Is Wil Myers ready for the show? Thats our million dollar question. Longo was ready straight out of AA. Spring training just got alot more interesting.

I'll guess that he'll be in Durham until Memorial Day weekend or thereabouts.

From what I've read, some people in the know say he's almost "can't miss" as a hitter ... BUT ... he began his baseball life as a catcher ... played some centerfield last season ... and some say he'd have to be a rightfielder at the major league level ... so ... it could be that his defensive abilities in the outfield will need some development. However, I've also heard it said that he has a very athletic build and has excellent all-around athletic abilities ... so ... maybe all the adjustments he'll have to make will come fairly easily. (A lot of that same kind of stuff was also said about Desmond Jennings, too!)

The Rays lost $11+ million in salary by trading Shields and Davis ... and the four new guys will cost them about $1.85 million ... so ... there's the money-saving element. Beyond that, Myers is only 23 ... and it could be a minimum of seven years before he's able to become a free agent ... so ... if he's good ... he could be around for awhile ... and if he's good ... he could end up with a long-term contract like Longoria. It's all about best-guessing and risk-taking.

Shields only had this season left and a 2014 club option year (at around $14 million) after that ... so you knew he was going to go ... and Davis certainly seemed unhappy about being relegated to the bullpen last season ... and you had to figure he didn't want to do it again ... and strongly preferred to return to starting ... so ... you also knew he was going to go.

Plus ... the best of the rest ... Odorizzi ... was projected by some to go into the Royals starting rotation this season ... and they say he's a pretty good 93-95 MPH sinkerball pitcher ... so ... seems like he's on the same kind of economical and long-term track as is Myers. Could be two very good players with long-term futures with the Rays! We'll see!

A couple of corrections tkrng......I spent some time today really digging into Myers, saw some video and am now further convinced the Rays may have just stolen the best new young player to come along.....He turned 22 yesterday and has had 2 years playing both CF and RF since switching from catcher.....Defensively the kid is an obvious natural with 17 OF assists in 2012, pretty darn good for someone in a new position.....He has a very sweet, level, polished swing and has the ability to hit to all fields with power....Of his 37 homers in 2012 8 were to CF, 12 to RF, and 17 to LF......His arm is strong and accurate and he seems tyo be a smart(not blazing fast) base runner.....Watching what I saw and reading everything, I can see why KC fans are ticked off, why the writers and other GM's think the Rays got the best of the trade for years to come......A couple of GM's have said that he will be better than Trout or Harper.

As for 2013, the Rays will do just what they did with Shields when he first came up, with Helly, with Longo and Price....He will start the season at Durham and be brought up to stay the first week of May, so the arby clock doesn't start and they gain one more year 2018, of control.....

He will become a very quick fan favorite and will add a whole new dimension to he Rays and now that I know more and have heard and seen more, I cannot wait for this kid to get here!!

As for Odorizzi, he will also make an impact and we can exp[ect to see him around the AS break, if not sooner. Another power arm, good control and a devastating sinkerball that some have said might be the best in the ML......So based on the experts and their knowledge, just these two alone at 22 and 23, could make this one of the best trades Andrew has ever made!!

I read in yesterday's paper that if they delay bringing up Meyers, they can own him for more years.
But if he shines in spring training, I don't see how he can start in the minors. The only weak part of his game is excessive Ks.

I want to put a false rumor to rest: it's not true that when Wil Meyers was born, his parents wrote his last name on the birth certificate form but hadn't yet decided on his first name. When they decided, and wrote his first name, the pen ran out of ink after the first "l' of "Will" was written, thereby resulting in his first name being "Wil" w/ one "l". Not true.