By DAVE SCHEIBER
FOXSportsFlorida.com Rays Writer
Jan. 22, 2011
For a team smarting from the recent departure of franchise star Carl Crawford to Boston, of all clubs, the Rays sure found a way to land an unexpected counterpunch late Friday night � reuniting a pair of Red Sox offensive stars from the Fenway Park glory years in outfielders Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez.
That's not to say that bringing the Johnny & Manny Show to Tampa Bay will make up for losing a player of Crawford's caliber and future potential, or make seeing him wearing Boston red and blue any less surreal.
And no, it doesn't mean the defending American League East champions will be able go toe-to-toe with the revitalized Red Sox in baseball's toughest division.
But it suddenly makes the 2011 Rays more interesting and enhances their personality � changing the tune in Tampa Bay after a dreary conga line of recent payroll-shrinking player departures.
After losing so much since winning the East, the Rays have instantly added an entertainment component that had left the stage this offseason.
The youthful Rays seemed to be hurtling toward spring training in full rebuilding mode but now have a few intriguing wrinkles, courtesy of the 37-year-old Damon and the 38-year-old Ramirez. With the addition of two proven winners � veterans with lively and aggressive approaches to the game � Rays fans have reason to feel a bit more anticipation than trepidation with Opening Day just more than two months away.
True, Damon and Ramirez may be on the back end of their careers, yet they could provide much-needed offensive punch and consistency to the lineup. And just as important, they also may help put fans in the seats � something that has been looming as a major challenge for a team that no longer features such familiar names as first baseman Carlos Pena; starting pitcher Matt Garza; shortstop Jason Bartlett; stellar closer Rafael Soriano; setup man Joaquin Benoit; relievers Grant Balfour, Dan Wheeler and Randy Choate; DH Willy Aybar; and, of course, the aforementioned Crawford.
Tampa Bay's front office no doubt is hoping its 2 Live Crew acquisition will be a draw, reportedly signing Damon to a one-year deal worth $5.25 million, with a $750,000 attendance bonus, and paying Ramirez $2 million for one year.
Damon was last seen in Tropicana Field playing left field in 2010 for the Detroit Tigers, for whom he batted .271 with eight homers and 51 RBI in 145 games. He's a fierce competitor and a smart baseball player, the kind who could make an impact with the Rays in spite of his age. He's earned World Series rings with Boston in 2004 and the Yankees in 2009, and comes into the 2011 season just 429 hits shy of 3,000 and with a .287 career batting average and 215 homers. Damon also could help fill a veteran leadership void in the clubhouse created by Pena's departure to the Cubs as a free agent.
In Ramirez, the Rays have a player with unquestioned power-hitting credentials � ranking 14th on the all-time home run list with 555 � and one who moves to the beat of his own drummer. He missed 50 games last season with the Dodgers after testing positive for a banned substance associated with steroid use, but still batted .311 with eight homers in 66 games. The Dodgers then dealt him to the White Sox during the pennant stretch, and he hit .261 with a homer in 24 games.
If Damon and Ramirez find the old spark that helped the Red Sox blow past the Yankees and then win the Series in '04, or if they simply can add some offensive stability, who knows how it might jump-start the revamped Rays?
Just like that, manager Joe Maddon has some intriguing options.
Though nobody will cover the ground Crawford did in left, Damon could take over there and play well and serve as a left-handed DH at times. Ramirez could emerge as the dependable right-handed DH that Pat Burrell never turned out to be in Tampa Bay.
Until the arrival of Damon and Ramirez, there was growing concern that opposing pitchers would constantly pitch around All-Star third baseman and slugger Evan Longoria. But Damon and Ramirez now give Longoria the cover he needs.
Damon could easily lead off or bat second, with Longoria moving from his 2010 cleanup spot back to the third hole, and Ramirez hitting fourth. That leaves players such as Matt Joyce (10 homers, 15 doubles and 40 RBI in 77 games) and B.J. Upton (38 doubles, 18 homers, 62 RBI and 42 stolen bases) as candidates for the fifth spot. Or maybe Upton moves into the leadoff position in the new-look lineup.
The Rays' starting pitching remains solid. Though Garza is gone, Jeremy Hellickson could fill his spot in the rotation capably. The bigger question is whether the Rays can rebuild their bullpen and find an effective closer with the 1-2 combo of Benoit and Soriano now history. Jake McGee showed some of his impressive heat as a late-season call-up, and J.P. Howell could be ready to rejoin the relief corps by June.
It's apparent that executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and the front office were chasing some star power that might put more spectators in the stands at Tropicana Field.
The lingering question is whether Ramirez and Damon still can perform at levels that would remind fans of their Boston heydays.
