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Rays Can Write New Script With Improvement In Pen

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Marc Lancaster/The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 27, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Jim Hickey looks at the potential pieces available in his bullpen heading into spring training, compares them to what he had last year, and comes to an inescapable conclusion.

"I expect us to be considerably better," the Rays' pitching coach said last week.

Hickey is well aware there is nowhere to go but up from the historically bad 6.16 ERA Rays relievers posted in his first season at the helm. He does point out, reasonably, how that ugly number was inflated by the need for the bullpen to suck up innings after disastrous starts, particularly early last season. But the change in personnel speaks for itself.

The Rays opened last year with no designated closer, though Al Reyes got the first save opportunity and never left. But Reyes was a guy about to turn 37 who hadn't pitched since 2005, so the Rays weren't quite sure what they were getting. Like Reyes, Gary Glover was a non-roster journeyman. The rest of the Opening Day crew included Shawn Camp, Ruddy Lugo, Brian Stokes, Jae Kuk Ryu and Juan Salas, with the first three working crucial innings - often with disastrous results - throughout April and May.

When this year's camp officially opens on Valentine's Day, Hickey will have a closer with a World Series ring in Troy Percival backed by Reyes, Glover and Dan Wheeler. That quartet alone should make a significant difference.

"When I end up talking about bullpen guys, you always talk about if you're comfortable sending a guy out there, and right there are four guys I'm comfortable sending out there in pretty much any situation at all," Hickey said. "And that's not even talking about some of the other guys that really pitched well."

Scott Dohmann comes to mind first, and Salas and Grant Balfour would have a case depending on the day. Throw in the newfound rotation depth that could see at least one pitcher from the group of Jason Hammel, Andy Sonnanstine, Edwin Jackson and J.P. Howell open the season as a reliever and the Rays feel much better about their prospects of avoiding the late-inning giveaways that plagued them through the first half of last season.

"I think that's a very big part of the Percival signing, is bringing stability to the bullpen, bringing a presence away from the field that is a veteran, been-there-done-that type of guy," Hickey said.

"Now, with a guy like Percival, with a guy like Wheeler who's kind of been through the wars also, a guy like Al Reyes, even a guy like Glover who's done a lot of things, this changes the whole entire dynamic, I think, of guys questioning whether or not they actually belong in this league, whether they can be successful in this league, to, 'Let's get the job done' and not worrying about a lot of that stuff."

EARLY BIRDS: With less than three weeks until pitchers and catchers report, activity at the Naimoli Complex has been picking up. Among the players on hand for workouts last week: B.J. Upton, Rocco Baldelli, Jason Bartlett, Scott Kazmir, Jeff Niemann, Chad Orvella, Hammel, Sonnanstine, Glover and Wheeler.

The pitchers are throwing off the mound twice a week for two weeks before bumping it up to three times a week heading into spring training. While it's too early to pick out any significant differences from last year, more than one observer has mentioned that Niemann reported in noticeably better physical condition.

NOTEWORTHY: Carlos Pena's new three-year contract stipulates he be paid an additional $350,000 if he is traded before the end of the 2009 season or $750,000 if he is traded after the 2009 season. ... Evan Longoria is a non-roster invitee to camp, like last year, but his uniform number says plenty about where he stands. Last spring, Longoria wore No. 65. This year, he has No. 3. ... The Rays' most recent acquisition, Willy Aybar, will wear No. 16. ... Rays Fan Fest is Feb. 23 at Tropicana Field from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with season-ticket holders able to enter at 9 a.m. Single-game regular-season tickets will go on sale that day.

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