Rays to get glimpse of solid ex-teammate

By MARC TOPKIN
Published April 27, 2007

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- On the lengthy docket of mistaken moves by former GM Chuck LaMar, the December 2004 trade of RHP Chad Gaudin is probably underrated.

Tonight in Oakland, the Rays get to see just how bad a deal it has turned out to be as Gaudin, who ranks fourth in the American League with a 1.85 ERA, starts against them.

"He was young. I think we gave up on him too early," said LF Carl Crawford, one of five Rays left from the 2004 team.

"It seems that whenever somebody leaves here, they always do well. Look at pitchers Brandon Backe and Dan Wheeler over in Houston. Some people just do better when they leave."

The Rays traded Gaudin, then a 21-year-old with a promising right arm and inconsistent performances, to Toronto for Kevin Cash, a backup catcher and Tampa product who was, at best, going to be a backup catcher.

Gaudin, though, had potential.

He was traded again the next winter to Oakland and has since developed into a solid and occasionally dominating pitcher, going 4-2 with a 3.09 ERA and earning two saves in 55 games for the A's last season. He moved into their injury-depleted rotation this season and allowed two runs in his first start and one in each of his past three.

Cash spent most of 2005-06 at Triple-A Durham, playing in 13 games for the Rays, and is now a backup with Boston's Triple-A team.

BAD START: It wasn't a good omen when RHP Jae Seo was late to cover the base on leadoff batter Gary Matthews' bouncer to 1B Carlos Pena. "That was really my fault," Seo said. "My bad. A stupid play."

Said manager Joe Maddon: "That can not happen."

As for Seo overall? "Nothing seemed to be working," Maddon said. "His location wasn't there, I didn't see any depth on the breaking ball, bad counts. He was just not sharp today."

HARD LANDING: CF Rocco Baldelli didn't know what he hit until he watched the video of his awkward third-inning play that resulted in a bruise above his right knee. "I don't really know what happened," he said. "I know at some point it hit something pretty square, and it ended up being the wall." Baldelli will test the leg before tonight's game but is unlikely to play, Maddon said.

ABOUT WEDNESDAY NIGHT: As frustrating as the Rays' defensive play was in the 9-1 loss, the six-plus inning performance of RHP Edwin Jackson was encouraging - on the mound as well as how he walked off it. "Physically the stuff is way high-end - the fastball was there, the slider was there, some better changeups," Maddon said. "But when he's able to maintain his composure and his self control, he's going to pitch well almost every time out."

MISCELLANY: The Rays' 14 strikeouts were their most since a July 20 game against Minnesota. ... B.J. Upton has fanned in his past five at-bats. ... Of Pena's 10 hits, four are home runs. ... After making one error in their first six games, the Rays have made 18 in their past 16. ... Maddon, a longtime Angels coach, is 0-5 as a visiting manager in Anaheim. ... The Rays have allowed a major-league most 146 runs. ... The Rays will be featured on This Week in Baseball, airing at 3 p.m. Saturday on Ch. 13.

Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8801.

[Last modified April 26, 2007, 23:47:57]