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Moriarty9 · 10-10-2009, 01:58 AM

Devil Rays roster finalized
Tampa Bay settles on 25 players to start
April 4, 2009

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays will begin their second consecutive World Series title defense Monday at Fenway Park in Boston, and the final decision on which players will start that title defense was announced today.

The Devil Rays will carry 12 pitchers and 13 position players to open the season, with four left-handed pitchers on the staff and six players who can bat left-handed on the squad.

Reigning Cy Young winner Dan Haren will lead the rotation, followed by Pedro Martinez, Zack Greinke, Felix Hernandez, and John Lackey.

Haren, 28, went 21-5 with a 2.48 ERA in 31 starts with Tampa Bay in 2008, and is poised for a strong 2009 season. He will be in the first year of his new multi-year deal and earning $17 million. There will be big expectations for Haren after claiming the '08 Cy Young.

Martinez, 37, will hope that his first win of 2009 will be the 250th of his career when he takes the mound at Fenway Park on Wednesday. The six-time Cy Young winner was 17-8 with a 2.97 ERA in 31 starts last season, proving critics that he can still pitch as well as anyone. Martinez has 249 career wins and 3,604 strikeouts. He has won 15 or more games in each of the last four seasons, and in nine of the last 10 years. This will be his 12th season with the Devil Rays.

Greinke, 25, had a good first full season in the rotation in 2008, going 13-8 with a 3.35 ERA in 30 starts. He is 26-11 with a 3.46 ERA in his brief big league career, and is looking to prove he is deserving of the number three slot in the pitching rotation.

Hernandez has been a frustration for the Devil Rays as he continues to battle inconsistency. The club hopes this year will be his breakout season, even though he is still just 22-years-old. Hernandez was 9-10 with a 3.82 ERA in 27 starts and is 55-40 with a 4.07 ERA in five big league seasons.

Lackey pitched well down the stretch and into the playoffs, though he only threw 3 2/3 relief innings, and is looking to have a strong season in 2009. He went 11-8 with a 4.64 ERA in 31 games, 29 starts, in 2008, and is 20-18 in the last two seasons after going 29-9 in his first two seasons.

Jonathan Papelbon enters just his second Opening Day as the team's closer and hopes to build upon his success last year. Papelbon was 2-3 with 38 saves in 42 opportunities and a 2.47 ERA in 56 appearances.

The bullpen features six relievers, other than the closer, including four left-handers. Jon Lester and Jeff Francis will be the long relievers and spot starters for Tampa Bay while southpaws Craig Breslow and Brian Fuentes help set up for Papelbon along with right-handers Manny Delcarmen and David Aardsma.

Lester has had great success in AAA, going 28-10 with a 2.37 ERA in 53 games, but he has not yet been able to do so in Tampa Bay, where he is 5-6 with a 7.94 ERA in 79 1/3 innings. He went 3-1 with a 6.18 ERA in five games, including four starts last season with the Devil Rays.

Francis had his best season to date in 2008, going 8-3 with a save and a 4.88 ERA in 42 games, making five starts. The 28-year-old Canadian hopes to continue to improve, which he has done every year since coming up with Tampa Bay in 2005.

Breslow, 28, won the Rookie of the Year award as a middle reliever in 2008, going 11-2 with a save and a 2.42 ERA in 70 2/3 innings over 55 relief appearances. He threw 3 1/3 innings of shutout relief in the post-season and seems poised for a strong second season.

Fuentes, 33, was simply stellar for Tampa Bay last year. In 53 appearances, the southpaw went 6-2 with five saves and a 1.84 ERA. Fuentes has had a trend of alternating good seasons with bad ones, but he hopes to buck that trend in 2009. In even-numbered years since joining the Devil Rays prior to the 2004 season, Fuentes has posted an ERA of 2.05 while odd-numbered years have seen a 4.79 ERA. Can he have a strong 2009 season, or will his ERA bloat?

Delcarmen, 27, has proven himself a valuable reliever and is the primary set-up man for Papelbon. He went 3-3 with three saves and a 2.00 ERA in 51 appearances in 2008, after posting a 3.46 ERA in 2007. Delcarmen is 11-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 134 career appearances, all out of the bullpen.

Aardsma, 27, appeared in just 17 games last season but was very impressive and earned himself a spot in this year's bullpen from the start. He posted a 1.77 ERA in 20 1/3 innings last season, striking out 26.

Offensively, there are a number of familiar faces in the middle of the lineup, but some players getting increased playing time elsewhere.

Lastings Milledge will open the season in centerfield as the team's new leadoff hitter. Milledge, 24, hit .286 with four home runs, 40 RBI, 38 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases in 14 tries over 231 at bats in 80 games. The speedster will get his first opportunity at being an every day starter in the big leagues.

Brendan Harris got the bulk of the playing time at second base during the '08 playoffs over Mark Grudzielanek, and has earned the starting job in 2009. Harris, 28, hit .276 with six homers and 25 RBI in 174 at bats last season, but hit .382 with four RBI in 12 games during the post-season. The Devil Rays are not counting on Harris to be a big bat in the lineup and feel he will be a valuable player going forward.

One man that the team does expect to be a big bat is Ryan Howard. The 29-year-old first baseman hit .288 with 38 home runs, 112 RBI, and 109 runs scored last season, numbers manager Christian O'Neal has suggested could be improved upon by his number-three hitter.

Matt Holliday will bat cleanup for Tampa Bay after hitting .285 with 20 home runs and 86 RBI while scoring 89 runs in 140 games. Holliday was a big part of the team's success in the World Series and is looking to have a career year.

Josh Hamilton was huge for the Devil Rays in the 2008 post-season, and his .295 average, 28 home runs, 87 RBI, 103 runs, and 22 stolen bases in the regular season weren't too bad either. Hamilton will play right field in 2009 and bat fifth. He played a large amount of time in center field last season.

Aubrey Huff quietly has been a steady and productive Devil Ray for the bulk of his career, which will be 10-years-old this season. Huff hit .292 with 22 home runs, 80 RBI, and scored 102 runs in 146 games last season. This year, he will split his time between the corner infield positions and, at times, as the DH while hitting sixth.

Russell Martin disappointed during the regular season by hitting .268 with 12 homers and 58 RBI in 113 games (after hitting .326 with 23 homers and 82 RBI with the New York Yankees in 2007), but made up for it with a .377 average in the playoffs. The 26-year-old looks to bounce back in 2009 and play more like he did in October than he did in the early months of 2008.

Limited to just 136 at bats in 2008, Alex Gordon figures to get more playing time in 2009 as he will play third base against most right-handed pitchers, according to O'Neal. Gordon hit .250 with five home runs and 19 RBI in 2008, and figures to improve with added playing time.

Ben Francisco, acquired from the Chicago Cubs last summer, will split time with Gordon, playing primarily against left-handed pitchers in left field, pushing Holliday to the DH role and Huff over to third base. Francisco, 27, hit .333 with a pair of homers and 23 RBI in 39 games with Tampa Bay, .288 with 11 homers and 51 RBI in 110 games on the season.

Cliff Pennington will make his big league debut for the Devil Rays on Opening Day as the club's ninth hitter and starting shortstop. The 24-year-old switch-hitter from Corpus Christi, Texas hit .311 with 24 home runs and 94 RBI over 160 minor league games the last two seasons, but Tampa Bay isn't counting on much offense just yet from the youngster.

Gerald Laird returns as the Tampa Bay back-up catcher after performing well in the role last season. Laird hit .304 with five home runs and 33 RBI in 171 at bats in 2008.

Jeff Francoeur and Alexis Gomez round out the roster as extra outfielders for the club. Francoeur, 25, hit .280 with 11 home runs and 71 RBI in 109 games last year while Gomez, 30, hit .272 with 15 homers and 81 RBI in 146 games. Both players have publicly stated they will take on whatever role the Devil Rays ask of them, but both are rumored to be interested in a more active role. Most would not be surprised if Francoeur and/or Gomez end up elsewhere this summer, especially if Harris or Pennington struggle up the middle.

10-10-2009, 01:58 AM	#602 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,858 Thanks: 10 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Devil Rays roster finalized Tampa Bay settles on 25 players to start April 4, 2009 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays will begin their second consecutive World Series title defense Monday at Fenway Park in Boston, and the final decision on which players will start that title defense was announced today. The Devil Rays will carry 12 pitchers and 13 position players to open the season, with four left-handed pitchers on the staff and six players who can bat left-handed on the squad. Reigning Cy Young winner Dan Haren will lead the rotation, followed by Pedro Martinez, Zack Greinke, Felix Hernandez, and John Lackey. Haren, 28, went 21-5 with a 2.48 ERA in 31 starts with Tampa Bay in 2008, and is poised for a strong 2009 season. He will be in the first year of his new multi-year deal and earning $17 million. There will be big expectations for Haren after claiming the '08 Cy Young. Martinez, 37, will hope that his first win of 2009 will be the 250th of his career when he takes the mound at Fenway Park on Wednesday. The six-time Cy Young winner was 17-8 with a 2.97 ERA in 31 starts last season, proving critics that he can still pitch as well as anyone. Martinez has 249 career wins and 3,604 strikeouts. He has won 15 or more games in each of the last four seasons, and in nine of the last 10 years. This will be his 12th season with the Devil Rays. Greinke, 25, had a good first full season in the rotation in 2008, going 13-8 with a 3.35 ERA in 30 starts. He is 26-11 with a 3.46 ERA in his brief big league career, and is looking to prove he is deserving of the number three slot in the pitching rotation. Hernandez has been a frustration for the Devil Rays as he continues to battle inconsistency. The club hopes this year will be his breakout season, even though he is still just 22-years-old. Hernandez was 9-10 with a 3.82 ERA in 27 starts and is 55-40 with a 4.07 ERA in five big league seasons. Lackey pitched well down the stretch and into the playoffs, though he only threw 3 2/3 relief innings, and is looking to have a strong season in 2009. He went 11-8 with a 4.64 ERA in 31 games, 29 starts, in 2008, and is 20-18 in the last two seasons after going 29-9 in his first two seasons. Jonathan Papelbon enters just his second Opening Day as the team's closer and hopes to build upon his success last year. Papelbon was 2-3 with 38 saves in 42 opportunities and a 2.47 ERA in 56 appearances. The bullpen features six relievers, other than the closer, including four left-handers. Jon Lester and Jeff Francis will be the long relievers and spot starters for Tampa Bay while southpaws Craig Breslow and Brian Fuentes help set up for Papelbon along with right-handers Manny Delcarmen and David Aardsma. Lester has had great success in AAA, going 28-10 with a 2.37 ERA in 53 games, but he has not yet been able to do so in Tampa Bay, where he is 5-6 with a 7.94 ERA in 79 1/3 innings. He went 3-1 with a 6.18 ERA in five games, including four starts last season with the Devil Rays. Francis had his best season to date in 2008, going 8-3 with a save and a 4.88 ERA in 42 games, making five starts. The 28-year-old Canadian hopes to continue to improve, which he has done every year since coming up with Tampa Bay in 2005. Breslow, 28, won the Rookie of the Year award as a middle reliever in 2008, going 11-2 with a save and a 2.42 ERA in 70 2/3 innings over 55 relief appearances. He threw 3 1/3 innings of shutout relief in the post-season and seems poised for a strong second season. Fuentes, 33, was simply stellar for Tampa Bay last year. In 53 appearances, the southpaw went 6-2 with five saves and a 1.84 ERA. Fuentes has had a trend of alternating good seasons with bad ones, but he hopes to buck that trend in 2009. In even-numbered years since joining the Devil Rays prior to the 2004 season, Fuentes has posted an ERA of 2.05 while odd-numbered years have seen a 4.79 ERA. Can he have a strong 2009 season, or will his ERA bloat? Delcarmen, 27, has proven himself a valuable reliever and is the primary set-up man for Papelbon. He went 3-3 with three saves and a 2.00 ERA in 51 appearances in 2008, after posting a 3.46 ERA in 2007. Delcarmen is 11-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 134 career appearances, all out of the bullpen. Aardsma, 27, appeared in just 17 games last season but was very impressive and earned himself a spot in this year's bullpen from the start. He posted a 1.77 ERA in 20 1/3 innings last season, striking out 26. Offensively, there are a number of familiar faces in the middle of the lineup, but some players getting increased playing time elsewhere. Lastings Milledge will open the season in centerfield as the team's new leadoff hitter. Milledge, 24, hit .286 with four home runs, 40 RBI, 38 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases in 14 tries over 231 at bats in 80 games. The speedster will get his first opportunity at being an every day starter in the big leagues. Brendan Harris got the bulk of the playing time at second base during the '08 playoffs over Mark Grudzielanek, and has earned the starting job in 2009. Harris, 28, hit .276 with six homers and 25 RBI in 174 at bats last season, but hit .382 with four RBI in 12 games during the post-season. The Devil Rays are not counting on Harris to be a big bat in the lineup and feel he will be a valuable player going forward. One man that the team does expect to be a big bat is Ryan Howard. The 29-year-old first baseman hit .288 with 38 home runs, 112 RBI, and 109 runs scored last season, numbers manager Christian O'Neal has suggested could be improved upon by his number-three hitter. Matt Holliday will bat cleanup for Tampa Bay after hitting .285 with 20 home runs and 86 RBI while scoring 89 runs in 140 games. Holliday was a big part of the team's success in the World Series and is looking to have a career year. Josh Hamilton was huge for the Devil Rays in the 2008 post-season, and his .295 average, 28 home runs, 87 RBI, 103 runs, and 22 stolen bases in the regular season weren't too bad either. Hamilton will play right field in 2009 and bat fifth. He played a large amount of time in center field last season. Aubrey Huff quietly has been a steady and productive Devil Ray for the bulk of his career, which will be 10-years-old this season. Huff hit .292 with 22 home runs, 80 RBI, and scored 102 runs in 146 games last season. This year, he will split his time between the corner infield positions and, at times, as the DH while hitting sixth. Russell Martin disappointed during the regular season by hitting .268 with 12 homers and 58 RBI in 113 games (after hitting .326 with 23 homers and 82 RBI with the New York Yankees in 2007), but made up for it with a .377 average in the playoffs. The 26-year-old looks to bounce back in 2009 and play more like he did in October than he did in the early months of 2008. Limited to just 136 at bats in 2008, Alex Gordon figures to get more playing time in 2009 as he will play third base against most right-handed pitchers, according to O'Neal. Gordon hit .250 with five home runs and 19 RBI in 2008, and figures to improve with added playing time. Ben Francisco, acquired from the Chicago Cubs last summer, will split time with Gordon, playing primarily against left-handed pitchers in left field, pushing Holliday to the DH role and Huff over to third base. Francisco, 27, hit .333 with a pair of homers and 23 RBI in 39 games with Tampa Bay, .288 with 11 homers and 51 RBI in 110 games on the season. Cliff Pennington will make his big league debut for the Devil Rays on Opening Day as the club's ninth hitter and starting shortstop. The 24-year-old switch-hitter from Corpus Christi, Texas hit .311 with 24 home runs and 94 RBI over 160 minor league games the last two seasons, but Tampa Bay isn't counting on much offense just yet from the youngster. Gerald Laird returns as the Tampa Bay back-up catcher after performing well in the role last season. Laird hit .304 with five home runs and 33 RBI in 171 at bats in 2008. Jeff Francoeur and Alexis Gomez round out the roster as extra outfielders for the club. Francoeur, 25, hit .280 with 11 home runs and 71 RBI in 109 games last year while Gomez, 30, hit .272 with 15 homers and 81 RBI in 146 games. Both players have publicly stated they will take on whatever role the Devil Rays ask of them, but both are rumored to be interested in a more active role. Most would not be surprised if Francoeur and/or Gomez end up elsewhere this summer, especially if Harris or Pennington struggle up the middle. Last edited by Moriarty9; 10-10-2009 at 02:24 AM.