TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Rays Hope Kaz Sits Out Classic

ADVERTISEMENT

By MARC LANCASTER

mlancaster@tampatrib.com

Published: February 14, 2009

PORT CHARLOTTE - Given the workload their pitchers endured last season and the long road the Rays know awaits them in 2009, they would prefer not to have any of their prized arms competing in the World Baseball Classic. Now they are taking steps to minimize the potential impact of the WBC as much as they can.

Grant Balfour will not pitch for his native Australia after the Rays made it clear that they would prefer he avoid the March tournament, and Scott Kazmir could be the next to bow out at his team's request.

The Rays have petitioned to block Kazmir from competing in the WBC, citing the time he spent on the disabled list last season after suffering an elbow injury early in spring training and their plans to reduce all of their starters' work this spring in the wake of the 2008 playoff run.

"For us, it's just being cautious," said Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman. "Given what he went through last year and the importance of him to the team, it's something where we're trying to educate the panel as to kind of what he went through last year and what we envision as far as this spring."

A group composed of MLB and union representatives is expected to make a determination sometime soon - within a few days, Kazmir believes.

The left-hander could just follow Balfour's lead and pull out on his own, but he is clinging to the hope that he will be able to play for the U.S. team alongside J.P. Howell.

"I completely understand where they're coming from," Kazmir said of his employers. "It's one of those things where I would really appreciate the opportunity to represent my country, but it's out of my hands now."

Friedman said the Rays will "stand behind" Kazmir if their request is turned down, but their concerns about him pitching in a high-intensity situation so early in spring training would remain. That was their primary concern with Balfour, as well, though Friedman also cited the 31-year-old's injury history. He spent the 2005 and 2006 seasons on the disabled list with elbow and shoulder problems.

At this point, the only Rays who appear locked into the WBC are Howell and Akinori Iwamura, who is at Japan's training camp and won't join the Rays until after his team is eliminated. Evan Longoria is on the U.S. provisional roster, but it remains unclear if he will be on the 24-man squad.

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

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT