The Tampa Bay Rays had a scare this morning at Comerica Park.

Rays’ right-hander Jeremy Hellickson was struck in the head with a baseball during batting practice and was taken to a local hospital, manager Joe Maddon said.

Hellickson was hit while throwing in the Rays bullpen.

“A ball got him during (batting practice) in the side of the head,” Maddon said. “That’s all I got right now.”

After Hellickson was hit, players waved over trainers, who waved out a medical cart.

Shortly thereafter, Rays first baseman Carlos Pena was seen gesturing toward his forehead above his right eye.

Maddon said Hellickson, 25 wasn’t bleeding and didn’t lose consciousness.
“So that’s a good sign.”

Hellickson went 13-10 with a 2.95 ERA last season en route to winning American League Rookie of the Year honors.

He is 1-0 this season after coming within an out of a shutout victory over the Yankees on Sunday.

The Toronto Blue Jays will have a 2012 MLB schedule that features 72 regular-season games against AL East teams. Those teams include the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Blue Jays will host their first divisional series against the Red Sox from April 9 through April 11. Their last divisional series will occur against the Yankees from September 27 through September 30. They’ll host 19 of their first 25 divisional games in Toronto.

Here is a brief rundown of the Blue Jays’ schedule against divisional opponents for the 2012 MLB season.

Complete MLB schedule can be found HERE.

April 2012 (9 Home, 3 Road)

April 9-11: Boston Red Sox

April 13-15: Baltimore Orioles

April 17-19: Tampa Bay Rays

April 24-26: at Baltimore Orioles

May 2012 (7 Home, 3 Road)

May 14-15: Tampa Bay Rays

May 16-17: New York Yankees

May 21-23: at Tampa Bay Rays

May 28-30: Baltimore Orioles

June 2012 (3 Home, 3 Road)

June 1-3: Boston Red Sox

June 25-27: at Boston Red Sox

July 2012 (0 Home, 6 Road)

July 16-18: at New York Yankees

July 20-22: at Boston Red Sox

August 2012 (5 Home, 9 Road)

August 7-9: at Tampa Bay Rays

August 10-12: New York Yankees

August 24-26: at Baltimore Orioles

August 27-29: at New York Yankees

August 30-31: Tampa Bay Rays

September And October 2012 (12 Home, 12 Road)

September 1-2: Tampa Bay Rays (Continued)

September 3-5: Baltimore Orioles

September 7-9: at Boston Red Sox

September 14-16: Boston Red Sox

September 18-20: at New York Yankees

September 21-23: at Tampa Bay Rays

September 24-26: at Baltimore Orioles

September 27-30: New York Yankees

MLB schedules subject to change due to rainouts or any other unanticipated postponement.

Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. He immediately gained an admiration for Cubs fans after watching numerous games on WGN during the mid-90s. His favorite Cubs moment was Kerry Wood’s(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie’s defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and “4th & 26″ in a span of three months. He can be found on Twitter HERE.

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The Baltimore Orioles will play 72 regular-season games against AL East opponents during the 2012 MLB season. Their divisional opponents include the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays.

The Orioles will host their first divisional series when they play the Yankees from April 9 through April 11. They’ll finish the season with a three-game road series against the Rays from October 1 through October 3. The Orioles won’t have a home series against an AL East opponent from May 24 through July 23.

Here is a brief rundown of Baltimore’s schedule against divisional opponents for the 2012 MLB season.

Complete MLB schedule can be found HERE.

April 2012 (6 Home, 4 Road)

April 9-11: New York Yankees

April 13-15: at Toronto Blue Jays

April 24-26: Toronto Blue Jays

April 30: at New York Yankees

May 2012 (8 Home, 8 Road)

May 1-2: at New York Yankees (Continued)

May 4-6: at Boston Red Sox

May 11-13: Tampa Bay Rays

May 14-15: New York Yankees

May 21-23: Boston Red Sox

May 28-30: at Toronto Blue Jays

June 2012 (0 Home, 6 Road)

June 1-3: at Tampa Bay Rays

June 5-7: at Boston Red Sox

July 2012 (3 Home, 2 Road)

July 24-26: Tampa Bay Rays

July 30-31: at New York Yankees

August 2012 (6 Home, 5 Road)

August 1: at New York Yankees (Continued)

August 3-5: at Tampa Bay Rays

August 14-16: Boston Red Sox

August 24-26: Toronto Blue Jays

August 31: at New York Yankees

September And October 2012 (13 Home, 11 Road)

September 1-2: at New York Yankees (Continued)

September 3-5: at Toronto Blue Jays

September 6-9: New York Yankees

September 11-13: Tampa Bay Rays

September 21-23: at Boston Red Sox

September 24-26: Toronto Blue Jays

September 28-30: Boston Red Sox

October 1-3: at Tampa Bay Rays

MLB schedules subject to change due to rainouts or any other unanticipated postponement.

Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. He immediately gained an admiration for Cubs fans after watching numerous games on WGN during the mid-90s. His favorite Cubs moment was Kerry Wood’s(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie’s defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and “4th & 26″ in a span of three months. He can be found on Twitter HERE.

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The Tampa Bay Rays will play a total of 72 regular-season games against AL East opponents. That includes the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays.

The Rays will begin the 2012 MLB season with a three-game home series against the Yankees from April 6 through April 8. The Rays will finish their season with a three-game home series against the Orioles from October 1 through October 3. 18 of the first 26 divisional games will be played on the road.

Here is a brief rundown of the Rays’ schedule against divisional opponents for the 2012 MLB season.

Complete MLB schedule can be found HERE.

April 2012 (3 Home, 7 Road)

April 6-8: New York Yankees

April 13-16: at Boston Red Sox

April 17-19: at Toronto Blue Jays

May 2012 (5 Home, 11 Road)

May 8-10: at New York Yankees

May 11-13: at Baltimore Orioles

May 14-15: at Toronto Blue Jays

May 16-17: Boston Red Sox

May 21-23: Toronto Blue Jays

May 25-27: at Boston Red Sox

June 2012 (3 Home, 3 Road)

June 1-3: Baltimore Orioles

June 5-7: at New York Yankees

July 2012 (6 Home, 3 Road)

July 2-4: New York Yankees

July 13-15: Boston Red Sox

July 24-26: at Baltimore Orioles

August 2012 (6 Home, 2 Road)

August 3-5: Baltimore Orioles

August 7-9: Toronto Blue Jays

August 30-31: at Toronto Blue Jays

September And October 2012 (13 Home, 10 Road)

September 1-2: at Toronto Blue Jays (Continued)

September 3-5: New York Yankees

September 11-13: at Baltimore Orioles

September 14-16: at New York Yankees

September 17-20: Boston Red Sox

September 21-23: Toronto Blue Jays

September 26-27: at Boston Red Sox

October 1-3: Baltimore Orioles

MLB schedules subject to change due to rainouts or any other unanticipated postponement.

Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. He immediately gained an admiration for Cubs fans after watching numerous games on WGN during the mid-90s. His favorite Cubs moment was Kerry Wood’s(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie’s defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and “4th & 26″ in a span of three months. He can be found on Twitter HERE.

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Chicago Cubs’ Schedule Against NL Central Opponents in 2012

MLB Schedule for the Chicago Cubs (April 2012)

Who Will Bat Cleanup for the Chicago Cubs on Opening Day in 2012? Fan’s Preview

How Will Peyton Manning’s Release Affect the Tennessee Titans? Local Fan’s Take

The Seattle Mariners have been called much worse. If Jim Bowden is right, and the Mariners are the next version of the Tampa Bay Rays, it would certainly make plenty of fans happy. In recent years, the Rays have put together the kind of club that small and medium markets hope to create, which includes great pitching, balanced hitting, and a minimum of high-priced free agents. What has to happen for this prediction to come true?

The pitching staff

We have our ace in Felix Hernandez. For the Mariners to become the Rays, we need some of this purported talent to develop into genuine big leaguers in a fairly short period of time. That has been plenty of talk about Hector Noesi, Danny Hultzen, James Paxton and Taijuan Walker. Until that is the actual starting rotation and they all have positive records, the M’s are still going to be King Felix and a number of players who might live up to potential someday.

Coming together

On paper, there is potential in the Mariner lineup. Despite a dreadful offense over the last couple of season, fans can be optimistic about players like Dustin Ackley, Mike Carp and Jesus Montero. Again, potential means nothing until the team starts hitting somewhere far north of .233 for the year. If Michael Saunders continues to hit like he has during the spring and Munenori Kawasaki turns out to be a solid contributor, this offense could actually have a bright future. Wouldn’t that be a nice change of pace?

Balance in the payroll

The fear with a team like the Mariners is that eventual success may be difficult to maintain from a payroll standpoint. Because of baseball’s dysfunctional financial system, a club like the Mariners is always at risk of being raided by the big spenders like the Yankees, Red Sox and Angels. Developing into the Rays is a nice thought, but Tampa Bay may have a hard time keeping their stars in the next couple of years. Still, it would be fun to watch a hot young team play for a few years and perhaps even contend.

As a fan, I certainly wouldn’t mind if the Mariners found the same success as the Rays have discovered over the last few seasons. It has been a tough few years, and Seattle deserves better.

Sources:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/thehotstoneleague/2017708267_jim_bowden_raves_about_mariner.html

The author lives in Los Angeles, but grew up in Seattle and still roots faithfully for the Mariners even though they are sometimes frustrating to watch. He gets to Seattle whenever he can to see his M’s. You can follow him on Twitter @tpheifer.

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TAMPA — Stephen Vogt has earned rave reviews for his comedic impressions of manager Joe Maddon.

But Vogt, 27, is also making an impression on the field, with Maddon saying the Rays’ 2011 minor-league player of the year is “among the contending group” for the second catcher spot.

He’d be a dark horse, as Vogt — despite being a .305 hitter in five minor-league seasons — has played in just 31 Triple-A games, with no experience in the majors like contenders Chris Gimenez and rookies Robinson Chirinos and Jose Lobaton.

“We’ve done awkward things in the past, so we’re not afraid of doing something like that,” Maddon said. “I told him in the meeting, he’s playing for this job.”

Vogt went 3-for-3 with a two-run triple in Wednesday’s 4-0 win over the Yankees, the first of the spring for the Rays (1-4). Maddon likes Vogt’s left-handed bat but hasn’t seen enough of him catching, and defense is most important at that position.

“It’s in the back of my mind, and I’d love to earn a spot,” Vogt said. “But at the same time, I play the game the same way no matter where I am.”

GOOD START: RHP James Shields was sharp in his first spring outing, throwing two perfect innings with two strikeouts against many Yankees regulars. “I was commanding my pitches,” he said. “Definitely get a little geeked for the first outing, but for the most part, I felt really good out there.”

IN HAND: 3B Evan Longoria further tested his bruised right hand in Port Charlotte by taking swings and hitting balls off a tee for the first time and said it was a positive step toward recovery.

Maddon was encouraged, saying Longoria should be “back to normal” in the next couple of days. “We’re going in the right direction,” he said. “As long as we can keep that up on a day-to-day basis, it’ll be a good thing.”

Longoria said his hand “was pretty sore” Tuesday when he took dry (no-ball) swings with a fungo bat (which is lighter). On Wednesday he swung a regular bat and hit balls off the tee, which was a sign of progress.

Longoria, hit by a pitch in the March 1 intrasquad game, said he wasn’t going to set any more dates for his first game, but it should be a matter of days. He was happy after being checked Wednesday morning by Rays hand specialist Dr. Doug Carlan but also is frustrated by the slower-than-expected recovery.

“It hasn’t been as fast as I anticipated or wanted it to be, but as long as I’m not waking up the next day and feeling like I’ve taken a step backward, it’s positive,” he said.

MEDICAL MATTERS: Today is somewhat key for a few Rays, as DH Luke Scott and OF Sam Fuld will take live batting practice in what could be their last hurdles before they start playing in games, and the same for RHP Brandon Gomes, who will be one of the throwers. LHP Matt Moore (lower abdomen strain) also will throw, though he will likely have another session before his exhibition debut.

LINING UP: RHP Jeremy Hellickson will work in relief in the home game today rather than start the road game, a choice the Rays gave him, allowing RHP Chris Archer to start at the Twins. … SS Reid Brignac, CF B.J. Upton, 2B/RF Ben Zobrist, RF Matt Joyce and INF Jeff Keppinger will play in the home game, with 1B Carlos Peña, LF Desmond Jennings, SS Sean Rodriguez and UTL Elliot Johnson on the road.

MISCELLANY: Wednesday’s Rays-Yankees game will be a tape-delayed broadcast on the MLB Network at 9 a.m. today. … Scott and third-base coach Tom Foley will be special guests on tonight’s Countdown to Opening Day radio show on 620-AM from 7-8 p.m.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP)—James Shields sailed through his first spring training
start.

The Tampa Bay right-hander pitched two perfect innings, and the Rays beat
the New York Yankees 4-0 on Wednesday.

“I felt really good,” Shields said. “Felt kind of weird the first couple
pitches, but that’s just the normal first game of spring training. I was
commanding my pitches for the most part.”

Shields struck out Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano. The 30-year old is coming
off an All-Star season in which he went 16-12 with 11 complete games and four
shutouts.

“Nobody has to, really, pressure James to do anything,” Rays manager Joe
Maddon said. “He’s such a great worker. He’s such a great self starter and
motivator.”

Hiroki Kuroda allowed three runs and three hits over two innings during his
Yankees’ spring training debut. New York signed the former Los Angeles Dodgers’
pitcher to a $10 million, one-year contract.

“The most important thing that I wanted to accomplish was the feeling for
the real game, and I think I was able to do that, so I’m happy,” Kuroda said
through a translator. “I think there was something that I gained from this
outing. I made sure that I had all my pitches, and I was able to throw a lot of
good pitches.”

Kuroda and opening day starter CC Sabathia are the only pitchers that
Yankees manager Joe Girardi has said will be part of his rotation.

“I thought he threw some really good splits,” Girardi said. “I thought he
threw some good fastballs. I liked what I saw from him. I know he gave up a
couple runs, but that doesn’t bother me. I was pleased with where he’s at
physically.”

The Rays are playing without Evan Longoria, who has a bruised right hand.
The All-Star third baseman, hit by a pitch during an intrasquad game on March 1,
has started hitting off a tee.

“It’s fine … he’s just a sore,” Maddon said. “Next couple days it
should be pretty much back to normal.”

Stephen Vogt, who had 105 RBIs at Double and Triple-A last season, drove in
a pair of runs with a triple off Kuroda during a three-run second. He finished 3
for 3.

New York had just four hits off six pitchers.

“We love our pitching,” Maddon said. “I like our team a lot, I really
do.”

Jeter was hitless in two at-bats and was charged with an error after the
ball popped out of his glove while fielding Ben Zobrist’s fifth-inning grounder.

New York added a Hall of Famer before the game when spring training
instructor Yogi Berra arrived. He joins an instructors’ group of former Yankees’
stars that includes Goose Gossage, Reggie Jackson and Lou Piniella.

“It felt like camp started today—Yogi’s here,” Girardi said. “It was
great to see him. It just kind of puts a smile on everyone’s face. Things pick
up around here a little bit.”

Notes: New York closer Mariano Rivera, who has strongly hinted he will
retire after this season, is to throw batting practice for the second time on
Thursday and will likely pitch Sunday. … Cano is expected to get retired C
Jorge Posada’s locker at Yankee Stadium, which is opposite to Jeter’s at the
back of the clubhouse, near the entrance to the showers. … The Yankees agreed
to one-year contracts with all their previous unsigned players ($480,000 minimum
in majors unless noted): 2B David Adams, OF Zoilo Almonte, RHP Dellin Betances
($481,000), LHP Cesar Cabral, C Francisco Cervelli ($513,700), 2B Corban Joseph,
RHP George Kontos ($481,350), 3B Brandon Laird ($482,500), OF Justin Maxwell, OF
Melky Mesa, RHP Brad Meyers, RHP D.J. Mitchell, RHP Ivan Nova ($527,200), SS
Eduardo Nunez ($523,800), SS Ramiro Pena ($504,600), RHP David Phelps, RHP
Michael Pineda ($528,475), C Austin Romine ($482,000) and RHP Cory Wade
($508,925).

TAMPA — Stephen Vogt has earned rave reviews for his comedic impressions of manager Joe Maddon.

But Vogt, 27, is also making an impression on the field, with Maddon saying the Rays’ 2011 minor-league player of the year is “among the contending group” for the second catcher spot.

He’d be a dark horse, as Vogt — despite being a .305 hitter in five minor-league seasons — has played in just 31 Triple-A games, with no experience in the majors like contenders Chris Gimenez and rookies Robinson Chirinos and Jose Lobaton.

“We’ve done awkward things in the past, so we’re not afraid of doing something like that,” Maddon said. “I told him in the meeting, he’s playing for this job.”

Vogt went 3-for-3 with a two-run triple in Wednesday’s 4-0 win over the Yankees, the first of the spring for the Rays (1-4). Maddon likes Vogt’s left-handed bat but hasn’t seen enough of him catching, and defense is most important at that position.

“It’s in the back of my mind, and I’d love to earn a spot,” Vogt said. “But at the same time, I play the game the same way no matter where I am.”

GOOD START: RHP James Shields was sharp in his first spring outing, throwing two perfect innings with two strikeouts against many Yankees regulars. “I was commanding my pitches,” he said. “Definitely get a little geeked for the first outing, but for the most part, I felt really good out there.”

IN HAND: 3B Evan Longoria further tested his bruised right hand in Port Charlotte by taking swings and hitting balls off a tee for the first time and said it was a positive step toward recovery.

Maddon was encouraged, saying Longoria should be “back to normal” in the next couple of days. “We’re going in the right direction,” he said. “As long as we can keep that up on a day-to-day basis, it’ll be a good thing.”

Longoria said his hand “was pretty sore” Tuesday when he took dry (no-ball) swings with a fungo bat (which is lighter). On Wednesday he swung a regular bat and hit balls off the tee, which was a sign of progress.

Longoria, hit by a pitch in the March 1 intrasquad game, said he wasn’t going to set any more dates for his first game, but it should be a matter of days. He was happy after being checked Wednesday morning by Rays hand specialist Dr. Doug Carlan but also is frustrated by the slower-than-expected recovery.

“It hasn’t been as fast as I anticipated or wanted it to be, but as long as I’m not waking up the next day and feeling like I’ve taken a step backward, it’s positive,” he said.

MEDICAL MATTERS: Today is somewhat key for a few Rays, as DH Luke Scott and OF Sam Fuld will take live batting practice in what could be their last hurdles before they start playing in games, and the same for RHP Brandon Gomes, who will be one of the throwers. LHP Matt Moore (lower abdomen strain) also will throw, though he will likely have another session before his exhibition debut.

LINING UP: RHP Jeremy Hellickson will work in relief in the home game today rather than start the road game, a choice the Rays gave him, allowing RHP Chris Archer to start at the Twins. … SS Reid Brignac, CF B.J. Upton, 2B/RF Ben Zobrist, RF Matt Joyce and INF Jeff Keppinger will play in the home game, with 1B Carlos Peña, LF Desmond Jennings, SS Sean Rodriguez and UTL Elliot Johnson on the road.

MISCELLANY: Wednesday’s Rays-Yankees game will be a tape-delayed broadcast on the MLB Network at 9 a.m. today. … Scott and third-base coach Tom Foley will be special guests on tonight’s Countdown to Opening Day radio show on 620-AM from 7-8 p.m.

The Tampa Bay Rays did a lot more than win a wild-card spot last year.

Left for dead in the first half of the year, the Rays did not climb from the abyss with a sensational winning streak. Instead, they steadied themselves and played solid baseball from the All-Star break on and took advantage of a horrendous stretch run by the Boston Red Sox to win the American League wild-card spot.

The rally to the playoffs featured all aspects of the games. The Rays depended on their starting pitching, solid fielding, clutch hitting and gutsy relief pitching. The Rays never lacked for confidence during the season, but their long rally has allowed them to reassess themselves at the start of the 2012 season.

No longer are they the little team chasing the New York Yankees and the Red Sox. They view themselves on equal footing with those two rivals and they believe in their hearts that a World Series title is a legitimate possibility.

The rest of the baseball world is coming around to their way of thinking, but they are not as sold as the Rays are themselves. Many American League observers believe Tampa Bay has bypassed Boston in the American League East and will be able to challenge the Yankees but won’t be able to beat them.

Ben Zobrist, an All-Star in 2009 who should see the majority of his action at second base this year, believes his team has only one thing to concern itself with—winning the World Series. He told the Tampa Tribune there is nothing else for his team to focus on at this point.

“We’re planning on winning the World Series this year. That’s the goal,” Zobrist said. “And from Day 1 here, looking forward, that’s what we’re focused on.”

Zobrist admits expectations have changed dramatically over the years. “When I first got into spring training with the Devil Rays at the time, the atmosphere was we were just trying to get above water,” Zobrist said. “After the last few years the expectations just keep going up, so we’re going to have to work really hard and try and meet those.”

This year’s team will depend on the pitching of David Price, James Shields and Jeremy Hellickson, but the Rays’ clutch hitting may be the difference maker this year. The Rays follow the lead of 3rd baseman Evan Longoria in this area. Even though he was troubled by nagging injuries throughout much of the first half of the season, he still hit 31 home runs and drove in 99 runs last year. A healthy Longoria could hit 40 home runs and drive in 125 runs.

Add in centerfielder B.J. Upton, Zobrist and Matt Joyce and the Rays should be able to mash the ball consistently.

The best asset the Rays have won’t pitch a single inning or get one base hit. Joe Maddon is the best manager in baseball and once he wins a World Series, he will get that recognition. If he can ever win multiple World Series titles, Maddon’s name will get mentioned with the great managers in history.

Those who sell him or his team short risk getting run down the way the Red Sox were a year ago.

Reference:

Tampa Bay Online—Rays Embracing High Expectations for 2012

http://www2.tbo.com/sports/rays/2012/feb/25/4/spsporto6-high-expectations-embraced-by-team-ar-362634/#fbcomments

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Sunday, November 20, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays appear to have crossed one thing off their offseason checklist, as they’re reportedly close to a deal with free agent C Jose Molina.

If and when the deal becomes official, possibly this week, it’s a move that would make sense for Tampa Bay.

Molina, 36, has been a backup primarily during his 12-year career, but he fits well with the kind of catching platoon the Rays desire. He’s very strong defensively, ranking fourth among active catchers by throwing out 40 percent of attempted basestealers. He handles pitching staffs well, which is important with the Rays’ prized rotation. Molina has a wealth of experience in the American League East, having played for the Yankees and Blue Jays the past five years, and could be a valuable mentor for rookies Jose Lobaton and Robinson Chirinos. He has won two World Series, one with Anaheim in 2002 along with Rays manager Joe Maddon, who is a big fan.

And considering that Molina made just $1.2 million last year in Toronto, he falls in Tampa Bay’s price range. Foxsports.com reported the discussed Molina deal would be for one year plus an option for 2013. The Rays declined C Kelly Shoppach‘s $3.2 million option for next season, and though both sides were open for a reunion, a signing of the right-handed hitting Molina would end that.

Like Shoppach, Molina isn’t a big offensive threat (his career high is six homers), but he’s coming off a strong season in which he hit .281 for Toronto in 55 games; Shoppach hit .176 last year. The most games Molina has started in a season is 81 (in 2008 with the Yankees), but executive VP Andrew Friedman said early last week it was more likely the Rays would go with a platoon situation anyway.

“It’s just a demanding position,” Friedman said. “Basically a 100-60/62 (split). Who knows? We might get into a situation 80-80. It depends on the players involved.”

The Rays’ other options are Lobaton, whom they like but who was hampered by a knee sprain and hit .118 in 15 games last season; Chirinos, who showed flashes but likely needs more minor-league time; and John Jaso, who took a step back last year.

The signing of Molina wouldn’t be splashy, but it could be a solid one. Recent history has shown it doesn’t hurt to have a Molina brother on your roster, as they’ve played for the past three World Series champions (Jose with the Yankees in 2009, Bengie with the Giants and Rangers in 2010 and Yadier with the Cardinals last season).

PITCHING IN: It was a big week for the Rays rotation, with RHP Jeremy Hellickson winning American League rookie of the year Monday and RHP James Shields finishing third in the AL Cy Young voting Tuesday. And though there will be speculation all offseason that the Rays will trade from their surplus of starting pitching, Friedman maintained that’s not a foregone conclusion.

“It’s something that I expect that we’ll get a lot of inquiries,” Friedman said. “It’s not something that we’re flippant about. We’re not sitting in our internal meetings and talking about how we have too much starting pitching. Obviously if someone puts something forward that’s compelling, we owe it to everyone to talk through it. But I wouldn’t necessarily count on it.”

RAYS RUMBLINGS: The Rays are still looking at options at first base and DH as well as finding a couple of relievers. … The Rays remain interested in talking with DH Johnny Damon and 1B Casey Kotchman, and potentially bringing them back: “They are very prominent in our discussions right now as we’re going through things,” Friedman said. “I expect that will continue.” … According to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes, ex-Rays LHP Scott Kazmir will pitch in the Dominican Winter League with the Escogido Lions.

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com.

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Free-agent catcher Jose Molina(notes) has spent the last four and a half seasons in the American League East behind the plate for the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays. Now it appears that he’s getting ready to spend another season in the division.

FOX Sports reports that Molina “is close to signing a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays that includes an option for the 2013 season.”

The 36-year-old, who has played on two World Series champs, could sign the deal “within the next several days,” the site notes. He batted .281 with three homers in 55 games for Toronto this past season.

Don’t forget to follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.

Source: FOX Sports

Related: New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Friday, November 18, 2011

Two more wild-card teams will be added to the major-league playoffs, and the Rays could be one of the biggest benefactors.

The Rays have always found themselves in the difficult position of trying to make the postseason while competing in the American League East against the Yankees and Red Sox — and their mammoth payrolls. It took a September comeback and a historic Boston collapse for the Rays to clinch a wild-card berth on the final day of this past season

But commissioner Bud Selig announced Thursday at the meetings in Milwaukee that owners approved adding a second wild-card team to each league, with hopes that a new playoff format can begin next season. It’s possible the expanded field might not start until 2013, when the Astros are scheduled to move from the NL Central to the AL West, a realignment that will form two 15-team leagues and lead to interleague play throughout the season. The Astros’ move was approved by owners along with the $615 million purchase of the franchise by Jim Crane.

“We believe after a lot of study and a lot of thought that the addition of two wild cards will really help us in the long run,” Selig said.

The altered playoff structure is subject to an agreement on a new labor contract with the players’ association, which is expected before the current deal expires Dec. 11.

The idea of adding another playoff team to each league had been discussed the past two years. Selig said details and scheduling haven’t been sorted out for the new format, but it’s likely that the two wild-card teams in each league would play each other in a one-game playoff, with the winner moving on to the division series.

That means the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays could all make the playoffs in the same season.

“With the fact of how competitive our division is, I like the fact that we add another element to it,” Rays hitting coach Derek Shelton said. “It should make October even more interesting.”

The Rays have made the playoffs three of the past four seasons, including winning two AL East titles. But with their payroll at least one-quarter the size of Boston and New York, whom the Rays play 18 times each per season, it continues to be a challenging task.

“We are in favor of any change that might help improve competitive balance,” Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said. “And this at least does something to further that.”

In other Rays news, the team appears close to signing veteran free agent catcher Jose Molina. FoxSports.com reported that the sides are nearing a one-year deal with an option for 2013. The Rays declined comment. Molina, 36, has been primarily a backup during his 12-year big-league career, but he would provide strong defense and experience. He hit .281 in only 55 games for the Blue Jays last season and has thrown out 40 percent of attempted base-stealers in his career.

Astros sale spurs league realignment

HOUSTON — Owners unanimously approved the long-delayed sale of the Astros from Drayton McLane to Crane, a transaction that requires the team to move from the NL Central to the AL West in 2013.

As part of the Astros’ agreement to switch leagues, the sale price was cut from $680 million to $615 million, the Associated Press reported. The deal is expected to be completed Tuesday.

“We’re focused on bringing a winner back to Houston,” said Crane, who added that staff changes will be made after Thanksgiving.

It’s baseball’s first realignment since the Milwaukee Brewers went to the NL after the 1997 season.

With an odd number of teams in each league, there will be interleague play from April through September. Since interleague games began in 1997, they had been concentrated around May and late June.

Sveum to pilot Cubs

The Cubs hired Dale Sveum as their new manager, hoping the Brewers hitting coach can help turn around the long-suffering franchise.

Sveum will be introduced at a news conference today at Wrigley Field, the team announced.

Sveum replaces Mike Quade, who was fired by Theo Epstein, the new president of baseball operations. The Cubs finished 71-91 after a disappointing season that extended their title drought to 103 seasons.

Sveum, who turns 48 Wednesday, has little experience as a manager, other than an interim stint with the Brewers late in 2008 after Ned Yost was fired. Sveum was chosen for the job over Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux, Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin, Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr. and Red Sox bench coach DeMarlo Hale. Former Red Sox manager Terry Francona pulled himself out of contention.

Phillies: Catcher Brian Schneider, the 34-year-old backup to Carlos Ruiz, re-signed with the club, getting a one-year, $800,000 deal in which he can earn an additional $200,000 in performance bonuses.

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com. Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

[Last modified: Nov 17, 2011 11:08 PM]

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