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Rays In A Difficult Spot With Final Bullpen Slot

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By MARC LANCASTER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 24, 2008

Updated: 03/23/2008 10:56 pm

SARASOTA - Of all the decisions that remain to be sorted out by the Rays in the final week of spring training, none figures to be as difficult as handing out the final bullpen spot.

If they had their druthers, the Rays would prefer to keep both Grant Balfour and Scott Dohmann, but if J.P. Howell makes the team as a long reliever as expected, there will be room for only one of the veteran right-handers.

"That is a tough one," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "Both have really good arms, both are very competitive. They're making it tough. This is going to be quite a discussion in regard to that spot, because I have a lot of respect for both of these young men - they're both great workers, they're great teammates. It's tough."

You get the idea. If it was just a matter of sending one player down and keeping the other, the Rays wouldn't have to agonize over that particular decision. But both Dohmann and Balfour are out of options, so the Rays wouldn't be able to send one to the minors without the risk of losing him on waivers.

Maddon said Sunday that the bullpen decision might come down to the very end of spring training, with the team squeezing every last bit of evaluation out of the remaining games.

The Rays' methodology also will be tested. Maddon and executive vice president Andrew Friedman have said repeatedly that they prefer not to lean too heavily on spring training performance when making evaluations. To them, past performance during the regular season carries more weight.

What to make of Balfour vs. Dohmann then? Balfour has been the better pitcher during camp, singled out for praise by Maddon after his last two outings for the way he has kept the ball down and thrown strikes. But Dohmann was more effective during his stint with the Rays last season.

As Maddon said, it will be a tough call. Until the Rays make it, it's up to both 30-year-olds to continue laying out their own arguments.

"We've got good competition in this room, and that's what they want," Balfour said. We've got a lot of good pitchers in here. I just try to go out there each game and I tell myself, I want everyone to do well and I just want to do better than the next guy. That's kind of the mental approach I take."

Dohmann, too, is keeping his head down and focusing on his part of the equation.

"I'm not competing against Grant," he said. "I'm competing against myself and the guy in the batter's box. I know what I need to do to get ready, and it's all I can control, is to do everything in my power to do that."

Both pitchers say they are pleased with the work they have done so far this spring.

Dohmann has seen a big difference between last year, when he started slow and came on toward the end of March but didn't make the team, and this spring. He hasn't had the results, allowing nine runs in nine Grapefruit League innings, but he said he is trying to ride out the process and get ready for the season.

Balfour said entering the spring he just wanted a fair chance to prove his worth, and he can't complain about a lack of opportunity. His eight appearances lead the team, and he has kept hitters off-balance throughout the spring, holding opponents to a .176 batting average.

"As much as you try and pitch well to make a team, it doesn't stop - there's going to be a season to start, too. No matter where you go, you've got to keep on doing it," Balfour said. "I've kind of relaxed a little bit more, I must admit, in the last week or two. I'm not thinking too much. It's tough not to think about it as far as, 'Are you going to be here or are you going to be there?'"

Only a few more days and everyone will know the answer.

Reporter Marc Lancaster can be reached at (813) 259-7227 or mlancaster@tampatrib.com.

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