I don't think Zobrist should play SS but simply switching Srod and Longo makes no sense.

I think Yoda needs to sit back and listen to my buddy art and absorb the game from the master instead posting looney tooney ideas.

Longoria is a better shortstop ... and S-Rod can pick it at 3B.

Why not make Shields a reliever and Start Howell?

Because Shield has proven he is a starting pitcher and can give you at 7 innings of pitching and keep your team in the game. And Howell was ONCE a very decent starter who knows how to pitch, can get K's for 5 innings. As a reliever he is at a disadvantage of having to come in and pitch with guys on base due to his style of pitching.

You think I was serious? ...Question?? If a guy can't hit playing shortstop,do you think he will hit playing third good enough to replace the best 3rd baseman in th AL east???

Longo isn't a better SS and switching their positions doesn't improve the offense at all.

This guy art seems to know what he's talking about. I'd listen to him. He makes sense...unlike others.

Rodriguez clearly doesn't have the reflexes and range at third that Longoria has. Rodriguez is a natural second baseman.

Howell's main disadvantage is that he's purely a junkball pitcher ... like old Eddie Lopat ... with almost every pitch ... when he's "on" ... running between 69 - 79 mph ... about the speed of a good high-schooler. And ... he'd be lucky to get through five batters ... let along five innings!

You are so totally wrong! 69-79 mph????? Ever seen his curve when it's on, nobaody can hit it, ever see his change when it's on, nobody can hit it....His fastball has never topped at at more than 91-92 and right now it's topping at 89.....But when he is on (look at some film from 2008-9 before the TJ) he has one of the best curve balls in baseball and a change that rivals Shields, who he actually learned it from!

When it's on! When it's on!?

The problem is ... you can NEVER tell when it's gonna' "be on"!

(And ... he hasn't thrown a fastball this season faster than 85 ... and he probably hasn't done that more than twice! And ... "2008-9"? Who cares about 2008-9? Who cares what Upton did in 2007? Who cares what Burrell did for Philadelphia? Who cares about Kazmir's "potential"?

For the money these guys are being paid ... the ONLY REAL QUESTION is ... "What have you done for me lately?"

I feel the same about Howell as I do about Upton (and, for example, Burrell, Kazmir, etc.); their time has come and gone. Both Upton and Howell started with a big flash a few years ago ... and have turned into little more than big fizzles since. They've had MORE than their share of chances with this team. Time for both to go elsewhere, moving on to a fresh start, and maybe taking advantage of an opportunity in a new setting to improve their baseball skills significantly.

(However, I don't believe that will actually ever happen to either. For some reason or another, both have apparently become "permanent" Rays ... no matter what. To me, keeping both around simply takes away the opportunities for two new players to come in who might actually turn out to be better!)

Longo is one of the best shortstops on planet earth ... only Tulo is better.

You have NO CLUE ... about how good S-Rod would be at 3B.

Howell's FB sits at 85. His problem is that he hasn't had control of his other pitches consistently. When he was outstanding a few years ago he'd have the hitters offstride with the offspeed pitches and still be able to lock them up with the fastball. Whether he gets that ability back remains to be seen.

Upton is a pretty good player and there is currently no logical alignment the team can put together which makes the team better without him.

Longo is a better 3rd baseman than SS and moving him to SS would be idiotic. Switching Srod and Longo would be more idiotic since it would serve no purpose at all.

So ... you obviously didn't see him playing third base last season ... and routinely being replaced by Felipe Lopez "for defensive purposes"?

He's a natural second-baseman; his reflexes and range at third are not even remotely comparable to Longoria's.

Yoda does come up with some good comedy doesn't he?....Just like his idea that the starters should split games like Price for five, Hellickson for the other four, etc......yeah right!!!

Howell's FB only occasionally breaks 85. Scott Kazmir was outstanding a few years ago, too. In my opinion, Howell is simply not good enough at this point ... or, if you must, not consistent enough ... to remain in a major league bullpen. And how he was, in terms of pitching quality, in 2008, is totally immaterial.

And the operative issue regarding Upton is ... the team is certainly no worse with Upton being out of the lineup. In my opinion, Farnsworth and Fuld being out are way more consequential than Upton being out. And, likewise, the fact that he had a career year in 2007 has l-o-n-g been immaterial.

I believe our weakest outfield position now is when Joyce is in left...Right field he is a lot better ,not as good as Zobrist but OK...With Bj back we get stronger defensivly with Jennings in Left..Not that jennings isn't as good as BJ in Center..If you notice not much is getting over his head.....Joyce at Dh and in right when Zobrist comes in to the infield also good...SROD at second much better than short but I like the new guys bat..Moving Longo would be a major mistake...I'm still not convinced about Howell being all the way back..and don't like him in on close games ..YET..But with a few good games that would do a lot to convince a lot of us...I liked what he was.....BJ can really be a shot in the arm if he returns to last years late season form..( I don't expect him to be there in just a few games)...In any case with BJ back that is our strongest line-up and best defensive team...Thats my opinion..

Well, you know, in the first place, I never really dug that whole "Yoda" thing way back when!

If Longoria gets a little more consistent in terms of hitting for a somewhat better average ... he's probably headed towards being considered among the best third basemen of all time. (?)

Longoria at third, the current crop of starting pitchers, and utility man Zobrist are probably the most firmly established parts of the team ... the true heart of the current team ... and I firmly believe they should remain as is, where is! (?)

I genuinely believe Jennings is better in center than Upton; better routes to the ball; better arm; and just as quick as they come!

I agree that there's almost automatically something "iffy" that seems to come along when you first see Joyce out there in left ... BUT ... he's made some really first-class plays out there already this season ... and he definitely has a pretty good arm (not as quick a release as Fuld ... but strong and accurate) ... so ... I think he may be being UNDER-estimated as a left-fielder! (?)

Rodriguez is a natural second-baseman ... BUT ... I do like Keppinger playing second (or even DH'ing) ... BECAUSE ... he's clearly the best contact hitter on the team ... along with having the higest career batting average on the team! However, Rodriguez, Brignac, and Johnson have apparently learned nothing about hitting over the past season or two! (?)

And Longoria seems to have the talent and skills to ultimately go down as one of the best third basemen of all time ... and no reasonably sane person would even think of having him play any other position at this time.

I don't think Upton playing every day will offensively match what Joyce can contribute if he plays every day ... Joyce seems to be playing left well-enough ... and Jennings seems better in center than Upton ... so ... ??? (The real problem here is there's no really decent fourth outfielder currently available.)