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Friedman Says RF/DH Spots Are Rays' Top Priority

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By MARC LANCASTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 4, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - With baseball's winter meetings set to begin Monday in Las Vegas, Tampa Bay Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman met with reporters today at Tropicana Field to offer up a preview of what we might see his team do in the coming weeks.

Friedman discussed numerous topics relating to the Rays' approach as they look to defend their American League championship in 2009 and also some long-term issues, including their decision to open up a baseball academy in Brazil to join the facilities they have established in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic.

Here are the high points of Friedman's briefing look for more details in the coming days on TBO.com and in Friday's editions of The Tampa Tribune.

* Friedman said the team's first priority this winter is improving the offense, with the focus on the right field/DH slot. He said he doesn't know if that slot will go to one player or two, but he doesn't consider it realistic to bring in two "impact-type guys" for those spots.

"We're not necessarily tied to any one attribute," Friedman said. "But all things being equal we'd like to add some power."

* While Friedman considers pitching the Rays' greatest area of depth, he said that doesn't necessarily mean the Rays feel like they need to move anyone to make room in the rotation or bullpen.

* Jeff Niemann and Jason Hammel, who will be out of options in 2009, will get a look in the bullpen.

* David Price, as we already knew, will not. But Friedman said he is absolutely not penciled in as one of the five starters in the big-league rotation at this point because they Rays already have five incumbent starters. (Of course, that could and would change in a hurry if Edwin Jackson or Andy Sonnanstine gets dealt.)

* Friedman said the Rays are more focused on the free-agent market than they have been in the past, largely because they're in a situation where they expect to be in the hunt for 2009 and as such are more open to taking on players who could help them immediately, rather than just those they can control for a number of years. That's where what is increasingly expected to be a soft market for the non-elite free agents could help the Rays, as players who in other years might have received monster multi-year contracts elsewhere could fall to Tampa Bay for a one-year deal.

* The Rays remain in touch with the agents for free agents Rocco Baldelli, Cliff Floyd and Eric Hinske, and depending on how things break there's a chance they could return.

* The team doesn't expect B.J. Upton, who recently underwent shoulder surgery, to be ready to play in time for the first spring training games. But with exhibitions running from Feb. 25-April 4, the Rays believe he'll have plenty of time to gear up for the season. In fact, look for the Rays to take it slow with all of their regulars early in spring training given the length of the spring schedule next year.

* The Rays are planning to build a baseball academy in Marilia, Brazil, with construction beginning early next year. Friedman said it could take a decade or so to see a prospect rise all the way from there to the majors, but the Rays felt they could tap into Brazil's athletic culture and find talent there once people are exposed to baseball. The Rays have been scouting in Brazil for a while, and Rays special assistant Andres Reiner has made several trips to the South American country to gauge interest there.

Reporter Marc Lancaster can be reached at (813) 259-7227.

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