Monday, November 12, 2007

40-man decisions await for Rays

The Rays have to finalize their 40-man roster in the next week, which will leave a few former Biscuits available for next month's Rule 5 draft.

Basically, the 2004 draft class will be exposed to the Rule 5 draft, unless they're on the 40-man roster ... or were 18 when they were drafted. By my vast methods of (shaky) deduction, that leaves 21 Tampa Bay minor-leaguers who will be potentially exposed next month.

Of the 21, I could only imagine four that teams would be interested in. A Rule 5 draftee has to stay on the active major-league roster for the entire next season or he can be returned to his previous team.

Pitcher Nick DeBarr was taken last season by the Boston Red Sox, but the Sox returned him to the Rays in spring training. Outfielder Jason Pridie went through the same thing two years ago with the Minnesota Twins. Outfielder Fernando Perez and catcher John Jaso are also currently unprotected.

The Rays currently have 36 players on their 40-man roster and three others on the 60-day disabled list who will have to be added to the 40-man before they finalize it. So, you make the move.

Who would you protect and who on the current 40-man roster would you dump?

NOV. 14 ADDITION: I now imagine five possibilities. Evan Meek will also need to be protected and he could be intriguing. He's allowed three hits and one earned run in nine appearances the Arizona Fall League.

3 comments:

Brent said...

I say drop either or both high-ERA pitchers Balfour or Medlock, and keep Jaso and F.Perez. Good catchers are hard to come by, and the Rays only have 2 on their roster. F.Perez might add to an already overcrowded OF, but his kind of speed can't be ignored.

Bubba-36109 said...

What do you think of the rumor that Crawford is headed to the Cubs?

Stacy Long said...

Haven't seen that rumor. Do the Cubs covet Crawford or Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome more?

Not sure Jaso will stick at catcher, either.