Looks like the Rays are really looking in to the future.  They just signed rookie 3B Evan Longoria to a guaranteed 6 year deal, with options that could make it a 9 years deal.

All this to a rookie who hasn't proven that he'll stick at the ML level.  I find this quite surprising.  Maybe they're looking at what Shapiro and Antonetti have done and just accelerated the program.

http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080418&content_id=2546402&vkey=news_tb&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb

Random thoughts as they pop in my head from earlier today so they're not in any particular order:

Wow, what a gorgeous day. I got to Chain of Lakes Park relatively early for me (12:00 noon) and there was a good sized crowd. I was there by myself as my wife couldn't take off work. I had a ticket in section 5A, and had never sat there before so I had to ask an attendant where it was only to find out it was the 1st row down the 1st base line, 13 seats past the Indians dugout behind the VIP seats (which are the 2 rows of folding chairs right next to the field). That's basically a long way of saying that it was a GREAT seat.

The wind was not necessarily blowing out to leftfield that much - Iwamura simply jumped on a pitch and it got out of the park in hurry. Crawford also too it the other way with his homer. Overall, Lee did not pitch that badly.

Marte made no errors. : ) He also singled sharply to center and laid off two breaking balls and worked a walk. VERY encouraging.

Hafner looked rather 2007ish. Yikes. It was not encouraging aside from the one at bat where fouled off about 5-6 pitches, but ultimately struck out. Hafner doesn't appear to be in a groove. That is, I get the feeling that he doesn't have a whole lot of confidence when he goes to the plate. But maybe that's just me ...

Jamey Carroll had two solid hits and actually ended up in RF after starting at 2B.

The throw that Shoppach threw into CF on the attempted steal was a slow breaking pitch from Lee - so it wasn't really good pitch for him to try and get the runner.

Grady made an absolutely crazy diving catch in center.  Totally laid out and dove for the ball then held up his glove to prove it.  And this is only spring training !

J-Mike hit the ball hard twice for basehits.

Attempted to abide by LGT standards and consume the requisite adult beverages - although maybe not to the extent that the younger crowd would. I was able to hit happy hour at Beef O' Brady's where the drafts were $0.99.

2008 spring training shirts were completely sold out at Beef's. Last year I bought 2 for $5 each the last week of spring training because they had so many left over. This year they sold before the spring season ended.

The Indian's team shop was almost completely sold out of everything. Anything related to Winter Haven was long gone.

Garko signed a TON of autographs as did Wedge. Did anyone know that Grady writes right handed ? I watched him sign autographs for about 3 minutes just to the left of where I was sitting.

Bob Feller had a few words for the folks of Winter Haven after he threw out the first pitch. He has a booming voice and rattled off that "he and his wife have been coming here for the last 12 to 13 years ..." Actually, it's been 16. He told everyone that "we'll see you in Goodyear !", and then a lot of people standing around me shouted - "no you won't !" Eh, it just sucks to live in Florida and know that the Tribe isn't coming back for spring training in my lifetime. Damn it all.

When Westbrook left the park in the 3rd inning he jogged down the 1st base line and randomly tossed his hat to a little kid in the 1st row.  Jake also signed a lot of autographs.

Grady threw his jersey up into the RF stands when he jogged off and got a huge cheer.

J-Mike was jogging out of the park carrying his 3 bats and then stopped suddenly, turned around gave one of them to an elderly lady. I'm not an autograph seeker whatsoever but I would have taken a bat or a jersey.

Breslow lacked control when he entered, walking the first guy he faced. He was missing the plate by A LOT. He actually got the second strike on the first guy he faced simply by pitching so up and in, that the batter turned out of the way and ended up going around for a called strike. The next guy up Pena hit it out to RF. It's not a good sign when one of your left handed specialists comes in and fails to retire the first two lefties that he faces.

BTW, for all those who never got to Chain of Lakes Park, they have restrooms that are round.  That is, the block walls that make up the bathrooms behind the main concourse are circular - both the men's and women's.  I almost took a picture of it today but then thought better of it, for obvious reasons ...   : )

All in all, a fun day.

Former Tribe catcher Jesse Levis is in a bit of hot water with the authorities.  I wonder if Levis and Sauerbeck ever teamed up as battery mates at some point.  One guy behind the curtains and the other caught in the bushes.  

http://tinyurl.com/35v358

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Here's a short clip from the local TV station that showed some highlights from yesterday's game in Sarasota.  

You'll have to disregard the sports announcer as he got all the names wrong - naming Marte as Asdrubal and calling Laffey as Cliff Lee.

But at least you all get to see the stadium and some of the game.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080304/VIDEO02/803040733/1641/

This from Paul Hoynes:

http://tinyurl.com/26ohrn

Shapiro being tight-lipped as usual.  What are the odds C.C. would sign a hometown "discount" contract like Jake Peavy ?

My wag is that he was offered a 4 year deal for between $15-17 mil./year, maybe with incentives for wins, innings pitched, Cy Young, etc, and possibly with a club option for a 5th and 6th year.

I maintain my earlier stance that if I were the Indians mgt., and he maintained his insistence of exploring the free agent market, that I'd trade him before the mid point of the 2008 season.  No way the Tribe can afford to not get anything in return ala Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez.

I just hope it doesn't come down to that ...

I'm posing this question in review of a number of Jay's posts regarding Brandon Phillips and looking for a comparison to Andy Marte.

The question is this: to what extent can the Indians afford to have an under performing, or less than adequate position player, stay on the ML roster, and for how long ?  

That is to say, Jay has been contending that Marte has not received a legitimate long term shot at playing in the ML.  He has to this point received limited opportunities, according to Jay.

How long does the FO allow the "under performer" to stay on the squad ?

Currently, we've got Trot Nixon who has been performing less than what was probably expected - but with a post season birth potentially in the offing - is he more valuable on the roster due to his experiences in this format (maybe he can offer some advice to the youngsters) ?

This excerpt from Paul Hoynes of the PD.

Marte is out of options after this season. The Indians must keep him in the big leagues next year, trade him or risk losing him on waivers.

Scouts who have seen Marte with Class AAA Buffalo say he looks bored and isn't showing good bat speed. Marte opened this season as the Indians' starting third baseman.

"It's not something I'm prepared to talk about right now," said Tribe manager Eric Wedge, referring to projected infield moves. "We have some decisions to make this winter."

The Detroit Tigers signed 24 year old pitcher Jeremy Bonderman to a 4 year/$38 mil contract.  He could have been a free agent after the 2008 season.

He gets $4.5 mil next year, $8.5 in 2008, and then $12.5 per year for the next two years.

This should give guidance for what Westbrook can expect to receive.  

This from Mark Shapiro:

"Trading Phillips was a mistake," Shapiro said. "We erred on the side of winning now at the expense of the future.

We had a lot of divided opinion, and I think we learned from that decision. We probably won't walk through that kind of decision the same way again."

So they DID have divided opinion.  Out of curiousity, I wonder who in the organization wanted to keep Phillips.

Since it's been rumored that Devil Rays' LF Carl Crawford may be made available in a trade this offseason, what would you trade in return to get him ?

He's signed through 2010 and he's only 25 years old.  He would take over the leadoff position and allow Sizemore to drop down to possibly third in the batting order.

Who are you willing to give up of these players to get Crawford; Adam Miller,Lofgren, Gutierrez, Crowe, Kouzmanoff, Sipp ?

I think it would take at least one front line starting pitching prospect (either Miller or Lofgren), one OF prospect (Gutierrez or Crowe), and one other prospect.