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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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Maddon shrugs at Yankees moves

Posted Jul 31, 2010 by Roger Mooney

Updated Jul 31, 2010 at 12:42 AM

ROGER MOONEY
ST. PETERSBURG Manager Joe Maddon was asked for his opinion of the Yankees getting Lance Berkman in a deal that should be completed this afternoon.

“Honestly, it doesn’t matter what the Yankees do,” Maddon said.

That is how the Rays deal with the big-spending Yankees, who always add at the trade deadline, which is 4 p.m. this afternoon.

It’s not like the Rays can spend with the Yankees. It’s not like the Rays don’t know the Yankees are always going to try and improve the club at the trade deadline.

The Rays have adopted a “let’s just worry about ourselves attitude.”

It applies to the Red Sox, as well.

The Yankees are going to add Berkman, a move that will give them a sixth candidate for the designated hitter job. Jorge Posada, Nick Swisher, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira have each seen time at DH this season with Posada getting the bulk of the starts. The others serve as the DH one days when Yankee manager Joe Girardi wants to give them a day off while keeping their bat in the lineup.

It will be interesting to see how Girardi divides the at-bats with Berkman on the roster.

The Yankees also acquired Indians outfielder Austin Kerns after Friday’s 3-2 loss to the Rays in a move that adds depth to their outfield and bench.

How will these moves change the structure of the race for AL East?

“We’re going to find out,” Maddon said.

We’ll also find out in a few hours whether Rays VP of baseball Andrew Friedman can find a bat to bolster the Rays offense.

Adam Dunn of the Nationals seems to be high on the Rays list now that he has consented to being a DH.

Maddon said before Friday’s game that he felt it was “Less than 50 percent” the Rays would make a trade before today’s deadline.

If it does, you can bet it won’t include Jeremy Hellickson or Desmond Jennings and it won’t take away from the Rays defense or pitching, the two areas that should carry the Rays to the postseason.

“We don’t want to do anything to impact negatively our pitching and defense, but if we can add somehow offensively, we would,” Maddon said. “The offense is the variable. If we could keep all that going on and improve the variable, I think that’d be good.”