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Roger Mooney

Roger Mooney covers the Tampa Bay Rays for The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8. He has covered the Rays since their first season in 1998, including 11 years for the Bradenton Herald. Roger has also covered Florida, South Florida and Florida State football, the Bucs and the Lightning.

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Look what the Rays have to show for Huff trade

Posted Dec 22, 2009 by Roger Mooney

Updated Dec 22, 2009 at 06:46 PM

It would take sending Mitch Talbot to the Indians as the player-to-be-named later in the Kelly Shoppach trade to rekindle memories of the Aubrey Huff Era in Tampa Bay.

Talbot was the other “who” in the “who and who?” reaction to the July 2006 trade that sent Huff to the Astros for a pair of Houston minor league prospects, shortstop Ben Zobrist and Talbot, a right-handed pitcher.

At the time, the trade was looked on as nothing more than a salary dump – Huff’s. Though the move would prove to be a pivotal moment in Rays history.

Zobrist, who was with the Astros Double-A team in Corpus Christi, was sent to the Rays Triple A team in Durham, where he became the Bulls everyday shortstop. B.J. Upton, who up until that time was still believed to be the Rays shortstop of the future, was moved to third base.

The Rays traded for Zobrist because they knew they needed someone to replace Julio Lugo, who they were going to trade shortly, and they knew they didn’t have any candidates in the farm system. Upton proved he wasn’t a major league shortstop during his stint with the Rays in 2004.

On Aug. 1, Upton was sent to Tampa Bay and played 50 games at third base for the Rays during the final two months of the season.

Zobrist made to the trip to the Trop with Upton that same day and took over at shortstop in the wake of the trade deadline move that sent Lugo to the Dodgers.

Neither infielder remained at those positions for long.

Upton was shifted to second base at the start of the ’07 season then replaced an injured Rocco Baldelli in center field in May.

Zobrist never stuck as the Rays everyday shortstop, but carved a place on the team as what manager Joe Maddon calls his “super utility” player, playing everywhere but catcher and pitcher.

Zobrist turned into an All-Star in ’09 and was named the team’s MVP by the writers who cover the Rays. Upton has shown All-Star Game potential, but has been slowed in part by injuries during the past two years.

It never worked out for Talbot in Tampa Bay. He didn’t exactly impress anyone during his September call-up in ’08. Still, the Indians thought enough of Talbot to take him in exchange for Shoppach. The Indians also threw in a little cash to help the Rays pay for Shoppach, who is in the arbitration process.

At one time, Huff was the best player – past or present – in Rays history. Huff left town as the Rays all-time leader in games played, runs, hits, RBIs, at-bats, home runs, doubles and extra-base hits.

Carl Crawford has passed him in most categories, yet Huff is still the team’s career home run leader with 128. Carlos Pena, who has 116, should pass Huff this season.

In 2007, I picked the Rays all-time 10-year team and had Huff at right field. I still think there is a spot for Huff on the all-time team, though he might be moved to designated hitter to make room for Zobrist in right. Unless you want to put Zobrist at second base, though I am more comfortable with Aki Iwamura at second, since Aki was a big part of the ’08 championship team.

Anyway …

Trading Huff to the Astros for a couple of no-name prospects during the 2006 All-Star Break was seen then as a salary dump. But, look what the Rays now have to show for the trade: A utility player who made the 2009 All-Star team and a catcher who can play every day.

Turned out to be a pretty good trade.