The Process of Weeding Out AL East Contenders...

I took a rip off the bong and laid my head back. The coffee was simmering on the stove and Strawberry ran around frantically trying to locate her phone.
"Where's my phone god damnit?!" she roared.
I looked into the vortex of my screen to see Manny Machado had been dealt to The Los Angeles Dodgers for quite the little package of prospects. Smart of The Orioles who are in desperate need of a prayer (and more impacting prospects).
Makes one wonder what does the Blue Jays do in this situation? The team has been out of contention since their glory hole of 2015-2016 when Encarnacion, Bautista and Donaldson were absolute monsters. If they were smart -which they have not been for sometime now- they will trade off anything that remotely has value thus putting on the table of J.A. Happ and any position player on the field. I cannot role into the details of certain players contracts but let's dissect here...

"Have you seen it you lazy peasant?!" she roars.

Might as well trade off Russel Martin. Solid catcher with a decent bat, who wouldn't give up something for this guy? Marcus Stroman anyone? Yes please. Hell, too bad the Rays wouldn't swap Eovaldi for Stroman straight up because when Stroman's on, he's absolutely filthy. Love that shimmy. Trade off Solarte, Travis and Smoak for anything you can get. Kevin Pillar on the 10-day-DL? No prob sucka! He'll get activated and dealt to you for a handful of low A prospects. Hell, why not? Need a veteran OFer? Sure! Take Curtis Granderson off the books! Oh, you want a bucket of softballs for Tulo? Sure! Take it! They should leave him at Niagra Falls to figure out his baseball career. You need a new bench coach? How about ole' Jon Gibbons! He'll givem' hell! Need a DH or pinch hitter? We have Kendrys Morales here waiting on you! Need a dude to only pinch run? What about Devon Travis? Need a dude to blow your leads in the 8th or 9th? What about Tyler Clippard? I think it's time to switch the glasses bubba. Need some Smoak on the water? Hit us up here in Canada! Want the baggage of Roberto Osuna? Hit us up on messenger and leave a message after the beep. You know wassup... Need an old dude who cannot stay on the field to save his life and be overpaid for it? How about Josh Donaldson! He'll appear in the next three games for you then never to be seen again. Perpetual rehab right here. Almost as bad as my uncle addicted to meth out in his trailer park in Seffner.

"Hey, you big piece of shit! Get off your phone!" she yells some more.
I take a drag off the cigarette and rip the bong again (in no particular order).

Let's take a look at the disastrous Orioles camp. A brother won't even front when saying, I didn't see them being this bad. You probably couldn't trade a Chris Davis for a back up bullpen coach at the streak he's at. Davis has 292 plate appearances this year and is crushing a whopping .158. Talk about a hole in one. Some former Rays (I say this bitterly) are on their roster too. Alex Cobb is forever one of my favorites (cannot forget that 2013 Wild Card game in Cleveland he pitched unreal) but damn homeboy has been nothing but sub-awful since gowning the bright orange. Cobb has 17 games started with 92.2 IP and is posting a 6.41 ERA with the O's. Sorry bubba...homie aint going anywhere anytime soon. Protect ya neck on the streets of Baltimore.
2008 First Round Pick Tim Beckham is crushing a .206 with 165 ABs with The O's this year. Could they move him too? Probably not but The Rays did and the only word to describe it for me is jubilant. The only pieces worth a damn left in The Orioles camp would be Zach Britton, Jace Peterson, Adam Jones and Danny Valencia. This team needs to rid of nearly everything to stock up on a very depleted farm system. Perhaps The Rays could trade Tropicana Field for Camden Yards and sprinkle in a couple of parking spot spaces to lure the interest of The O's front office.

"Is it in the car?!" she shouts.
"I'm not sure babe,"
Naturally, we were hungover from the night prior.

Thus brings us to The Rays and the two other monsters in the division. In order for the Rays to actually make a run, a couple of things have to go right for them (asides from winning) and that is banking on a couple of other teams of falling off. Let's be real, The Yankees aren't falling off thus leaves us with two AL West teams ahead of us. The A's and Mariners. One has to suspect the front office is in a predicament. Do you trade off your assets now and essentially put a fork in the season (kinda like what they did in Spring Training with the fury of trades) with looking far ahead or do you add and gamble on the idea that one of those two teams is going to fall off? After seeing the talent of The Mariners, I would assume The A's would fall off quicker than The Mariners but with the injury history of James Paxton, it makes you wonder...Mike Leake to the rescue!

"I found it! It was in the bathroom!" she yells with victory.

If I were in the front office, I wouldn't gamble on those two teams falling off (though not impossible). Currently, the Rays sit 8.5 behind The A's for the second Wild Card spot, I just don't know if they really have the fire power to really make a run this year. Don't get me wrong, it's sick they are playing good ball, I just think they should focus on their young new core to getting more play time, getting acclimated at the big league level, have a couple more call ups (Justin Williams, Ian Gibaut and Kean Wong) and having them nourish their relationship with Kevin Cash and Co. Thus, trade Eovaldi when his value is highest, Ramos is in purgatory with the injury, Hech would be a nice piece for a contending team in need of a shortstop (not The Dodgers now obviously), Sergio Romo might get them something and Archer won't get you the haul you seek. The division is lopsided no doubt and I hate to admit this...

I took another rip off the bong.

...but The Yankees and Red Sox are just unstoppable this year. I knew this going out of the gates of Spring Training, no one else would stop these monsters this year, which is okay, The Rays should have their foot on the present and build towards the future with this new core they've set in place because they will make noise if not this year but in the coming. The reason I emphasize this is because the depth of pitching isn't there to compete (not yet anyhow) with what The Yankees and Red Sox currently have. Granted, The Rays have been setback with a couple of huge TJ losses (Honeywell, Banda, DeLeon).

"Let's go for a drive babe,"
"Where do you want to go?" she asked
"The beach,"
Off we roared into abysmal tropical AM summer day here in Tampa Bay.

Getting Philosophical From The First Half and A Quarter Pound of Chicken...

I tried digging my fork into the chicken which presented futile as the chicken was still relatively frozen.

"Hey babe, I think this needs a little more cooking,"

Strawberry seemed preoccupied in her mind about something.

"Never mind, I'll take care of it,"

"What's that baby?" she cried.

Yet so was I.

"Nothing darling,"

I put the chicken back onto the grill and closed the top. I slithered my way out back to be greeted by the chickens that run around Ybor and lit a cigarette. The summer sky looked amazing and I sat down in the chair, slumped back and became introverted.

If there's one thing I've learned from the Rays since The Post-Maddon Era, it would be never to fully invest into them the second half. Let's take a peek...in 2015 at The All-Star Break they were one game over .500 then fell off the second half. They held first place for quite sometime until falling off the second half. A lot of this can be pointed to Archer's success that first half that year. Let's not even touch 2016. What a nightmare of a season. Dating back to 2017 at the All-Star Break they were a handful of games over .500 after taking 3-4 from The Boston Red Sox prior to the break...then fell off the second half. The offense dried up, that bullpen surely went to waste and they disbanded the whole group after that season. Fast forwarding to the present...

It's been a pretty insane first half. Who would have thought coming off that awful start after an amazing Opening Day comeback win, all of the trades of Denard Span and Alex Colome, call ups of Willy Adames and Jake Bauers that this team would finish the first half with a winning record? Seems ludicrous right? 

I looked to the sky and exhale...

I was a little hurt when they traded Denard Span because it seemed the guy really enjoyed playing here for the short stint and was a really nice lead off hitter but let's be real, he was never part of the future rolling forward. The call up of Jake Bauers was inevitable as Brad Miller's play time was diminishing and his lack of defense just continued to hurt. Wilson Ramos has been nothing short but sheer greatness. The Buffalo is having another career year and it will interesting to see how his career plays out with The Rays. Losing him to the DL is a bummer but this could keep him here longer and perhaps the Rays actually make a run? One cannot imagine the front office to be active the deadline as The Red Sox and Yankees are run away trains. Seems better they just run out there with what he have, have the kids get more play time, nurture their skills and trade off Eovaldi and Hech to clubs in dire need of a premier shortstop and solid 2/3 starter. Perhaps Eovaldi was tilting his pitches in Minnesota to stay a Ray? The bullpen use has been downright insane. The fact this team out-matches other teams on the regular and tends to piss them off only seems to solidify the fact the Rays have an interesting strategy with what little resources they have makes it interesting. It could be said that baseball is 90% pitching/defense but when you lack the resources to compete against bigger clubs, why not use an edge? Look at the shift baby...

Chris Archer has had a horrid half and one not really worth mentioning. As much as I love the dude, is this the decline of Archer? His third wipe out pitch has never come to fruition and with all of these arms in the system, the ability to only give you 4.0 IP, it makes you wonder what his future holds? It's funny, I see him very similar to how Odorizzi's 2017 season was last year. What a bummer The Rays lost Anthony Banda to TJ because he really is fun to watch! Diego Castillo has been absolutely incredible to watch! in eighteen games the guy owns a 2.57 ERA. Jose Alvarado has been struggling a bit and his inability to command the zone has been frustrating at moments. Really love what we're seeing from Ryan Yarbrough, Wilmer Font, Yonny Chirinos, Ryne Stanek, Hunter Wood, and Sergio Romo. Adam Kolarek scares me. Johnny Venters has been really fun to watch too. Feel good brotha. Is it me or is Matt Duffy slightly better at 3B than Evan Longoria? Nice to see him out there everyday and making solid plays. D-Rob has been a Gold Glover caliber player along with finding his stroke. It's nice to see this team manufacturing runs as opposed to hitting one home run after another. Cron loves striking out but damn homeboy has some pop. Carlos Gomez is entertaining. Joey Wendle has been a sleeper on this team. Amazing when a part time dude gets full time play what happens with them. LoFo anyone? Kiermaier seems to be taking a different AB approach and Mallex owns my heart (cannot say anything less of him). Blake Snell has finally solidified himself as the staff ace. There is no question in this. He was snubbed at first for not being an All-Star but that changed. What's different this year about Blake is his ability to use all four of his pitches and command that fastball better. He reminds me slightly of Matty Moore. His effective wildness makes it interesting. Some of the swing and miss he gets on his pitches, it makes you wonder what the batters see out of his hand?

I was wrong about Kevin Cash too, the guy really is a solid manager. He earned my heart yesterday when yelling at Escobar for that pitch in. This second half will probably consist of more call ups and demotions. Could we see Kean Wong, Ian Gibaut, Colin Poche and Justin Williams sooner rather than later? The fact Willy Adames was sent down makes a lot of sense. The kid is a shortstop and with Hech here, he will get very little play time. Might as well let him get more reps in Durham and keep working at shortstop there. The future looks brighter and brighter...

"The fucking chicken is burning!" she yells.

"Er,"

I opened the top and found a charred chicken (a quarter pound of it to be precise). 

"Let's go to Church's Chicken,"

So we did.

Wilson Ramos and A New Stadium...

There's nothing better than a good ole' fashion wake and bake. I find myself on the porch every morning hitting the bong to get the brain functioning at high altitudes and ascending into the day with the right frame of mind in tact.
"I'm going to go get us some coffee darling,"
"Okay, have fun!" Strawberry says.
I took a stroll down into 7th and take note of all of The Rays flags and stuff cluttered on bars, breweries and buildings. Is this for real? Word is on the street they are revealing everything today as to how it will look and how everything is going to be financed. I am curious to see how this pans out considering that The City of Tampa doesn't really have any money to throw at another stadium and no one wants another Raymond James Stadium nightmare that screws the taxpayers. I could care less either way, as long as I cut out my little niche in life, perhaps that is enough is it not?
This dude from the Philippines ran Bind Tiger Cafe on 7th and what's nice about going in there are the odd haircuts, the trendy clothes and the stark vibe of emptiness. The staff is always friendly and I like to think I flirt with the barista in a childish way without her even knowing because when you're eighteen, you're retarded.

I sat down and read about last night's walk off in thanks to a Kevin Kiermaier triple that led to a D-Rob walk off single up the middle. Is it me or do the Detroit Tigers not play very good in the dome anymore? No matter the case, there's a slot in the roster that I cannot help but to definitively gaze over and that is the spot of Wilson Ramos. Sure, The Rays have some depth in the catcher position but after awhile, you really do need to sprinkle your team with some veteran leadership. Just from seeing Rene Pinto in High A and knowing Nick Ciuffo is crushing down in Durham, it still makes you wonder why wouldn't they keep him?
Simple. Money.  Ramos is signed for 2 yrs/12.5M$ and the Rays could give him a qualifying offer but nothing worth that he knows he's worth. Homeboy is looking for a multiyear deal and trying to get paid. Dude is thirty and only getting older. Might as well get paid now in order to cruise into retirement from baseball one day. What does this do for the Rays? Well...you could go a couple of routes. Trade the guy and get some more highly touted pitching prospects from a team that has them. If they do trade him, they should target The Brewers, The Dodgers, The Braves or even The Boston Red Sox. Let's be real, if you're in the front office, you know that we are not going to the Post Season (this year) so might at well maximize when value is ultra omega high. Some have debated this but I still think you'll get some top tier prospects if you trade Ramos to the right team. The Nats are in a win now mode, have traded a lot of their system already thus do not have the prospects you really want. So let's be real, The Rays have already loaded the system with a plethora of middle infielders so they should target some more OFers and pitchers because you can never have enough pitching.
Option B would be dig up everything in your pockets and sign homeboy to a long term deal. Why let him walk? He's valuable in every sense and if you're trying to make a run in the next coming years, Wilson Ramos is the dude you want with this young pitching staff and team. Jesus Sucre provides nice back up depth but Wilson is your everyday guy. Let's be real. Wilson can hit, dude can call a game and is good enough with the glove to make dreams come true. Wilson is slashing .291/.341/.471 and is an All-Star (again).

I felt good about all of the thoughts that just came to mind, downed the rest of my coffee and headed home. The sun was out, a new stadium was possibly in the mix and a handful of Rays were about to get dealt. Life is good.

Believe in Jesus (Sanchez that is) and Monday's in Port Charlotte...

Strawberry was giving me road dome when I finally realized that we were getting off exit 179 to God's waiting room. She lifted her head while wiping off her mouth.
"Are we at the exit?" she asked.
What a gal.
"Yes baby,"
You enter into Port Charlotte not during the spring and something is peculiar about it, perhaps it's the lifelessness to it. We passed one massive home after another on the road. There were nice cars in front of it and not a sign of life around. One has to feel philosophical into thinking what is it people actually do here asides from the beach and fishing? Is there anything else that goes on here?
"They probably just sit on their asses and watch Netflix all day," Strawberry explained while stuffing her breasts back into her bra.
I found it a curious thing to that MLB builds these facilities in the middle of nowhere Florida. Mystical names like Dunedin, Clearwater, Port Charlotte, Kissimmee, Jupiter and Fort Myers. Do they promote programs to ease your boredom with baseball and being economically disadvantaged simultaneously? The world is a mother fucker I tell ya...

No matter...I wanted to check out The Stone Crabs (again) while at home and naturally liked Strawberry on road trips because well, my chick deserves the best.
2016 draft pick Kenny Rosenberg got the ball today for the Crabs and mowed through their lineup. He went 5.0 IP 2H, 2 BB and 6 K. Not bad for your 23rd birthday eh bubba? Josh Lowe and Jesus Sanchez got to start today, which was a real treat. Christian Arroyo was also there on a rehab assignment and got the start at 2B. I watched the dude strikeout at a very uncomfortable AB. Two really nice fastballs inside he watched float by and was put way with a breaking pitch down. No matter the case, homeboy looked really uncomfortable and needs some adjusting into coming back. Makes you realize how hard it is to hit right. RF Jesus Sanchez is a monster. He's taller than he looks in videos and photos. He came into tonight's game hitting .300. He wasn't very productive this evening but like his lanky way of playing RF and seems to have an aura to him. It's queer to say, but the kid is going to be special in the future. CF Josh Lowe had a hit and two walks for the evening and flashed some leather out in CF. It was dope. Kid has a really nice swing from the leftside and will be useful in the future. Lucius Fox had himself a night with a triple and some good defensive plays until he dove into his wrist while stopping a ground ball. He left with after that. Bummer. Kid has speed, glove and a bat. Is this Ozzie Albies part two in the making? Very similar players. C Rene Pinto once again displayed a very solid game calling program. Loves to throw behind runners leaning a bit and is not afraid to get dirty and play hard. Had two hits as well for the evening. Jermaine Palacios continues to make hard contact and drove in a run with a sac fly deep to left center. That Odorizzi trade looks better and better.

The Stone Crabs held on and all of the people waiting to die, the lost souls of The Gulf and the women with massive rocks on their fingers left back to their respective abodes.
"Can we get milk shakes?" Strawberry asked.
"Anything for my gal,"
She got chocolate and I got, well, a strawberry.

Sunday Afternoon with The Stone Crabs in Clearwater and Doggy Day...

"It's doggy day at The Threshers Ballpark in Clearwater," Strawberry announced.

I've never understood this concept.

"Let's bring our little rascal!" she laughed.

I gave her kids then she wants a dog. 

"Get ready, because we're going," she demanded.

WOOF.

It just so happens the Threshers were playing the High A team for the Rays so this immediately drew my attention and stirred the ambition up to go. We gathered up the dog, left the kids at my parents house and made sure we had enough water for the dog. We arrived at Spectrum Field to a sea of canines and what struck me curiously were the amount of single women with dogs. If I were a single man, I think I'd go out and buy me a dog and haunt every dog park within a five mile radius of my crib but Strawberry was my girl.

There were a couple of players I had been watching (more or less). The only player from the Threshers I even remotely heard of was Mickey Moniak and that's because we saw him back in Spring when The Rays took on the Phillies. I was really hoping Jesus Sanchez would be in the starting lineup but nowhere to be found. Perhaps homeboy had the day off. First round pick/2-way player phenom Brendan McKaye had found himself on the DL so I'd peep some other players I've heard of and am now seeing what's up with them. 2014 Draftee Blake Bivens got the ball for the Stone Crabs and got hit around quite a bit. Homeboy went 4.2 IP, gave up 8 H, 3 ER and struck out 3. Labored hard through those innings. Sorry bubba. Take a seat. 

Lucius Fox is an interesting piece that I've been watching since my homie from Atlanta mentioned in the Matt Moore trade that this dude we got is really good (along with Matt Duffy). Lucius is an interesting case. He jumped out at me during the 2017 Future's Game in Miami. He went 1-4 Sunday and had some really quality ABs then would have an atrocious AB where he swung at every pitch down in the zone. Kinda reminded me of what Joey Wendle gets stuck swinging at. No matter, Fox has some quick hands and could see him potentially manning 2B as opposed to 3B or SS. The problem with him at SS is his size but this could also change as he fills out. I like the idea of him being developed more in AA. It will be interesting to see how his year plays out. If his plate discipline matures (as it will) he will be a very exciting player.

Another dude who stood out to me was Jermaine Palacios (he came over from the Jake Odorizzi trade). A brotha won't even lie when saying, I knew nothing about this cat until peeping him today. I was really impressed. He's batting .229/.272/.331. Okay, it doesn't necessarily jump out at you with amazement but I liked what he did patrolling 3B. Made some really tough plays on funky bounces and hard hit balls. He makes hard contact when putting the ball into play, he just hits it right to the OFers. Despite this though, his last ten games, his bat has been scorching. Do you smell a promotion?

Tristan Gray is another interesting player I saw on the IF (came over from Dickerson trade). He was manning 2B and seems to fit that role extremely well. He has the build of a 2B and is a nice slap hitter. He went 0-4 but saw the potential of a really effective bat. 

Rene Pinto was catching. I won't even front, I had never heard of this dude until today. Homeboy really knew how to call a game and had his pitchers really following his lead despite the pitchers throwing some meatballs. Schryver and side armer Charpie came in and gave up more runs. Despite this, Pinto knew how to manage his field and yes, MY GOD YES, homeboy can actually hit! Peep his line: .260/.282/.375. Not bad at all! A quality defensive catcher who can hit? Sounds like Wilson Ramos has a brother! Dude is from Venezuela after all. 

I felt good about the future of things from the high A level for The Rays and our dog seemed to enjoy the ballpark and free food the volunteers were giving out. There were a lot of fine ass women running around and confused looking men. There's something to be said about Cracker Jacks at a baseball game. Is this culture? 

"Are you having fun baby?" Strawberry asked.

"All for you darling..."

Micah Johnson, Mallex Smith and Surrounded by Red Sox Fans...

I fell asleep drunk in my car in the parking lot of a Waffle House in Sarasota. The dude who was supposed to pick me up didn't and well, I killed a bottle of Jack to fall asleep in the bushes. Luckily, the spring brings little humidity and bugs.
"You look like shit," Strawberry announced on her arrival.
I did just sleep in the bushes.
"Well good morning to you too,"
She looked on with a grimace.
"Yes dear?"
She grabbed her purse.
"Guess what I got last night!" she laughed out loud.
"Some coke?"
Wrong.
"No silly! Some tickets to The Red Sox and Rays game today!" she cried.
I liked Port Charlotte.
"The thing is it's in Fort Myers," she explained.
I glanced at my watch.
"We need to leave now then,"
Diplomacy at its finest hour. We got en route to Ft. Myers heading south on I-75 and got immediately stuck in traffic. As Strawberry lost her temper behind the wheel, I noticed eighty percent of the drivers were from the north, old and white.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY YOU OLD FUCKS!" she roared.
I loved my girl.

We showed up to JetBlue Park loaded to the gills of Red Sox fans. Frankly, those people are confused and slightly mentally challenged who simply don't know any better about sports, but what do I know?
Jake Faria was on the bump today (one of the dudes in the starting rotation of four) and got bombed to the stone age. He could not get out of the first inning, gave up runs and simply could not find the zone. Every pitch looked flat and everyone seemed to be making solid contact off of him. Nice to see D-Rob out there too. It was soothing to see Matt Duffy, wait, a healthy Matt Duffy out there at third base. Duffman went 1-2 and slapped in a run. Coats, McCarthy and Snyder were all new names I'd never seen until today. They looked OK. Shimpf once again looked like shit and could not make contact to save his life. Typical power hitter. Glad to see we need to endure another year of a heavy strike out team. Bauers also seems to be figuring out his swing but looked great at first base. Jesus Sucre made some nice contact today and good to see him playing behind home plate. The highlight of the day was seeing Mallex Smith. McGowan gave up a bomb and threw hard. Glad to see that's another dude in the pen. Jose Mujica and Jose Alvarado also looked very impressing in their outings. Jake Cronenworth was up in the house and saw him get a couple of ABs. Stone Crabs represent! Matt Andriese aint trying to be in the pen. Gave up a single then shut down the next three batters. Sup? My man Micah Johnson is trying to get that spot on the team. He went 2-2 with two doubles (one of which he could of made for a triple) but looked really disciplined at the plate. Kean Wong and Dalton Kelly looked sharp out there too. Boldt, Velasquez and Milone looked solid too. There's no denying it, this team will undergo a lot of growing pains but the future looks bright with this organization.

Strawberry and I were trashed beyond ordinary human reasoning and found each other contemplating what to eat after the game. They sang their little Boston songs and waved aimlessly in the air. I saw so many Red Sox hats it was sickening. Sterile to the nth degree. If hell was on earth, it takes form of Fenway Park and this was the closest her and I have been to it.
"How abowt dem Ways buddy?" this guy from the north east slurs.
His truck on a sticker on it that said Masshole and the typical Patriots stickers with one of the Super Bowl wins.
"I want to leave,"
So we went...

The First Day of Spring and Split Squad Action in Sarasota...

"Get the fuck out you piece of worthless shit!" she roared.
This is what I woke up to.
"Let me get a cup of coffee first,"
She wasn't having it.
There's something to be said about mood swings and the menstrual cycle. I didn't have ovaries or a uterus but if there's one thing I've learned about my Strawberry, when she's pissed, it's better to turn one hundred and eighty degrees and head the opposite direction.
I found myself on the empty morning street of 7th Avenue on a Friday. The smell of roasting coffee swept through, the roosters roamed around the benches and the damned were starting their day by being, well, more damned. I took a drag off my cig and realized baseball was back.
I jumped into my little tin can of a car and headed south to Sarasota...

It was the first time in going to Ed Smith Stadium and was impressed by the get go of things. Some fuck head charged me twenty bucks to park underneath a semi truck. God punishes the wicked. The area is pretty desolate and the smell of meth loomed in the area. What else is new in rural Florida? I was harassed for wearing my Rays jersey from some Orioles fans who were well into their twilight years, which is to say, geriatric, which is also to say, they'll go into cardiac arrest and let the new generation continue on living relatively sooner than later. Florida is God's waiting room after all...

I was excited to Micah Johnson, Willy Adames, Jake Bauers, Nick Solak, Ryan Shimpf, Jesus Sanchez, Johnny Field, Justin Williams and seeing Chirinos take the bump. Chirinos threw some gas. Bauers and that swing. I wasn't too impressed with what I saw of Joey Wendell. Nick Ciuffo is for real. That bat has some pop to it. The Rays better never let that one slip away anytime soon. I am pulling for Micah Jonson. If we could get a dude like that who works at bats like that lead off, that would be great and he looked good on the base paths as well. It was also nice to see former Stone Crab Brandon Lowe get some in there at the plate. The lineup was pretty left handed heavy. Dalton Kelly was also in the house and got a couple of AB's too. Bauers struck out a couple of times but that swing looks absolutely beautiful. Also was nice to see Willy Adames get a hit and snag an RBI. All in all, this was a look into the depth of the system and was deeply impressed. Rocco and Montoyo were patrolling the dug out and saw new pitching coach (OG Devil Ray) Kyle Snyder up in the mix. There's no denying it, there is a new look to the Rays (again).

"Thanks for Tim Beckham," some guy in a bright orange jersey yells at me.
Huh?
"Keep him,"
He looked on in a perturbed way.
"So Rays fans do exist?" he laughed.
I asked myself the question often too.
"I think so,"
He laughed again.
"You're funny man," the guy chuckled.
His belly rumbled too.
"I try not to be,"
Apparently this translates to ordering someone a beer (when you're funny).
"You like Bud Lite bro?" he asked.
Fuck no.
"Yes,"
He shows up with two blue bottles.
The sun set in the west and the Rays went on to win 6-3. It was nice to see baseball was back.

Souza Comes to Camp, Cargo is Signed and I buy Another AR 15...

"Alright buddy, just sign here," the fat balding guy wearing an old Yankees hat explains.
Down far 7th Avenue where life translates into a more grim reality, which is to say real, there is a little pawn shop we go visit ever so often. There is something to be said about purchasing stolen goods and putting them on your mantle as a token of how decent of a human being you feel like. Benefiting off other people's miseries/misfortunes.
"Cool, do you need anything else?"
He looked ever his shoulder.
"Nope, you are good to go sir," he says while handing over the AR 15.
In light of the school shooting in South Florida (where the Marlins have already beat the Rays in the fire sale) I figured to load the apartment with more guns so whenever I pick up Strawberry late, I can be sure to have the AR in the car and when our kids go to public school, they can match their teacher's arms. Eye for eye. Gotta make sure too, that the color of the AR matches Strawberry's dresses.
I drove to the McDonalds off US Forty One to read the news only to find more madness and confusion...

Souza arrived to Port Charlotte the other day only told to beat it. Huh? The Rays sent Souza to Arizona for LHP Anthony Banda and also acquired RHP Taylor Widener, The Yankees sent the Rays Nick Solak meanwhile the Yankees DFA'd Jabari Blash. The rebuild has truly begun. Souza was only owed 3.5 million and really begun to find his stride. A real five tool player. He started growing on me during the 16' season and was a nice leader throughout the 17' campaign. We could have had Trea Turner, we got rid of Wil Myers and now got rid of Souza only after acquiring him in 15'. Thus 2015-2017. People are arguing they are building for the future. Weren't they doing that then when they traded off nearly the entire 14' roster? Only four years later...Souza was the team MVP as well last year. "I just don't know man," Archer was quoted saying.
Judging by facial expression, the dude wants out and for good reason. You think there was an attendance problem last year? Welcome to the terror dome. The roster is a nearly full triple A roster at this point.
"It hurts man but it is our job to do our best on the field," KK was telling the media.
Dick Vitale was on the record saying "they should just sell the team and let Archer and KK go somewhere else. It is unfair to them."
Homeboy aint too far off. Sucks to think raccoon boy Kevin Cash will be sitting there looking dumbfound in the dug out, spitting seeds and never wearing a jersey to a whopping crowd of one thousand people (who will be more than half opposing fans).
The front office knew there a was problem and needed to counter the fans by showing they cared, so they go out and sign Carlos Gonzalez for four million dollars. Peep his road/home splits. Ouch. Thus they let Souza go (who was more economical actually) for some good prospects and signed a hot head for one year service time (who could very well get hurt for a good chunk of the year). Let's review...
Subtract from 2017 Opening Day Roster - to last game: Dickerson (All-Star who walked for nothing), Beckham, Souza, Lomo (all of whom in which had career years) Boxberger, Cobb, Odo, Longo (face of the franchise), Xavier Cedeno, Rasmus, Erasmo, Cishek, Hunter, Weeks Jr., Jumbo, Peterson, Bourjos, D-Norris (let him rot in hell). Oh but Brad Miller is still a Ray. Don't drop the mic...

Conclusion is nearly half of the 25 man roster is gone. That is truly remarkable when analyzing it. That was a solid core they could have built around. Young dudes who were controllable for another couple of years but they were all traded off. To say simply this is the first time Rays fans have undergone this is pure bullshit. I loved that 14' roster and they tore it down. Joyce, Zobrist, Price, Molina, S-Rod, et cetera...they are doing it again in the span of four years. Embarrassing.
At this point it is nearly impossible to project the Opening Day Lineup. You figure with all of the infielders they have collecting this off season they are looking to see who is going to battle it out. They DFA'd Micah Johnson, which slightly bummed me out but oh yeah, Brad Miller is still on the depth charts. So, I will take a new approach on this...who will definitely be on the Opening Day Roster?
Core: Archer/KK
Roster Purgatory: Sucre, Ramos, Span and Cargo (these two will play because of the money they are making), Cron
It is a curious factor to consider Denard Span will be patrolling the outfield knowing that Dickerson was ousted for nothing and Souza was traded for a LHP prospect and 2B prospect. It seems a lot of people are more on board with the analytics of how a team should win. Sure, that is the point of the game, to win. Rather you have a team full of people who come and go as opposed to some familiarity? Amazing to think how big Souza was becoming with the fans (and was actually fun to watch) now back to a bunch of players on the field who we don't know and will need another two plus years to get used to seeing? Even if this team does go on and win the AL East (with our fearless leader Kevin Cash leading the pack) all of these dudes are young and a complete mystery. I'm not saying there is nothing to be excited about but when you go from one season to the next and completely overhaul the roster every three-to-two years, what message does that send to fans (who already don't drive out to that abomination of a stadium)? I won't front on my emotions towards it, I am not nearly excited as I was last year. That was a damn good core of players (sprinkled with veteran leadership). They actually added last off season and made some really good trades. They traded for Mallex, signed Rasmus, nabbed Bourjos during Spring and so on. Now it's just one big guessing game.

"Oh fuck it baby, let's get McFlurries,"
Strawberry loved the Oreos.
We went home and fornicated to keep the human species alive.

Peace out Odo and Dickerson is Ousted...

I found myself snuggled up with a Coors Lite on the bay and watching the water twinkle while analyzing what The Rays have done the last couple of days.
"You want an appetizer baby?" Strawberry asked.
"Sure honey,"

As predicted by the Gods, Odo is out the door. Traded to the Twins for a short stop that hasn't scratched AAA ball and is still pretty far away but could be intriguing. I guess losing Odo isn't such a big hit as he hasn't been a very consistent pitcher for an entire season and tends to get stung by the long ball. One could even argue he is injury prone. No matter the case, he is gone up north to a pretty stout Twins line up. The most puzzling move was the DFA of Corey Dickerson. Perhaps there were trade talks involving him but that was really a dagger to the heart. Almost as bad as the Giancarlo trade but at least The Marlins received something in return. Seriously, WHAT IN THE FUCK. I am still analyzing this...in the Longo trade, Denard Span was thrown in there. Obviously, he is expensive (in Rays terms) but Corey Dickerson is coming off an All-Star year and is not even owed six million. How could he NOT be in their future plans? Ok, he isn't an extraordinary defender but the dude has a lot of power. Came into last season fit and ready to tear (and tearing he did). He fell off the second half but to simply just get rid of him for nothing? Really? Hopefully a trade comes about but to let him walk would be absolutely absurd. Hopefully homeboy has options. Is this Kevin Cash's doing or all front office "budget cuts"? WHAT A SHIT SHOW. Why not trade him to the Braves for something? They are in need...
Lo and behold, Brad Miller is steadfast but with the arrival of CJ Cron (insurance for Bauers) it really does make you question the front office's confidence in Brad Miller. This will be an interesting development throughout spring...looks like the outfield will be KK, Souza, Span and Mallex. Actually, I like this. Denard Span is growing on me. The acquisition of Cron shows that they are not rushing Bauers either (also a smart move). Amazing to think they could do something so intelligent like this then do something so moronic with Dickerson. Is Sternberg really that cheap? YEESH...
Thus...subtract Cobb, Odo, Longo, Lomo, Dickerson, Hunter, Beckham. Nearly half of the Opening Day line up is gone...Longo said he felt bad for Rays fans. Didn't he always?
Archer and Honeywell seem to be pushing the bar higher, despite the fact the Rays being poor economical bastards, they could truly have an unstoppable rotation come Opening Day...
Archer/Honeywell/Snell/Faria/Andriese/DeLeon/Eovaldi/Pruitt/Yarbrough/Chirinos...excellent.

"Coconut shrimp?" the server asked.
"Yes please,"

Rays on the move, Channel 10 and A gander at the infield...

  “I have tickets!” Strawberry declared.

“To...?”

“To the press conference today!” she yelled.

I got word from Sandra, the bartender over at Boneyard, about this stadium ordeal being made legit on a Friday.

“How'd you get...wait...er...don't even bother telling me,”

Strawberry smirked in a grimacing way as she looked away. What she did at night for her money was her business.

They had the press conference set up over at this little bungalow house just off 8^th Avenue where I'd been jumped a handful of times and where Strawberry had given me dome a couple of times behind the bushes.

Oh the memories.

Prior to showing up, I popped into Gaspar's Grotto for the infamous two dollar shot and beer combo. Nothing like getting the nerves calmed.

At the bungalow I spotted a couple of faces from the newspaper. Hagan, Buckhorn, Sykes, some other balding white dude and ole' Stu Sternberg. The security gave me a demeaning look as I entered those creaking old doors. In spite of the entire ordeal, I rocked my old inaugural 1998 Devil Rays t-shirt.

Some reporter from Channel 10 seemed to be on speed or something -judging by those pupils- ready to fire a thousand questions at these white men. “Reporting the facts”.

The spotlight took its place on the group and they begun...

“Today marks the beginning...” one of them started.

I was put to tears knowing that the Rays were finally getting the hell out of Pinellas County and possibly over to this side of the bay, which is to say, the right side of the bay.

After their speeches ended, the journalist from Channel 10 kept yelling and screaming and the woman with ten inches of makeup kept demanding they take another question yet the reporter kept on and on. Kudos for him for really caring but in actuality, I didn't give a fuck either way. No matter how I cut it, I'd remain poor and the city would gobble up all of my taxes whether for trash, sewage or RayJay. corruption or not...just look at the president. This country is already fucked beyond fucked.

Thank you ladies and gentlemen.

The reporter was restrained and nearly escorted out of the bungalow. That's a good white boy.

I felt philosophical and quixotic while strolling down 8^th by all of the homeless people and September 11^th memorial. My mind ran to the inner diamond...

This spring we shall find quite the competition in the infield. Let's look at some of the acquisitions of Joey Wendel, Micah Johnson, Ryan Shimpf. I like the idea of anyone being in the infield over Brad Miller as Miller seems a bit overrated by many but no matter. Left handed bats are always a nice entity in the lineup. Seems like in 2017 the lineup was very right handed heavy. Shimpf has a lot of power potential yet seems plagued by strikeouts (like many power hitters). Souza could fall in there. Christian Arroyo shall also be in the mix as we traded Longo for this dude. I don't really know how to feel about Wendel, I guess spring will expose what kind of player the Rays received. Now! The really exciting part! Willy Adames and Jake Bauers and Matt Duffy. A full season of Matt Duffy is so critical for this team to be successful. I remember seeing him play limited in 16' and like his slap hitting approach and feel he really could be a corner stone dude at 3B. Makes you wonder where Arroyo will be used as Willy will most likely be the shortstop of the future. Cannot forget ole' Hech too! Despite his bat being somewhat below average, his defensive abilities are something really special. When the Rays went out and got him at the trade deadline, it was such a pleasant thing to see. His range and athleticism makes him a nice short stop, which translates in Rays terminology, as a trade chip by the trade deadline with Willy in the wings but this will be an evolving story as spring continues. I really like Hech but with the Rays paying him five million plus, they are more likely to move him at some point this season. Despite D-Rob's athleticism and great defense, that bat just makes me question him mightily. I will just go ahead and pencil in Bauers. Going by sheer lunacy, I will predict The Rays infield come Opening Day:

Cather=Ramos

1B= Bauers

2B= Arroyo

SS= Willy Adames

3B= Matt Duffy

Bench: Shimpf, Miller, Micah

I have given up on Brad Miller, I really wish they would trade him but seems less likely as his value is extremely low (much like Odo's) . He has power potential yes, no debate there, but is not a great defender and has a lot of swing and miss.

I felt greater than great. I felt like really, really great.

Jake Odorizzi is Probably Out The Door and Trump...

I found myself slithering around the streets of downtown St. Pete. Not too far off in the background the depressing glow of the dome. These two girls who clearly had been drinking got into my car and were slurring their words.
"That guy was all like..."
At night after 9:00 WUSF puts on all night jazz. It tends to tame my mind in an insane civilization. Jazz (much like baseball) is a language only a few can truly understand.
"Why do you have this elevator music on?!" one of the girls snaps.
"I like elevators,"
Silence.
We cruised over Gandy bridge in absolute silence.
"What have y'all been doing tonight?"
More silence.
"What do you think?" one of them retorts.
They smelled.
"It explains why y'all smell like shit,"
Silence.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!" one of them shouts.
The words just came out so organically.
"I mean, you both smell like alcohol. I guess it beats saying 'you smell like shit,'"
This didn't seem to work.
We arrived to a nice old house in south Tampa and the other girl stayed in (as we had another stop for her...apparently).
"So you really like this elevator music?" she asked.
I think so.
"Yes,"
"I do not meet a lot of people who like this kind of music," she explained.
"You mean Kind of Blue. This is Miles Davis,"
She chuckled.
"You are a smart ass," she laughed.
This was not true.
"I come from Puerto Rico, you know, a shit hole country," she cried.
I felt a subliminal reference. Jose DeLeon was from there.
"Did you vote for that asshole??"
She did.
"That ASSHOLE is saving this country! Look at North Korea now!" she began.
She launched into a whole long dialogue about the president of The United States. I was too tired to care.
We slowly came to her house.
"Don't hate me because I voted for Trump," she said.
"Too late,"
She got out.

There's no doubt that this off season has been long. The Rays have made no major league signings. Lomo and Alex Cobb are still out there in purgatory. Maybe it's safe to say The Rays will be a Triple A team with our Lord and Savior Kevin Cash to lead the charge into oblivion. It looks like the front office really decided to tackle this off season by trading old assets and trying to acquire young controllable talent via the trade. It's funny they are screaming bloody murder about Hech's arbitration hearing and have to pay a very solid defensive shortstop an extra two million dollars. There's no question that by the All-Star Break the lineup will look extremely difficult from Opening Day. I suspect that Hech, Odo, Ramos and even maybe Archer get get dealt by then. Odo is coming off a down season but I could see The Brewers trade some second tier prospects for Odo or buy high for Archer as they are in desperate need of a starter and have the prospects to trade for one. Knowing how the Rays work, time will only tell. One thing to be very excited about is the pitching and if that rotation can be healthy. Archer, DeLeon, Andriese, Eovaldi, Snell, Faria, Honeywell to name a few. It will be interesting to see how these guys come to spring. The OF looks solid too if Mallex, KK, Dickerson and Souza can all remain healthy. Is it ironic the Cubs pick up all former Rays?

I drove to 7-11 and got a coffee.