ST. PETERSBURG — Those Tampa Bay Rays fans hoping the team signs a legitimate, big league closer this offseason, well ... it’s not going to happen.
Rays vice president of baseball Andrew Friedman said he expects the Rays to break camp next spring with the old closer by committee.
His reasoning? The Rays simply can’t afford someone like Billy Wagner, the former Astros, Phillies and Mets closer now serving as the Red Sox set-up man.
“I think there’s kind of a misnomer out there that we don’t believe in having someone that can lock down a game,” Friedman said Tuesday at Tropicana Field. “It’s just that when we get into our roster construction and allocating of resources, it’s very difficult for us to allocate a huge amount of money for someone who pitches 70 innings a year.”
Friedman added, “We can’t make any moves in a vacuum.”
That means he can’t spend the bucks on a closer because he needs some of that money elsewhere.
Not that Friedman wouldn’t mind someone like Mariano Rivera or Jonathan Papelbon for the back end of his bullpen. It’s just that none are available on this winter’s free agent market, and he isn’t about to trade for one if one were on the trade market.
What Friedman is looking for are a few pitchers who pitch to both left-handers and right-handers and can withstand the pressure of getting the last three outs in a game.
J.P. Howell, who was 10-for-10 in save situations before slumping in August, will be in the mix. So will Dan Wheeler and possible Grant Balfour. Any reliever the Rays pick up this offseason will likely fall into that group, too.
“Short of having that lock down guy, there’s still times when you get to the ninth inning when one guy may be a better match,” Friedman said,
“And that’s where it gets to having as many talented good relievers who can get important outs in a game as possible, so that way you can do it that way and kind of use matchups to your advantage.”
Noteworthy
Rays manager Joe Maddon used the word “lazy” to describe one aspect of Dioner Navarro’s season, but added, “We feel he’s a much better player than he showed this year.” Maddon noted Navarro’s inability to hit left-handed (.183) and said Navarro could have done a better job blocking balls in the dirt. But, Maddon added the Rays pitchers didn’t do a good job of holding runners on first, which is why Navarro struggled throwing out base stealers at second. ... Friedman said Pat Burrell’s off year at the plate was a blip in Burrell’s career. “You just don’t forget how to hit,” Friedman said, adding Burrell’s neck injury and his transition to a new league and the DH role played a part in his season-long slump ... Friedman said a decision has not been made on the option the team holds on Akinori Iwamura.
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