Economics pushing Rays' trade winds

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published July 22, 2001

ST. PETERSBURG -- It's not that Rays officials really want to separate Fred McGriff from his family. Or hand over Albie Lopez to a contender. Or trade Greg Vaughn. Or John Flaherty. Or anyone else who may soon be granted the chance to leave the building.

It's that they have to.

Essentially, according to chief operating officer John McHale Jr., the Rays must trim payroll now to ensure the financial health of the franchise in the future.

Public perception, based on the reaction to the McGriff situation, is not going to be positive. There will be people (some of whom actually go to games) blasting the Rays for giving away the only players worth watching. There will be media voices (some of whom actually go to games) questioning the value of the deals.

But, with the mess they've created, the Rays really have no other way to go.

And, as McHale notes, "it's quite obvious to anyone following us that even with these fine players we haven't exactly found the key to success."

McHale's plan is relatively simple, and perhaps not all that different from where the Rays would have/should have been a couple years ago -- field a team of young players that fans will embrace as their own and allow them to grow together.

"That has to be our plan, and we have to hope that we're good enough at our jobs to get the right young players into the right positions and to promote them within this community so that people will become familiar with them and attached to them as they develop and become successful," McHale said.

"And as they become successful and our team becomes more successful we'll become more attractive and our attendance will grow and the enthusiasm for the rest of our inventory will grow. And if we do this right, at the point where those players are established stars with the negotiating leverage provided to them by the collective bargaining agreement, we'll be in a position to be able to keep them."

General manager Chuck LaMar has been hard at it for a while to meet McHale's mandate. Rather than getting what he wants, he must by now realize he just has to make whatever deals he can.

The Rays are hoping the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline will stir the market, but don't view that as the end game. Players who get through waivers still can be traded in August, and there is an entire off-season ahead.

The decisions, McHale said, are not easy, particularly in the "especially poignant" case of someone like McGriff.

But they may be vital.

"We very much understand the kind of outstanding career Fred's had and what he meant to this franchise and what he means to this community, and this is not anything we do with happiness or anticipation," McHale said. "But, simply put, for the economic survival and long-term health of the franchise, this happens to be a position where we have some young talent, so we have to explore it."

NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE: Realignment talk has slowed, pushed aside by pending labor trouble. Too bad. Because the Rays might want to push for a transfer to the NL.

The Rays went 10-8 against NL teams and won four of six series. Against the AL, they are 21-59 and 1-22-2 in series play.

"I guess we probably match up better right now with NL teams than AL teams," McGriff said.

BRAZELTON UPDATE: The Rays were hoping to strike a quick deal with top draft pick Dewon Brazelton and have him pitching in the minors quickly. Now there is a question if the No. 3 overall pick will pitch at all this year.

Rays scouting director Dan Jennings says something still could happen soon. "We've got a continuing dialogue," he said.

Agent Bo McKinnis, however, doesn't sound nearly as optimistic. Given Brazelton's desire to get on the field, McKinnis initially was enthused, especially when the Rays first offered a major-league contract.

But talks have dragged, if not flat out stalled. McKinnis did not get specific, but made it clear the chance for a quick negotiation has passed.

"Apparently the Devil Rays' bad financial situation prevented that from happening," McKinnis said. "I guess they don't have any money."

HOO-RAYS: There is talk of pushing Saturday start times back to early evening next season, perhaps 6:15. Weeknight games will stay at 7:15 and Sundays at 1:15. ... Wade Boggs will host a golf tournament to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation on Oct. 8 at Tampa Palms. Call (813) 258-0266 for information.

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