Interesting Signings in Tampa Bay

Just when I thought the Rays were going to go with a complete youth movement in 2011, they go ahead and sign two veterans in Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez.  Not only were the acquisitions a surprise but the amount of money for which they spent on these guys was amazing.  The Rays managed to sign Manny Ramirez for just two million while signing Damon for a little over five million.  If you ask me, I think it’s a steal!  Granted, both of these guys are definitely at the tail end of their careers but I believe they still have some ability left in their proverbial tanks.  The other bonus to these acquisitions is that no one will lose playing time.  The young rookie Desmond Jennings will still get a shot at an everyday spot in Tampa and a guy like Ben Zobrist will still be penciled in on an everyday basis as well. Damon and Ramirez will alternate between the designated hitter spot and left field.  Actually, we’ll probably be seeing more of Damon in the outfield than Ramirez. 

One could argue that if your going through a youth movement of your team, you shouldn’t mix in veterans who expect to play everyday.  Well, I already covered the fact that no one will be losing playing time, so the only other factor that I could think of is how these players will fit with a young team.  Of the two players that were added to the Rays roster, Ramirez is of more concern.  Hands down!  Think about it, he is only making two million and he’s at the twilight of his career.  So, depending on how the Rays play in 2011, you could see a positive, helpful Manny, or you could see the negative side of “Manny being Manny.”  What I mean by that is instead of having a positive leader in the clubhouse; the Rays could wind up with a selfish, lazy, unproductive teammate.  

Signing Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez for 2011 is worth the risk for the Rays.  In fact, I think it sends a positive message to both the players and the fans.  Both of these players can only help you on the field.  If for any reason things don’t turn out the way the Front Office expected, then I’m confident the organization would know what to do in order to eliminate any type of circus in St. Petersburg.

If the season were to start today, this would be my projected starting lineup for the 2011 Rays:

RF       Desmond Jennings

LF       Johnny Damon (L)

3B       Evan Longoria

2B       Ben Zobrist (S)

DH      Manny Ramirez

1B       Matt Joyce (L)

CF       B.J. Upton

SS        Reid Brignac (S)

C          John Jaso (L)