Riggans was recalled from Triple-A Durham on Tuesday, the Rays' official site reports.

Spin: He'll be the emergency catcher for manager Joe Maddon.Tue, Sep 1

Rays recalled catcher Shawn Riggans from Triple-A Durham. Riggans will serve as the Rays' third catcher down the stretch. He was 1-for-4 during a short stint with the big league club earlier this season and was batting just .200/.238/.325 for Durham.

News: Rays manager Joe Maddon said Monday that catcher Shawn Riggans, outfielder Fernando Perez and pitcher Jeff Bennett will join the club before it begins the three-game series against the Red Sox.

Analysis: Riggans is nothing more than a reserve catcher for the Rays and the deepest of AL-only leagues down the stretch

Lobation, who had been designated for assignment on July 28, went 3-for-17 in seven games with San Diego. HeÂ’ll provide organizational depth but has hardly any fantasy value.

News: The Rays have claimed C Jose Lobaton off waivers from the Padres. He was assigned to Double-A Montgomery.

Analysis: Lobaton is nothing more than organizational depth at this point in his career. Ignore him in all Fantasy leagues right now

The St. Petersburg Times' Marc Topkin reports the Tampa Bay Rays claimed C Jose Lobaton (Padres) off waivers. He'll report to Double-A Montgomery.

The Associated Press reports Tampa Bay Rays 1B Willy Aybar stole his first base of the season Thursday, Oct. 1. He has seven career steals in 302 career games.

Willy Aybar helped lead the Rays in tonight's 3-1 win over the Orioles at Tropicana Field, as he went 3-for-4 with three singles and an RBI.

Our View: Aybar has a hit in three straight games, with five RBI over the span.

Willy Aybar's pinch-hit three-run homer in the seventh inning pulled the Rays into a tie with the Orioles on Monday night, opening the door to an eventual 7-6 victory. The Rays trailed 6-3 when Aybar stepped in for Fernando Perez with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and delivered the clutch blast. Pat Burrell put the Rays in front with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning before the Tampa bullpen slammed the door. The home run was Aybar's 12th of the year.

The trade of Akinori Iwamura opens up a potential opportunity for Rodriguez to play second base for the Rays next season.

Spin: It's not a slam dunk for Rodriguez, however. First, the Rays must figure out whether they want Ben Zobrist to play second or right field, and some of that calculus depends upon when they deem Desmond Jennings ready for the big leagues. Rodriguez also has to prove to the Rays that he's ready, though that's partially implied by their acquisition of him in the Scott Kazmir deal.Tue, Nov 3

News: From The Sports Xchange: Sean Rodriguez was announced as the player to be named in the Scott Kazmir trade, and the Rays were happy to get the versatile fielder and powerful hitter. "He's very exciting," manager Joe Maddon said. "He's the kind of guy that if you can just ... give him a bunch of at-bats, I think what he's done in the minor leagues, he'll be something very similar in the major leagues, offensively." In 103 games for Triple-A Salt Lake this season, Rodriguez hit .299 with 29 homers and 93 RBI.

Analysis: Rodriguez has power potential for a middle infielder. He could challenge for a starting job next spring, perhaps over Akinori Iwamura at second base. He might come up with the Rays next week, but he will be nothing more than a reserve option off the bench and for deeper AL-only leagues

Kazmir was traded to the Angels on Friday for left-hander Alex Torres, third baseman Matt Sweeney and, now, Rodriguez. Playing time will be tough to come by in Tampa Bay, where Ben Zobrist and Jason Bartlett have locked down starting spots up the middle. Still, given the impressive production Rodriguez delivered for Triple-A Salt Lake, hitting .299 with 29 home runs and 93 RBIs, the Rays are certain to give him a chance to shine somewhere down the line. He'll report to Triple-A Durham.

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.

Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi, of FOXSports.com, report the New York Yankees might hold off on signing free-agent OFs Jason Bay (Red Sox) and Matt Holliday (Cardinals) in order to wait for Tampa Bay Rays OF Carl Crawford to become a free agent after next season.

Keith Law's blog for November 16, 2009 looks at Marvin Miller's potential HOF candidacy, the John Lackey and Jason Bay free agency markets, Frank McCourt's divorce and what might happen with Carl Crawford in 2010.

An unattributed report from the NY Baseball Digest claiming that Tampa Bay Rays OF Carl Crawford was upset with the team for picking up his 2010 option and backed out of an agreement to negotiate a potential long-term deal is apparently untrue, according to Joe Smith of the St. Petersburg Times. Last week, Crawford's agent, Brian Peters, said they were still looking forward to working on a long-term contract, and Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said that both sides were "very interested" when the club picked up Crawford's $10 million option Monday, Nov. 9.

The Rays Oofficial site reports that Ruggiano broke out of a season-long slump on Saturday, slugging three homers for Triple-A Durham.

Spin: Ruggiano is now 5-for-13 with four home runs and 10 RBIs over his last four games. He credits a more relaxed approach at the plate for his success. "The less you think, the better you are as a hitter," he said. Ruggiano could be up with the Rays at some point this season, especially given the struggles of Gabe Kapler and B.J. Upton.Sun, May 10

News: Rays OF Justin Ruggiano, who the team already optioned to Triple-A Durham, won't make the opening day roster as a replacement for B.J. Upton, who is recovering from shoulder surgery. Matt Joyce will get the nod instead.

Analysis: Ruggiano has some pop and steals potential, but his limited at-bats make him nothing more than a reserve for the deepest of AL-only Rotisserie leagues. With this news, he might not get any at-bats period

News: The Rays optioned outfielder Justin Ruggiano, infielders Elliot Johnson and Reid Brignac and catcher John Jaso to Triple-A Durham on Wednesday. Executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Ruggiano could be added to the opening day roster to replace center fielder B.J. Upton, who is expected to start the season on the disabled list while he works his way back from offseason surgery on his left shoulder.

Analysis: Ruggiano has some pop and steals potential, but his limited at-bats make him nothing more than a reserve for the deepest of AL-only Rotisserie leagues on Draft Day

Fernando Perez said a diving catch during spring training likely caused an injury to his left shoulder in addition a dislocated left wrist. Perez had surgery on the wrist in March, but didn't didn't undergo shoulder surgery until after the season. "When I began working out again, we all assumed the pain was referred pain from my wrist," Perez wrote in an email to the St. Petersburg Times. "But once I got some confidence that I wasn’t injured, the more ambitious plays I attempted in the outfield told me I had something I ought to get checked out." 2009 was basically a lost season for the 26-year-old outfielder, but he expects to make a full recovery by spring training.Source: St Petersburg Times

Perez, who underwent successful surgery in October to repair his labrum, is expected to be ready in time for spring training, the St. Petersburg Times reports.

Spin: Perez played 18 games with the Rays near the end of the 2009 season, hitting 7-for-34 (.206) with two RBI. He'll be fighting for a depth spot in the outfield in 2010.Mon, Nov 9

Fernando Perez, who underwent surgery on his left shoulder in October, is expected to be healthy by the start of spring training. Perez went 7-for-34 (.206) with no walks and 11 strikeouts during a short stay with the Rays after returning in September from a fractured wrist. If healthy, the 26-year-old will fight for a backup outfield role this spring.Source: St. Petersburg Times

Updating a previous report, the Rays have activated DH Pat Burrell from the disabled list and have optioned outfielder Matt Joyce in a corresponding move, according to the Tampa Tribune. Burrell has been on the DL for a month with a neck strain.

Our View: Burrell is expected to be in the lineup for each of the next three games before being relegated to a bench role when the team travels to a National League park on Tuesday. Burrell has struggled for the Rays this season, and he was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in his last rehab start, so he is probably not a strong play at this point.

The Tampa Tribune is reporting that Rays' outfielder Matt Joyce has been optioned to Triple-A Durham to make room for the activation of DH Pat Burrell. Joyce was hitting .188 in 11 games with the team.

Our View: Joyce may have been hitting only .188, but he managed to pound three homers in his 32 at-bats with the Rays this season. Expect Joyce to be back at some point this season, but his fantasy value will be contingent upon his earning an everyday spot on the team.

The Tampa Tribune is reporting that Rays' outfielder Matt Joyce has been optioned to Triple-A Durham to make rom for he activation of DH Pat Burrell. Joyce was hitting .188 in 11 games with the team.

Our View: Joyce may have been hitting only .188, but he managed to pound three homers in his 32 at-bats with the Rays this season. Expect Joyce to be back at some point this season, but his fantasy value will be contingent on his earning an everyday spot on the team.

John Romano, a columnist for the St. Petersburg Times, has speculated that the Rays could trade Pat Burrell for Milton Bradley.

Spin: According to Romano, the deal basically comes down to two teams each trying to get rid of a player they don't want. Joe Maddon seems to think he could deal with Bradley and his well-documented antics. Bradley would give the Rays more flexibility in their lineup with his ability to play in the field, something that Burrell does not do well. The sticking point appears to be money -- each player will make $9 million in 2010 but the Rays would be on the hook to pay Bradley $12 million in 2011. If the Cubs give in and pay a portion of that money, a deal could happen.Fri, Nov 13

John Romano, a columnist for the St. Petersburg Times, has speculated that the Rays could trade Pat Burrell for Milton Bradley.

Spin: According to Romano, the deal basically comes down to two teams each trying to get rid of a player they don't want. Joe Maddon seems to think he could deal with Bradley and his well-documented antics. Bradley would give the Rays more flexibility in their lineup with his ability to play in the field, something that Burrell does not do well. The sticking point appears to be money, each player makes $9 million in 2010 but the Rays would be on the hook to pay Bradley $12 million in 2011. If the Cubs give in and pay a portion of that money, a deal could happen.Fri, Nov 13

SportingNews.com, reports the New York Mets may target Tampa Bay Rays DH Pat Burrell, according to Newsday.

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.

News: The Rays have promoted SP Jeremy Hellickson to Triple-A Durham.

Analysis: Hellickson was 3-1 with a 2.38 ERA in 11 Double-A starts, with 62 strikeouts and 14 walks in 56 2/3 innings. He's clearly over the shoulder problem that bugged him in May, and Hellickson remains a solid long-term keeper prospect

The Rays have promoted right-handed pitching prospect Jeremy Hellickson from Double-A Montgomery to Triple-A Durham. Hellickson, 22, will make his first Triple-A start on Friday. He was 3-1 with a 2.38 ERA and a 62/14 K/BB ratio in 11 starts for the Montgomery Biscuits.Source: St. Petersburg Times

News: The St. Pete Times reports that Rays SP prospect Jeremy Hellickson has a sprained throwing shoulder. He will be reevaluated in a couple of days, and is expected to miss his next start.

Analysis: Hellickson is 2-1 with a 2.10 in six Double-A starts this season after going 7-1 with a 2.00 ERA in 14 Class A starts last season. He remains a nice long-term keeper option and hopefully this shoulder injury won't turn into anything serious

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

News: The Rays recalled reliever Dale Thayer from the minor leagues Tuesday.

Analysis: Thayer is nothing more than a low-end middle reliever for the deepest of AL-only leagues that use true middle men down the stretch

Thayer was recalled from Triple-A Durham on Tuesday, the St. Petersburg Times reports.

Spin: The Rays' bullpen has seen heavy work recently, so Thayer could be in line for plenty of work down the stretch.Tue, Sep 8

The St. Petersburg Time's Marc Topkin reports the Tampa Bay Rays recalled P Dale Thayer from Triple-A Durham Tuesday, Sept. 8.

News: Scott Kazmir was traded from the Rays to the Angels on Friday night, giving the AL West leaders a major boost to their unsteady rotation. The Angels acquired Kazmir, a two-time All-Star, for two minor leaguers and a player to be named. Tampa Bay receives left-hander Alex J. Torres and third baseman Matt Sweeney in the deal.

Analysis: Torres, 21, is a combined 13-4 with a 2.75 ERA in 26 games (24 starts) at Class A Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Arkansas. He began the season in Class A, going 10-3 with a 2.74 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 21 appearances. He was promoted to Arkansas on Aug. 1, and was 3-1 with a 2.77 ERA in five starts. He has put up great numbers in the minors and is worth taking a look at in long-term keeper formats

Danny Wild, of MLB.com, reports Tampa Bay Rays SP Mitch Talbot gave up five runs and six hits in four innings in the Arizona Fall League Wednesday, Oct. 28.

Baseball America's John Manuel reports Tampa Bay Rays P Mitch Talbot was added to the Arizona Fall League. Talbot is out of minor league options.

Talbot was reassigned to Triple-A Durham on Monday, according to the Tampa Tribune,

Spin: This was expected as Talbot still had an option left. The fifth starter spot is now a three horse race between David Price, Jeff Niemann and Jason Hammel.Mon, Mar 16