It gives an idea on how things might work out.

Player is out of options and cannot be optioned without being submitted to waivers

Sam Fuld
Elliot Johnson
Matt Joyce
Jose Lobaton
Jake McGee
Jeff Niemann
Ryan Roberts
Reid Brignac
Cesar Ramos
Alex Torres

And the, players that can be optioned in 2013:

Chris Archer
Tim Beckham
Robinson Chirinos
Alex Cobb
Alex Colome
Dane De La Rosa
Frank De Los Santos
Chris Gimenez
Brandon Gomes
Brandon Guyer
Jeremy Hellickson
Desmond Jennings
Hak-Ju Lee
Evan Longoria
Josh Lueke
Mike Montgomery
Matt Moore
Jake Odorizzi
Felipe Rivero
Sean Rodriguez
Enny Romero
Stephen Vogt

Looks like some trouble ahead as regards several of the guys on your "out of options" list! There are some on the list I wouldn't want to lose!

The only one that can be put on waivers and no one should pick up is Brignac.

All the others are lost if put on waivers.

Well, from Day 1, I've thought that Brignac was a super-slick defensive shortstop ... so ... I don't think he'd make it through waivers, either! (But ... if Brignac was to make it through ... I'd have to guess that Roberts would also!)

I don't think he can hit a beachball, but that's for some other time.

What we are saying then is that we might agree that all of them, bar injury, are going to be on the active roster starting next year. That certainly limits choices and alternatives. Even more if, as I'm speculating, the bullpen will carry eight instead of seven.

(I still think Brignac is left out)

Btw, it's not my list. I copied it.

Roberts is expected to get in arbitration around 2.5-3.0 mil. I don't know how that's going to work later on.

But my guess is that he makes the team. Opening Day second baseman.

There's just so many spots on the roster just to give one to a player that was unable last year in the majors to get one hit in ten at bats. That's a very expensive defensive replacement.

On the bright side, I really doubt that he will be picked-up if on waivers so then he can head to the Bulls. Perhaps he'll learn something there.

I don't like Roberts as a baseball player under any circumstances ... even if he agreed to play for free ... and I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT pay him anywhere near the amount of money he's looking for. For me ... I'd let him go to free agency.

On the remainder of the list ... at this time ... it seems they absolutely have to keep Fuld, Joyce, Lobaton, McGee, Niemann and Ramos.

Beyond that, I believe Brignac ... and Roberts ... can be let go because neither has shown any recent ability to hit consistently ... plus ... Rodriguez is a f-a-r better natural second baseman than Roberts in all respects ... so there's no real point in keeping Roberts, either.

And, to me, that leaves a question as regards Johnson and Torres. Johnson has shown he can hit .270 ... he's big, athletic, strong, very quick ... and a suitable utility infielder and a potential switchhitter for the DH-by-committe concept that Maddon inferred. (?) And, as far as Torres goes, with the loss of Shields, Davis, Badenhop, and maybe Howell and Farnsworth ... maybe the immediate idea would be to keep all remaining pitchers at whatever the cost. (?)

Anyway ... Friedman is being paid the big bucks to make those decisions. For me, if the price was right and I had the room on the 40-man roster, I'd keep all of them around except Roberts.

I won't get into the Roberts argument with you, but he will make the team and be a backup, Zobrist will be the opening day 2B.......I don't see EJ or Brignac being here opening day, their Rays days are numbered....Two names that will be serious considerations for back up spots in the IF are Cole Figueroa and Tim Beckham and the kind of ST they have will determine that.

Farnsworth's deal is being worked on as we speak, Ramos will be part of the pen, Gomes should be and if Hernandez can rebound he will be part of the pen as well.....Neither the pen or the rotation concern me, it will all work out and be as good, or maybe even better than 2012.....

My biggest concern is finding a good RH DH with some pop that will fit into the Rays budget.....Our IF is pretty well set, the OF with Myers in the mix is pretty much taken care of and the catching is not the major concern everyone thinks it is, because there will be a catcher coming her after the first of the year in a deal..........

Find that RH DH and the 2013 Rays will be all set (as long as they can stay injury free!)

Would you give Brignac a job playing shortstop at AAA Durham next year? I think he would accept a spot on Bulls roster. If not Hak Ju Lee may be at Durham soon.

Are we waving goodbye to Alex Torres then?

I think someone would pick up Brignac off the waiver wire to be honest....Lee will probably begin at Montgomery and move up to Durham by June or July depending on how his hitting improves.....Don't forget, we have time with him, he just turned 22, but he could make the Rays in 2014.

I'm not. He's out of options.

If he goes on waivers, somebody is going to pick him up. That's almost a certainty.

But...something's got to give. At some point. Sooner or later.

If only Davis were given the chance to spot start last year instead of the mary-go-options...

I don't see how anyone could possibly believe Roberts is a better second baseman than Rodriguez ... or that his potential at the plate is any better than Rodriguez' ... or that he's any better as a backup third baseman or shortstop ... PLUS ... Rodriguez is at $1 million or less ... and Roberts will be near or at $3 million. Keeping Roberts simply does not compute.

I'm not very concerned about the starting rotation or the bullpen, either. If Farnsworth is back to the 2011 Farnsworth ... I'd like to see him back. And, I'd hope to see Ramos and Gomes effectively taking over middle-relief ... maybe De La Rosa, too ... and I see no point in continuing with Howell.

I really wouldn't want to see Hernandez in the bullpen IF McGee or Ramos would have to be put on waivers to make room for him!!! (Reportedly, Neimann and Torres are also out of options. ?)

I have no problem with the DH spot being filled on a game-by-game basis by the guys on the bench ... and I'd like to see Gimenez being one of those guys ... and I'd really prefer keeping the switch-hitting Johnson around rather than seeing the no-hitting Roberts kept on. Plus ... with the exception of Damon's one season ... Friedman isn't particularly good at bringing in free agent DHs! With Longoria, Escobar, Zobrist, Loney and Joyce doing their normal thing ... with Myers coming up in June ... and with Jennings getting a little more on-track at the plate than he was in 2012 ... they don't NEED a big deal DH ... and to bring in some over-the-hill .235 dude who can't effectively play any position or do anything else constructive ... and who strikes out 160 times ... is just a waste of a roster spot! Use the spot to give the bench guys more at bats ... hopefully leading them to becoming better hitters!

Somehow, your comment reminded me of this.

In 2008, the Rays had five pitchers throw over 150 innings, more than any other team in baseball: Shields, Kazmir, Garza, Andy Sonnanstine, and Edwin Jackson.

I think we could manage that next year. With the potential starters: Price, Hellickson, Moore, Niemann and Cobb.

The problem with your players who are out of options, is identical to every other teams
players who are out of options ...

Search the list and pick up guys better than you have and put your guys on waivers.
If all your MLB roster spots are full, you do not have much in the way of flexibility if
something good comes your way.