Pat the Ray

[NorthSider2]

He's gonna be like a dad to those kids Not really he's not that old but its a good pickup for the rays. They didn't really have a pure power bat in the OF and now they have one

[Snakes Gould]

this is a good signing for sure but pat has always been frustrating to watch. to say he doesnt make outs is wrong, because you can bank on 150 strikeouts a year for sure. something to also think about is that hes been hitting behind two of the best hitters in baseball for the couple seasons, so he always seems to get pitches to hit.

for him to play dh is very good and the years and money are right, but it wouldnt shock me to see him drop down a notch.

[jlm53089]

Lineup Should look like this:
1. Iwamura
2. Upton
3. Longoria
4. Burrell
5. Pena
6. Crawford
7. Navvaro
8. Joyce
9. Bartlett

Speed at the top bottom and middle. And power throughout, I honestly think this line up is better than the Yankees line up.
Call me bias, but I could see us out producing them this season.

[hybrid]

this is a good signing for sure but pat has always been frustrating to watch. to say he doesnt make outs is wrong, because you can bank on 150 strikeouts a year for sure. something to also think about is that hes been hitting behind two of the best hitters in baseball for the couple seasons, so he always seems to get pitches to hit.

for him to play dh is very good and the years and money are right, but it wouldnt shock me to see him drop down a notch.

Well BJ and Pena both get on base a lot so I don't see much drop there to be honest. Also add to that Longo will start getting on base more as he gets comfortable in the majors.

Lineup Should look like this:
1. Iwamura
2. Upton
3. Longoria
4. Burrell
5. Pena
6. Crawford
7. Navvaro
8. Joyce
9. Bartlett

Speed at the top bottom and middle. And power throughout, I honestly think this line up is better than the Yankees line up.
Call me bias, but I could see us out producing them this season.

Eh, I'd rather have the 2 to 6 hitters like: Crawford - BJ - Pena - Longo - Burrell. Splits up the lefties well and I think keeps everyone better suited. Having Burrell and Pena bat in front of Crawford is asking for disaster on the base paths and eliminates his best asset.

[Snakes Gould]

this is a good signing for sure but pat has always been frustrating to watch. to say he doesnt make outs is wrong, because you can bank on 150 strikeouts a year for sure. something to also think about is that hes been hitting behind two of the best hitters in baseball for the couple seasons, so he always seems to get pitches to hit.

for him to play dh is very good and the years and money are right, but it wouldnt shock me to see him drop down a notch.

Well BJ and Pena both get on base a lot so I don't see much drop there to be honest. Also add to that Longo will start getting on base more as he gets comfortable in the majors.

fair point, but im just saying pitchers tend to go after him a lot, which seems to produce a feast or famine type day/week/month for burrell.

[The Cow]

Great deal for the Rays. Boston and New York can continue shaking in their shoes. It sure would be nice if New York misses the playoffs this year. A relative bargain signing here. Now where are Dunn and Abreu going to play and for how much? Sure would like to see the Tribe step up and sign a Dunn or Abreu, but it is unlikely.

The Cow

[kab21]

I might be tempted to drop Iwamura to the bottom and have Crawford or Upton lead off. Get your best hitters more AB's over the course of a season. That is a pretty good lineup especially when you consider that each player is at least an average fielder (except their DH).

[Rubidium]

Solid signing by the Rays. I wonder if the Phils knew he'd take such a large pay cut...he made $14MM last year.

I loved Pat, but he can be frustrating to watch. Ks a ton, and last year (just last year) he was terrible with runners on base. Also, he's incredibly streaky, and brutal on D, but that's not a concern for TB I guess.

[moochman]

I might be tempted to drop Iwamura to the bottom and have Crawford or Upton lead off. Get your best hitters more AB's over the course of a season. That is a pretty good lineup especially when you consider that each player is at least an average fielder (except their DH).

My baseball mojo has been sleeping, but I think it probably has something to do with patience, taking pitches and that sort of thing that Iwamura may do better than Upton and Crawford.

Really like this signing by the Rays. Add good power without asking him to run out on the field.

[hybrid]

I might be tempted to drop Iwamura to the bottom and have Crawford or Upton lead off. Get your best hitters more AB's over the course of a season. That is a pretty good lineup especially when you consider that each player is at least an average fielder (except their DH).

My baseball mojo has been sleeping, but I think it probably has something to do with patience, taking pitches and that sort of thing that Iwamura may do better than Upton and Crawford.

Really like this signing by the Rays. Add good power without asking him to run out on the field.

Your right on that as far as Crawford goes, Aki even though he doesnt walk a lot ... he does what you need from a lead off guy. Crawford is more suited for the 2nd spot. BJ on the other hand could lead off, but the org. has decided to move him down because even though he walks and shows patience w/ speed, he can be a good run producer w/ pop as people saw in the playoffs (not to mention the best pure hitter IMO).