Rays find some money to spend

Selling players to Japan should allow Rays to do some shopping.

By MARC TOPKIN, Times Staff Writer

© St. Petersburg Times
published December 14, 2002

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Having Lou Piniella working the lobby isn't all that's new with the Devil Rays at these winter meetings. After making two deals with Japanese teams, general manager Chuck LaMar actually has some money to spend.

Not enough to go on a wild shopping spree, but about $2-million more in essentially found money after selling infielder Andy Sheets to the Hiroshima Carp on Friday and finalizing the deal to send Steve Cox to Yokohama.

"It gives us some flexibility to be more aggressive, not only with free-agent players but in talking to teams about players who might be making a little money rather than strictly talking about young players making the minimum at the major-league level," LaMar said.

Those talks are likely to get under way in earnest today as the Rays look to bring in a veteran shortstop and outfielder to complement what again will be one of the youngest teams in the majors.

Because of the additional funds -- believed to be in excess of $1.5-million for Cox, and around $300,000 for Sheets -- the Rays can consider a wider circle of potential trades. One possibility could be shortstop Rey Ordonez, whom the Mets are looking to dump and willing to pay a chunk of his $6.25-million salary.

Meanwhile, agent Scott Boras confirmed Friday that the Rays have expressed interest in free-agent infielder Rey Sanchez.

"Put it this way -- we're talking," Boras said. "There's a little push out there for him."

Sanchez made $700,000 last season, but Boras indicated he may be looking for a deal in excess of the $1.75-million Royce Clayton got from Milwaukee.

Other free-agent options include Deivi Cruz and Jose Hernandez.

The Rays also want an outfielder, preferably one who could play centerfield if super prospect Rocco Baldelli isn't ready to make the jump to the major leagues or a corner if Carl Crawford needs to go back to the minors.

They have talked to Boras about Alex Ochoa and also have had discussions about Doug Glanville and Todd Hollandsworth.

The two moves, Piniella said, may be related. If they were to get an outfielder who can bat at the top of the order, such as Glanville, they might seek a more productive shortstop. If they get more of a power-hitting outfielder, they may want a shortstop who can lead off.

The Rays haven't had much chance to be buyers since their ill-fated 2000 plunge into the market. But they still are very much sellers, pushing to trade arbitration-eligible pitchers Tanyon Sturtze, Paul Wilson and Esteban Yan rather than considering letting them go.

While Wilson and Yan are likely to get raises to the $3-million range, Sturtze would seem a reasonably affordable option, at about $1-million, to anchor the rotation.

Sturtze's agent, Eric Goldschmidt, said he had a brief conversation with LaMar but no offer.

"If they don't sign Tanyon and Paul Wilson, how are they going to fill out their pitching staff?" Goldschmidt said. "I don't know what they're going to do. It's up to them. But I think Tanyon could pitch for 25 other clubs."

With the additional funds, they could be better positioned to make a package deal, say coupling Yan and Ben Grieve for players who make about the same money.

There have been a number of interesting ideas floating around the massive Opryland hotel complex. Enough that LaMar said he would be open to at least discussing deals involving some of the Rays' prized young players.

"There's going to be discussion about our young players," LaMar said. "It would have to be a big deal for us to start dealing some of our quality young players. However, there may be an opportunity where we trade a quality young player for a quality young player that fills a bigger hole on the club. We're not afraid to have those discussions, and we will have those discussions."