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Spring Training!

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Spring Training! 

Post#1 » by MagicRays » Sun Mar 2, 2014 2:04 am

Baseball is back! We're two games in. The pitching has looked great. The offense has been light, but prospects have been getting more burn than our everyday starters.

It will be interesting to see who wins our 5th rotation spot. It appears Bedard is lined up for it, but Odorizzi supposedly learned Cobb's changeup and is throwing it well (and Bedard did not pitch well today, at all).

Also, McGee is using spring ball to get comfortable with his curveball again. That would be huge if he could make that even just an average offspeed pitch, to compliment his extraordinary heater.
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Re: Spring Training! 

Post#2 » by The Real Dalic » Sun Mar 2, 2014 2:49 am

The season is just around the corner! :D
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Re: Spring Training! 

Post#3 » by MagicRays » Sun Mar 2, 2014 3:35 pm

The Real Dalic wrote:The season is just around the corner! :D


I really want Guyer to make the team as the 4th OF, to platoon with DeJesus in Left Field. He's been major league ready for awhile now, but held back by injuries. The guy deserves a spot. Yesterday he blasted one to the warning track that probably would have been a triple if anyone other than McCutchen were out there, but he got robbed.

Hanigan smacked a double in his first (and only, i think) at-bat yesterday. I'm really excited to see some production coming from our catcher again. I assume he'll be our starter, and hope he also pinch hits for Molina on his off days in the later innings.

The bullpen looks goooooood! Imagine how many more wins we would have had last year if the bullpen didnt blow so many leads.

There are so many improvements over last year. Can we fast forward to October?
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Re: Spring Training! 

Post#4 » by The Real Dalic » Mon Mar 3, 2014 7:49 am

Are any of the Spring Training games gonna be televised?

Edit: Nevermind, found the schedule. We should be on MLBN on Friday.
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Re: Spring Training! 

Post#5 » by The Real Dalic » Tue Mar 4, 2014 8:17 am

Some are starting to think we're the team to beat in the AL if we keep Price. :D
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Re: Spring Training! 

Post#6 » by Optimus_Steel » Wed Mar 5, 2014 7:11 pm

Still think the offense is suspect. We need another major bat.
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Re: Spring Training! 

Post#7 » by The Real Dalic » Wed Mar 5, 2014 11:44 pm

Optimus_Steel wrote:Still think the offense is suspect. We need another major bat.

It sure would make life a lot easier on the team, but, I don't think it is necesscary with this current roster in terms of winning the series.
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Re: Spring Training! 

Post#8 » by The Real Dalic » Fri Mar 7, 2014 6:14 pm

The Rays are on MLBN right now.
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Re: Spring Training! 

Post#9 » by MagicRays » Tue Mar 11, 2014 12:50 am

Cobb and Archer have looked outstanding in Spring Training. Cobb looks like he'll pick up right where he left off last year with his nearly unhittable changeup. Archer has been mixing in his changeup more now and will add that to his fastball/slider combo that had success last year.

Moore has been working on his mechanics, and the batters have been taking advantage of that. That's okay. Now's the time to do that kind of stuff. Iron out the wrinkles before the games matter. His velocity has ticked up a bit, which is great news.

Price looks like Price out there. The battle for the 5th spot looks like its down to Bedard and Odorizzi. I'm not sure who I'd prefer at this point. I think if Odor can smooth out the new changeup that he learned from Cobb before ST ends, we have to roll with him.

Joyce added a ton of muscle over the offseason. I think he'll be our other power bat that we really need. I'm expecting over 20 HR from him, to go with Myers' 25 and Longo's 30. Also, Desmond Jennings looks like he's also been hitting the weights. I think he's got a 20HR/20SB coming.
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Re: Spring Training! 

Post#10 » by The Real Dalic » Tue Mar 11, 2014 6:24 pm

MagicRays wrote:Cobb and Archer have looked outstanding in Spring Training. Cobb looks like he'll pick up right where he left off last year with his nearly unhittable changeup. Archer has been mixing in his changeup more now and will add that to his fastball/slider combo that had success last year.

Moore has been working on his mechanics, and the batters have been taking advantage of that. That's okay. Now's the time to do that kind of stuff. Iron out the wrinkles before the games matter. His velocity has ticked up a bit, which is great news.

Price looks like Price out there. The battle for the 5th spot looks like its down to Bedard and Odorizzi. I'm not sure who I'd prefer at this point. I think if Odor can smooth out the new changeup that he learned from Cobb before ST ends, we have to roll with him.

Joyce added a ton of muscle over the offseason. I think he'll be our other power bat that we really need. I'm expecting over 20 HR from him, to go with Myers' 25 and Longo's 30. Also, Desmond Jennings looks like he's also been hitting the weights. I think he's got a 20HR/20SB coming.

Lets hope that everything you predicted comes true!
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Re: Spring Training! 

Post#11 » by MagicRays » Fri Mar 14, 2014 8:01 pm

Archer sounded almost flawless today on the radio. That's exciting. If (Matt) Moore can find his control, we'll have 4 all-star worthy starting pitchers.

On the other side of the ball, looks like our last bench spot is down to either Guyer, Sands or (Jeremy) Moore. Guyer's got the best OF defense, capable of playing center, and has the speed to swipe bags. Sands has a mix of decent OF/1B defense and good power. Moore is a power hitting corner outfielder. It might be a race to the finish line in spring training for these guys.
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Re: Spring Training! 

Post#12 » by Optimus_Steel » Mon Mar 17, 2014 8:21 pm

I have a ton of confidence in Matt Moore getting his stuff together. His stuff is just soo good.

I think its time to send Hellickson packing for a hitter.
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Re: Spring Training! 

Post#13 » by The Real Dalic » Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:40 am

Optimus_Steel wrote:I have a ton of confidence in Matt Moore getting his stuff together. His stuff is just soo good.

I think its time to send Hellickson packing for a hitter.

Agreed on both fronts. I personally think Hellickson will turn it around this season, but, we have so many great pitchers and not enough offense. We can afford to trade him for a decent bat.
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Re: Spring Training! 

Post#14 » by MagicRays » Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:27 pm

The Real Dalic wrote:
Optimus_Steel wrote:I have a ton of confidence in Matt Moore getting his stuff together. His stuff is just soo good.

I think its time to send Hellickson packing for a hitter.

Agreed on both fronts. I personally think Hellickson will turn it around this season, but, we have so many great pitchers and not enough offense. We can afford to trade him for a decent bat.


Hell boy is currently recovering from a surgery that will keep him out for the first 2 months of the regular season. We would be selling him at a low point if we traded him away now. I think he will take time to rehab and get back to starting for us just after the All-Star break.

Until then, Odorizzi has been named our #5 starter. Learning Cobb's changeup helped him secure that spot (Cobb got 12 K's today in 7 innings). Cesar Ramos put up a damn good case for the position in spring training, but he'll return to his bullpen role of being able to come in and throw multiple innings. Maddon also said today that he now has more confidence in Ramos in higher leverage situations.

Joyce has had a few days off with a stiff neck. He should be back with us tomorrow.
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Re: Spring Training! 

Post#15 » by The Real Dalic » Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:09 am

Only 6 days left for this season to start and it feels like a lifetime away!
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Re: Spring Training! 

Post#16 » by MagicRays » Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:22 pm

Guyer wins the last bench spot. Betimit and Nix sent down. So the bench bats are SRod, Forsythe, Guyer, and Molina. Also, Lowe did not make the bullpen, despite having a great ST with us. That proves how good everyone has been so far. Lueke, Gomes and Oviedo are trying to fit into the last 2 spots. Oviedo might start the season on the DL to make room for the others.
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Re: Spring Training! 

Post#17 » by The Real Dalic » Thu Mar 27, 2014 4:40 am

MagicRays wrote:Guyer wins the last bench spot. Betimit and Nix sent down. So the bench bats are SRod, Forsythe, Guyer, and Molina. Also, Lowe did not make the bullpen, despite having a great ST with us. That proves how good everyone has been so far. Lueke, Gomes and Oviedo are trying to fit into the last 2 spots. Oviedo might start the season on the DL to make room for the others.

I haven't been keeping up with the games, but I personally wanted Betimit to make the team. It's sad to see he apparently underperformed.

Oh well, Guyer should be a nice player from off the bench.
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Re: Spring Training! 

Post#18 » by MagicRays » Fri Mar 28, 2014 12:04 am

The Real Dalic wrote:
MagicRays wrote:Guyer wins the last bench spot. Betimit and Nix sent down. So the bench bats are SRod, Forsythe, Guyer, and Molina. Also, Lowe did not make the bullpen, despite having a great ST with us. That proves how good everyone has been so far. Lueke, Gomes and Oviedo are trying to fit into the last 2 spots. Oviedo might start the season on the DL to make room for the others.

I haven't been keeping up with the games, but I personally wanted Betimit to make the team. It's sad to see he apparently underperformed.

Oh well, Guyer should be a nice player from off the bench.


Betimit's power bat off the bench would have been a nice addition, but his defense is what kept him from making our roster. He's really a 1B/DH, and we already have Loney/SRod at 1B, and Joyce/Myers/SRod at DH. Guyer will be our 4th OF, something we still needed (though Forsythe looks good out there too and he made the team).
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Re: Spring Training! 

Post#19 » by MagicRays » Sat Mar 29, 2014 2:37 pm

Something I forgot to mention in the previous post.. Guyer is an above average Center Fielder. Without him, DJ would be our only guy on the roster who plays CF well. Guyer is essentially replacing Fuld's job. He wont make allstar plays in the field like Fuld, but he'll knock more balls over the wall for sure.
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Re: Spring Training! 

Post#20 » by The Real Dalic » Sun Mar 30, 2014 9:16 am

The Rays season starts tomorrow!
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