Zaun hit his eighth home run on Saturday night in Texas.

Spin: Zaun should see ample at-bats over the final week of the season and has always had some pop to his bat. That being said, don't consider him unless you need catcher help in AL-only leagues.Sat, Sep 26

News: Tampa Bay C Gregg Zaun went 3 for 4 with two doubles during Wednesday's win over the Red Sox. Zaun drove in and scored a run in the game and is batting .267 on the year.

Analysis: Zaun has definitely been a much better hitter and much better Fantasy option since coming over to the Rays from the Orioles. Still, he doesn't play every day and is just an AL-only Fantasy option

The Globe and Mail reports two Major League Baseball umpires were hurt Wednesday, Aug. 26, during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays. Rays SP Scott Kazmir missed C Gregg Zaun completely on a pitch and it struck home plate umpire Tom Hallion flush in the chest. Hallion fell over backward by the force of the blow and remained on the ground for several minutes behind home plate while being attended to by medical personnel. Hallion started the game at second base but transferred behind the plate for the start of the third inning after home plate umpire Jerry Crawford left with back spasms.

The meager average kept Pena on the outside looking in at fantasy's elite first basemen. Still, he was beginning to make up ground there before finger surgery ultimately sidelined him for good, robbing his chances of cracking 40 homers for the second time in three years. There's no reason to expect a major departure from the 30-40 homers and 100-plus RBIs he's delivered in each of the last three seasons. Indications are that he'll be fully recovered in December. Further setbacks could open the door for rising utilityman Willy Aybar at first.

The Associated Press reports New York Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira went 1-for-3 and remained tied with Tampa Bay Rays 1B Carlos Pena for the American League lead in home runs with 39.

Oakland Athletics DH Jack Cust is leading the American League in strikeouts for the third consecutive year (176), according to The Associated Press. Cust has struck out 13 times more than Tampa Bay Rays 1B Carlos Pena (fingers), who will miss the rest of the season with a pair of broken fingers. Bobby Darwin of the Minnesota Twins (1972-74) was the last American League player to lead the league in strikeouts in three straight years.

News: With the trade of Akinori Iwamura, the Rays likely will turn to Ben Zobrist as their everyday second baseman in 2010.

Analysis: Zobrist, who has dual eligibility in the outfield, will be assured of full-time at-bats and is tentatively ranked among the top 60 sluggers to target on Draft Day. Our projections on him are: .261-28-95-94-16 (.364-.483). That puts him around the top five Fantasy second baseman and someone to target in the first five rounds on Draft Day

Akinori Iwamura's trade to the Pirates on Tuesday likely opens a spot at second base for Zobrist next season.

Spin: After Zobrist's breakout 2009 season it seemed certain the Rays would find a full time place for him for the 2010 season, the only question was where he would play. Zobrist was shuffled around between the outfield and infield, particularly after Iwamura returned from injury, and as a result he'll have second base, outfield, and likely shortstop eligibility in most leagues next season.Tue, Nov 3

Marc Topkin, of the St. Petersburg Times, reports Tampa Bay Rays OF Matt Joyce is expected to replace OF Gabe Gross on the roster next season. The team is talking about having Joyce share right-field duties with SS Ben Zobrist, who would also share time at second base with 2B Sean Rodriguez.

Rays hired Derek Shelton as hitting coach. Tampa Bay fired hitting coach Steve Henderson despite setting a franchise record for runs this season and now replace him with Shelton, who was let go by the Indians last month along with the rest of Eric Wedge's staff.

When Longoria came storming out of the gate in April, it looked as though he would follow in Dustin Pedroia's footsteps as AL MVP one year after taking home Rookie of the Year. But those dreams were dashed during June and July, when he hit just .233 and .189, respectively. Still, if Longoria can cut down on the 140 strikeouts he totaled this year, he's capable of challenging Alex Rodriguez as fantasy's top third baseman.

Longoria ended his season on a high note Sunday, connecting for his 33rd home run.

Spin: Longoria finishes the season batting .280 with 113 RBI and nine stolen bases. He's going to turn 24 in a few days, so there's no reason not to expect him improve these gaudy stats next year.Sun, Oct 4

Bartlett's totals would have been even glitzier were it not for the ankle sprain that cost him three weeks from May 24-June 16. History casts doubt on Bartlett's ability to sustain this level of power production, but batting in a dangerous Rays lineup makes him an attractive target at a thin spot.

The Twins are an amazing organization. They traded Johan Santana, Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett after the 2007 season, got essentially nothing in return and yet forced a one-game playoff to decide the AL Central in 2008. This year, they lost their su...

The Associated Press reports Tampa Bay Rays SS Jason Bartlett received the day off Sunday, Oct. 4. He finished with a career-best and team-record .320 batting average.

Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors looks at 14 left fielders who could be traded this off season, from Rays OF Carl Crawford and Astros OF Carlos Lee to O’s OF Luke Scott and Rockies OF Matt Murton.Lee, who will earn $57 million during the next three seasons, has hit at least .300 with at least 26 home runs and 102 RBI [...]

Michael Emdeyar, in a post to his blog for Rise of the Rays, says that the Mets are closely monitoring the contract situation of Carl Crawford with the Rays.…i think Crawford is a perfect fit for the Mets…he has as much range as Carlos Beltran and certainly rivals Jose Reyes and his speed…he just fits [...]

According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, Matt Holliday is at the top of Omar Minaya’s off-season wish list, “though Jason Bay will certainly suffice.”“The Mets have no interest in taking on Milton Bradley’s problems,” Heyman writes, while adding Carl Crawford could be available in trade as well.In a video for FoxSports.com during September, Ken Rosenthal mentioned the Mets [...]

Jayson Werth is having quite an extraordinary postseason. He has now blasted 7 homeruns this postseason, including two last night in the 8-5 loss to the Yankees. Werth is now tied with Troy Glaus and B.J. Upton, and one homerun behind Barry Bonds and Carlos Beltran for tops on the list of homeruns hit in

We continue our 2010 fantasy baseball keeper posts with B.J. Upton.  At first, I was going to write about Justin Upton, but I figured he was such a no-brainer that I didn’t need to dedicate a keeper post to him.  Of course he’s a keeper.  B.J.’s much more interesting.  In his short major league career, [...]

In a report in today’s St. Petersburg Times, Marc Topkin says that the Tampa Bay Rays would need to be overwhelmed with an offer to move outfielder B.J. Upton.Topkin says that with Upton’s value so low at the moment, the Rays cannot afford to move Upton at this time.…i would love for the Mets to [...]

Gabe Gross went 0-for-3 before being removed from Sunday's game, leaving him 3-for-31 this month. Gross did a nice job as a platoon right fielder in the first half, hitting .276/.379/.423 in 163 at-bats, but he's been a bust in the second half and it now appears unlikely that the Rays will bring him back next year. The bizarre thing is that they never gave Matt Joyce a chance to replace him.

The Associated Press reports Tampa Bay Rays OF Gabe Gross homered for the first time Tuesday, Aug. 18, since July 22. He has two home runs in his last 33 games.

News: Tampa Bay OF Gabe Gross blasted a two-run home run in the 6th inning of Tuesday's win over the Orioles. Gross hit his 6th of the year. He finished 2 for 4 in the game and is batting .265 on the year.

Analysis: Gross doesn't get loads of playing time in Tampa and is nothing but an AL-only Fantasy option

Marc Topkin, of the St. Petersburg Times, reports Tampa Bay Rays DH Pat Burrell is sitting the bench Wednesday, Sept. 30.

News: Pat Burrell hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth inning Monday and Tampa Bay beat Baltimore 7-6.

Analysis: Burrell has had the worst season of his career by far and is likely to be a low-end mixed league option for Fantasy 2010. There are too many younger and more consistent players at the deep outfield position

The Associated Press reports Tampa Bay Rays DH Pat Burrell hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to win the game Monday, Sept. 28.

News: Tampa Bay SP James Shields finished his up and down season on a high note Wednesday with a win over the Baltimore Orioles. Shields improved to 11-12 as he allowed three runs on six hits over eight solid innings. Shields did not walk a batter and fanned eight. His ERA finishes at 4.14.

Analysis: Shields' best month came in June when he went 2-1 with a 3.15 ERA. He had a losing or .500 record in every other month of the season. Still, he finished strong and his intangibles kept him a solid mixed-league Fantasy option. He should enter 2010 once again as a high-end mixed-league starter but he definitely has some things to figure out over the offseason

The Associated Press reports Tampa Bay Rays SP James Shields (11-12) took a shutout into the eighth inning to beat the Baltimore Orioles Wednesday, Sept. 30. He gave up three runs and six hits in eight innings. Shields retired 10 in a row in one stretch and finished with eight strikeouts.

James Shields yielded three runs over eight innings in a 5-3 win over the Orioles on Wednesday night. Though his season has to be considered a disappointment, Shields went out on a high note. He scattered six hits, including a two-run homer, while striking out eight and walking none. His year comes to a close at 11-12 with a 4.14 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 167/52 K/BB ratio in a career-high 219 2/3 innings, spanning 33 starts. While he's no ace, Shields is a legitimate top-of-the-rotation pitcher.

According to the St. Petersburg Times, Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey will return for the 2010 season. Hickey was at the end of his contract, but had a productive meeting with Rays execs Monday morning at Tropicana Field. "They want to have me back and I want to be back," he said, "so that’s probably what’s going to happen. We’re going to talk in the next couple days and work out the details.’’ Tampa Bay's pitching staff posted a collective 4.33 ERA and 1.36 WHIP this season.Source: St. Petersburg Times

News: Rays SP David Price, who had a mostly disappointing rookie season, ended it with arguably his best start Friday against the Yankees. He allowed one run on two hits in seven innings, issuing two walks and recording five strikeouts. The victory was his 10th of the season. He finished the year with a 3.41 ERA over his final five starts.

Analysis: Price struggled with control much of the year, but he finished strong and still has all the talent that made him the top pitching prospect in baseball before Tommy Hanson emerged. He could break out as a Fantasy ace as soon as next season, but his struggles this year will make him affordable in 2010. Our early rankings place him 44th among starting pitchers

Price held the Yankees to one run on two hits in seven innings Friday to earn his 10th win of the season.

Spin: To be fair, the Yankees pulled many of their starters as the Rays beat up the Yanks' pitching. Price finishes his rookie season with 10 wins and 102 strikeouts in 128.1 innings.Fri, Oct 2

Davis is apart of the Rays' future rotation, and he showed just why the team has been so high on his potential for years. He contributed two quality starts in his final four outings -- it would have been three if he lasted an inning longer on Sunday -- and his 36/13 K/BB ratio in 36 1/3 innings is a great indication that the 23-year-old is due for a bright future. Owners would be wise to target him in next year's drafts, especially in AL-only formats.

Wade Davis dropped to 2-2 on the season after allowing five runs (three earned) to the Yankees in a 10-2 loss on Sunday. He allowed six hits and two walks while striking out five.

Our View: Davis' talent is well recognized, but he's shown a bit of Jekyll and Hyde in his rookie campaign. In six starts this season he was brilliant in three and awful in the remaining three.

Wade Davis yielded five runs -- three earned -- in five-plus innings to take a loss against the Yankees on Sunday. Davis was doing just fine through the first five scoreless innings, but he gave up a three-run homer to Alex Rodriguez and departed with two runners on base that would eventually score. Despite the rough inning, Davis' rookie campaign was encouraging as he posted a 3.72 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and a 36/13 K/BB in 36 1/3 innings. He'll be someone to target next season.

With Percival's future in question and few alternatives to replace him as closer, the Rays ultimately settled on Howell as the best option, and rightly so. The left-hander was Tampa Bay's top reliever of 2009, notching a 7-5 record, a 2.84 ERA and a 79/33 K/BB ratio over 66 2/3 innings. He faltered down the stretch, however, leading the Rays to revert to a committee system.

J.P. Howell is out for the rest of the year, Tampa Bay beat writer Marc Lancaster announced on Twitter late Friday night. The rationale he cited was that Howell has been pushed, innings-wise, the last couple of years and there’s no reason to push him now that the Rays are officially out of the hunt. [...]

News: Rays manager Joe Maddon said closer J.P. Howell has been shut down for the rest of the season. "The last few years, he's thrown more relief innings than any pitcher in baseball and there's nothing positive to be derived from having him pitch for the last 10 games, so we decided to shut him down," Maddon said.

Analysis: The Rays didn't say who would close in Howell's place, but would you really want to take a chance on a newcomer this late in the season? Most likely, they'll turn to a committe, perhaps one led by Dan Wheeler and Randy Choate. You shouldn't bother with either of them outside of AL-only leagues, though. As for Howell, he pitched well enough to close for the Rays next season. If he does, he'll be a No. 2 Fantasy RP for an expected contender

News: From The Sports Xchange notes: RHP Dan Wheeler allowed his 11th homer of the season Tuesday, matching his 2007 career high. The 32 homers he has allowed over the last three seasons are the most of any reliever.

Analysis: Wheeler is nothing more than a middle reliever for the deepest of leagues that use true middle men for the final Fantasy Week 26 (Sept. 28-Oct. 4)

Jose Lopez went 1-for-4 with a solo homer off Dan Wheeler in Tuesday's 4-3 win at Tampa Bay.

Our View: Lopez crushed his fifth homer of September, and his 25th of 2009. He needs eight more RBI to reach 100 for the season.

The Associated Press reports Tampa Bay Rays RP Dan Wheeler recorded the final two outs Wednesday, Sept. 2, for his second save of the year.

The Associated Press reports Tampa Bay Rays RP Randy Choate picked up his fifth save of the year Wednesday, Sept. 23.

News: Tampa Bay RP Randy Choate worked a scoreless ninth inning for his fifth save of the season in a 5-4 win over the Mariners. Choate did not allow a hit or walk in the inning, also failing to strike out a batter.

Analysis: Choate's last save this season came back on June 29 at Toronto. Three of his four previous saves this season came between May 26 and June 6. He isn't expected to be taking over for J.P. Howell but stay tuned to see if he gets more looks before the season is out

News: Tampa Bay RP Randy Choate hasn't gotten anyone out in a while. Choate pitched in Sunday's loss to Oakland and allowed a hit to the only batter he faced. He gave up a homer to the only batter he faced against the A's on Saturday, too. In his prior outing, on July 9, he gave up another hit to his only batter. His ERA is 1.84 on the year.

Analysis: Choate doesn't have even have 1/3 of an inning pitched in his last three outings combined and has given up a run on three hits. He's been called upon to get one out and has failed to do that in three straight outings. That will not build confidence, no matter how low your ERA remains. Choate has four saves on the year but isn't seeing opportunities any longer so he's only a middle relief option for leagues that use them, at best

His first save was recorded on May 9, which is also the last time he received an opportunity to close out a game. Now that J.P. Howell is out for the year, expect the Rays to run a litany of different relievers in save situations, including Randy Choate and possibly Dan Wheeler.

News: Rays RP Lance Cormier was the surprising choice for a save Sunday at Texas, issuing one walk in one-third of an inning. Grant Balfour opened the inning and recorded two outs.

Analysis: Just because Cormier recorded the save Sunday doesn't mean he's the favorite for saves with J.P. Howell shut down for the season. The Rays also have Randy Choate and Dan Wheeler and will most likely go with a committee. Leave them all for AL-only leagues

Cormier picked up the save for the Rays on Sunday afternoon.

Spin: With J.P. Howell shut down for the season, it will be a toss up as to who gets the saves over the final week. Our guess is it will be either Randy Choate or Dan Wheeler, but we wouldn't recommend picking up either.Sun, Sep 27

News: From The Sports Xchange notes: RHP Jeff Bennett's first appearance since Sept. 7 didn't go well Saturday, as he faced seven hitters, allowing five hits and two walks in the middle of the Rangers' two-out 11-run rally. "Oh yeah, you sat for 19 days and don't see a hitter, it's tough," Bennett said. "That's no excuse. The pitches that were hit were in good spots. (The Rangers) were just hot tonight."

Analysis: Bennett is nothing more than a middle reliever for the deepest of AL-only leagues that use true middle men at this point in his career

Bennett did not record an out on Saturday, allowing five hits, two walks and five runs.

Spin: Remarkably, the outing pushed his ERA to only 5.04. Obviously, avoid at all costs.Sat, Sep 26

Bennett gave up three runs, eight hits and five walks in four innings of relief during the second game of Monday's doubleheader loss to the Yankees. Bennett threw 84 pitches and failed to record a strikeout.

Spin: This was Bennett's first appearance since being recalled from Triple-A Durham on Tuesday and he was fortunate to have just allowed three runs. Bennett has never been a big strikeout pitcher, but it would have been nice to at least see a few K's on Monday to offset his shaky performance.Mon, Sep 7

Bill Chastain, of MLB.com, reports Tampa Bay Rays RP Jason Isringhausen (elbow) is likely to retire this offseason after undergoing right elbow surgery this year.

Jason Isringhausen hasn't ruled out returning to action in 2010. Isringhausen underwent Tommy John surgery on his elbow Tuesday. Unfortunately, that may be nothing more than a pipe dream for the 36-year-old reliever. This is, incredibly, his 10th surgery in his 14 year career.Source: MLB.com

Isringhausen underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Tuesday, the Rays' official site reports.

Spin: The 36-year-old will go through rehab and depending on his progression, decide whether he wants to continue his career. He could pitch in July of 2010 at the earliest.Thu, Jun 25