwamura profiles better as a 2B. But I doubt they trade Cantu until spring training when they get to see if Iwamura is the real deal or not.

Norton has no business being on this roster.

This is how I think it should be:

C - Navarro, backup
1B - Dukes
2B - Cantu / Iwamura
SS - Zobrist, backup
3B - Upton, Wigginton
OF - Crawford, Baldelli, Young
DH - Gomes

That is 13 right now but once the Cantu / Iwamura is resolved it could become 12.

Because you would have Upton that could back up SS in a pinch, Wigginton that can backup 3B & 2B, and Iwamura that can play 3B & 2B -- I see no need to keep Cantu.

Trading Baldelli is ridiculous. The offers were terrible because everyone knows TB has abundance of OF. It's pretty lame that Mathews gets 11/year and TB is offered 2nd rate prospects for Baldelli who is better, younger, and cheaper. Either stick with the situation or trade Crawford for a stud pitcher.

Arthur: "Look, you stupid bastard, you've got no arms left!" Black Knight: "Yes I have." Arthur: "Look!" Black Knight: "It's just a flesh wound!"

by pedrophile on Dec 15, 2006 5:58 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

If Iwamura

starts at 3rd, it's because of his defense. Don't forget that Cantu is horrible defensively, also. Upton should be starting at 3b...he has a lot more upside than Iwamura, who, from what I read, is likely to put up David Bell like numbers at 3b.

Also, don't forget that Upton finished the year with a sore shoulder and opted to rehab.....a DL stint is not out of the question if he's out of options.

by vaclipper on Dec 15, 2006 9:36 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I don't think Upton

is anywhere close to being out of options.

by samjjones on Dec 16, 2006 12:09 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

David Bell ?

If Imamura gets the nod to start at 3B, which i feel he should, I see him putting up numbers just below that of Zimmerman.
call me crazy ?
wait and see

baseball is a year round sport

by king bay on Dec 16, 2006 10:19 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

So much talent

So much talent ... and seemingly no idea what the hell they are going to do with it. They need to decide in a hurry who they can trade for pitching.

Rios is the next Juan Gonzales, thats right, I said it.

by KaoticKlown on Dec 16, 2006 5:43 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Why?

Why do they need to hurry? They have some pitching coming up through the system. They are not contenders during the next two years anyway. They're sensibly taking their time to see who they want to trade and to extract maximum value for their talent. Their trading partners are in a bigger hurry than the DRays are for the foreseeable future, and Friedman knows it.

by igreen01 on Dec 17, 2006 5:06 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs