With Hamilton signing for the Angels, Bourjos looks to be up for grabs. What odds on us making a deal for him to be a starting OF? What could we trade for him?

Great defense and speed, but he can't hit, K's a lot.....Don't see the Rays making a play for him at all.

Nah No nemazats nien..

If the Angels are looking for pitchers, I'd send Alex Torres for him. Thinking, better doing that than losing him on waivers.

He can learn to hit ... and cut down his K's.

Rays have no clue about how to put together a winning team good enough to make the playoffs without the rest of the division having down years. The key, besides pitching, to getting over that hump is to play great OF defense.

We can't even spell OF defense much less play it. Bourjos would be a key piece of the
puzzle to making the playoffs if we could get him.

Bourjos looks o.k.. Defense may be important. But offense AND pitching is more important.

How come he can learn to hit ... but, for example, Brignac, Rodriguez, Jennings and Fuld can't?

The guy is a "typical Ray" ... "good field/no hit". He really doesn't bring anything that the team doesn't already have.

Besides, from what I hear, the Marlins are after him with some intensity.

They could too ... but it does not seem as if they either want to learn or that
anyone on the Rays really knows how to hit and can teach it.

It's not rocket science.

Yoda,

Yea its not but they'll give ya every excuse they can come up with to try to convince ya it is!

If it was that easy,then anyone could do it..Even Pena.

Well ... given the nature of these kids today ... I'm sure there are many who do NOT want to go along with being coached, directed or told what to do ... AND ... it's equally obvious that there are coaches out there who do NOT have sufficient motivation to coach well or who do not have the basic and sufficient experience, knowledge and know-how to coach effectively. I think upton may have been in the former category ... and Jennings may be a victim in the latter category.

And, I agree, that for a guy who already has the abilities and skills required to make it to the AA or AAA level ... they should have sufficient existing ability to learn how to hit better with top-flite coaching ... but ... just look around at MLB hitters today ... that doesn't seem to be the norm!

(Note: I believe it was Shelton who stated to a reporter during spring training last season: "We really can't tell these players what to do; we can only suggest!" If that's an acceptable concept on this team and of its manager and hitting coach ... then ... this team doesn't deserve to win.)

Can you Imagine a coach saying,"I suggest you go up to the plate and get a hit:? I suggest you try to bunt..makes sense to me..

Seems to me, in my day, if you did not do exactly what the coach wanted you
to do, when he wanted it done ... You did not play and even worse they got
someone else to take your place, even if you were better than the guy who
replaced you.

Okay, times have changed ... but the GM or manager with my way or the highway
mantra would only have to send down a few players or release them and that
silliness would stop.

Everyone says it's about the money ... But if that was the case, no one would be
paying guys with barely AA skill sets well over $1 million to play on the show team.

It's all about egos and not wanting to look bad or be criticized by the media.

Take Carlos Pena for example: I would have sent him to low A last year and said
you either learn to bunt and hit the ball to the opposite field or you will rot down
in low A ... He would have got all bent out of shape and said NO WAY.

Then I would have suspended him without pay for the whole season which you
can do IF a player refuses an assignment. You do not have to release them or
put them on waivers ... Only take one example to fix the problem.

But you can easily solve this problem of skill sets. Don't draft guys or sign guys
who cannot get on base, strike out more than once every two games and if it's
a pitcher someone who cannot throw strikes with 3 pitches.

To be a winner in the show, you do not really need any superstars (it helps but
it is not necessary), you need 8 above average position players in all phases
of the game and GOOD pitching. Think SF Giants. They have won with Posey
and without.

It would be easy to win because the other guys would not be as good at the level
of the TEAM. You would win the close games more often than not.

Think about the Rays one run game record from last year ... Beyond the pale of
unacceptable. They could have easily won 5 maybe 10 games more, if Pena and
a few others could bunt and put the ball in play when it mattered instead of being
walking strike outs.

I hear guys saying it's how they play ... their way. I say fine, play with yourself
because you are not playing on my team because our goal is to win games, not
showcase your lack of smarts.

About not having superstars..I'd like to see how the Angels and Dodgers play out this year...Piling up huge egos players usually is not a way to win..

Well, the Rays have a super star in Longo if he can stay healthy. I agree w/ you that big name players don't translate into winning. Friedman and Maddon have to get the players to focus on the basics of the game including bunting. But the big challenge in the Rays winning enough games to make it to post season is OBP. Too many hitters swing at balls that aren't even close to being strikes. They need more bat control, a better knowledge of the strike zone and a later trigger to swing. They need to improve their "small ball" game. Given their payroll and and their current players, their winning strategy can't be a 3 run homer. Maybe Maddon and Friedman should re-read Moneyball.

The Rays are apparently interested in another Halo, according to Jim Bowden.

Kendry Morales.

Kendrys Morales. La cerise sur le gâteau (cherry on top of the cake).

I want to see it happen. If only for a year.

The Ray coaching philosophy seems to be take two strikes ,don't swing at good pitches wait for a badone and for heavens sake don't bunt..Why even have a hitting coach that admits he can't teach?

Many, MANY years ago ... I came up to bat ... got flashed the sign to bunt ... instead ... I took sort of a half-swing ... and hit a little blooper single to right center. When the inning ended with me on second ... I headed to the dugout ... helmet still on ... and, just as I got there ... from behind ... the coach winged a baseball at me ... with some steam on it ... and bounced it off my helmet ... while yelling ... "The next god-****** time I tell you to bunt ... you god-**** bunt ... or you're OFF this team! At least to me ... that clearly wasn't a "suggestion"!

Geez! I agree with every single word!

Today ... a complete lack of structure. No discipline. No rules, boundaries or limitations. Everything is about political correctness and immersion in the "I'm OK, you're OK" syndrome. By today's standards, every coach (and many a teacher) I ever had in any sport in which I ever participated at any level was "an abuser"! And even worse ... f-a-r worse ... the drill instructors at Parris Island! These kids coming into MLB today ... at least the American-born kids ... often just don't have a clue.

Your post should be printed, framed and handed out to every top-shelf college and pro athlete out there today!