Tampa Bay Rays new GM Michael Bailey wanted to waste little time addressing the team's fan base as well as the other 29 GMs of MLBFranchise. He held a presser at Tropicana Field early Saturday morning to meet the media and lay out the vision for the franchise going forward.
"It's an honor to be standing here today. I will not waste your time with promises of this or that, nor will I make any grand predictions. We are a wonderfully unique franchise with unique challenges to overcome. It is very important that our fans understand that while we share a division with the Yankees and Red Sox, we are not in the same position as those teams. This is not a franchise that can afford to "be asleep at the wheel" while the other teams are vigilant. It is no secret that we must constantly monitor our roster, looking for upgrades in every crevace. Gone are the days of letting talented free agents walk out the door without any return value. The reality of our situation is this...we can not afford to keep all of our talented players. Period. Having said that, nor can we afford to just sit back and hope things work out. The only promise I will make today is that this front office will be extremely aggressive in shaping the roster, with an eye not only on today, but many tomorrows as well. I'd like to welcome any GM in the league to contact me with any ideas they may have, even if no deal comes of the talks, it's always good to have open lines of communication."
Bailey did not mention any possible moves specifically, but it is believed that such names as SP Scott Kazmir, 1B Carlos Pena and OF Carl Crawford could be on the move. All 3 players are extremely talented, but Crawford figures to garner the most attention. The Rays should be in no hurry to move him though, considering he is entering his prime and can be extended for just 11.5M per season (by my count). The Rays figure to be looking for young, MLB ready or almost ready players as well as some diamonds in the rough.
