BOSTON - The Devil Rays are planning to have Lou Piniella and his entire coaching staff back next season.
The six coaches are expected to be offered two-year contracts next week that will keep them with the Rays through 2006, which is the last year of Piniella's contract. Senior adviser Don Zimmer is also expected to be offered the chance to return.
"I think Lou and his staff have done an outstanding job this year," general manager Chuck LaMar said.
"We had our ups and downs. We all want to do better; it's our job to do better. From my standpoint as general manager, I couldn't ask more of a major-league staff - their work ethic, their professionalism, the way they work with the young kids as well as the veterans, the way they've kept our season of ups and downs in perspective.
"They will all be offered contracts back by this organization. It's my goal to keep this major-league staff intact."
Bench coach John McLaren, hitting coach Lee Elia and bullpen coach Matt Sinatro worked for Piniella in Seattle.
Pitching coach Chuck Hernandez, third-base coach Tom Foley, and first-base coach Billy Hatcher worked in the Rays' minor-league system. Zimmer joined the Rays in a new position.
LaMar also plans to retain most, if not all, of his front office staff. Player development and scouting director Cam Bonifay and assistant general managers Bart Braun and Scott Proefrock are among his top assistants in the last year of their contracts.
"Contracts will go out next week and I expect very little, if any, change," said LaMar, whose own contract was earlier extended through 2006. "I'm extremely pleased with this organization and the people we have in it. ... They've done an outstanding job and I'll be honored to offer them contracts hopefully we can keep them."
HANDY HALAMA: Lefthander John Halama will move back into the rotation starting Saturday at Toronto and in Thursday's makeup game at New York.
The Rays had an opening because Jorge Sosa is being moved back to the bullpen to help replace injured setup man Jesus Colome. "He's just more valuable to us the last 20 days in the bullpen than in the rotation," Piniella said. Sosa and Travis Harper will share the setup role.
Halama is 4-5, 5.79 in 12 starts; 2-1, 2.56 in 18 relief appearances. He was chosen over Rob Bell in part because Piniella likes the matchups created by bringing in righthanded relievers behind him.
HIT MEN: Piniella and Elia are planning to bring in young hitters such as Rocco Baldelli, Jorge Cantu, Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton for an offseason hitting camp that will feature intense individual instruction.
There will also be workouts designed to help the players get stronger in specific areas so they can hit for more power. Piniella said they used a similar program in Seattle with Alex Rodriguez.
STILL TALKING: Negotiations with top draft pick Jeff Niemann are ongoing, and LaMar said the powerful righthander eventually will be signed.
"We're exploring avenues to bridge the gap between our two proposals," LaMar said. "We're still extremely confident we'll get something done in the near future and make him a Devil Rays and he can start concentrating on spring training."
INTERESTING MOVE: After being blasted for seeking a forfeit victory when the Rays couldn't get to New York on time last week due to Hurricane Frances, the Yankees will use Thursday's makeup game to help victims of the hurricanes.
After season tickets are distributed, all other tickets will be sold for $5 on a first-come, first-served basis, with net proceeds donated to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
BIG SCHILL: Boston's Curt Schilling became the season's first 20-game winner, with four of the wins against the Rays, and moved the Sox within 31/2 games of the Yankees.
"It was a big game," Schilling said. "And it felt like it."
MISCELLANY: Baldelli tied a team record by knocking in a run in his seventh straight game. Fred McGriff, Greg Vaughn and Aubrey Huff also did it. ... Triple-A manager Bill Evers and pitching coach Joe Coleman will join the staff at home Monday. ... After working his way back from shoulder surgery, Todd Ritchie made his 2004 big-league debut with a 1-2-3 ninth inning. ... Crawford was interested in joining the all-star team that will make a postseason tour of Japan but has not yet been invited.
