McClung, two others out

Posted Mar 30, 2007 by Marc Lancaster

Updated Mar 30, 2007 at 01:34 PM

The Rays’ pitching staff appears set after Seth McClung and Chad Orvella were sent down this morning, likely locking up spots for Juan Salas and Jae Kuk Ryu.

Carlos Pena also was cut. More moves could come after the game.

OK, finally got settled in here in Sarasota. Both McClung and Pena were stunned to be let go (Orvella left the park without talking to the media). McClung apparently felt he had a spot locked up all the way, and Pena probably was more a case of the power of positive thinking.

The most intriguing item of the morning was that McClung didn’t know he had an option remaining. Most guys can be sent back three times after the reach a certain level, but a quirk of service time meant McClung had a fourth option year, and this is it.

“I was very surprised,” he said. “I’m really disappointed that I was not made aware of not having an option. That’s not the team’s responsibility to make me aware of that, it’s my agent’s responsibility to make me aware of that. I’m really disappointed in that.

“I would have done spring a little different. I came into camp knowing, in my mind, that they couldn’t send me out without trying to pass me through waivers. I understand it’s a competition, but I put personal goals as far as the closer or what role aside this spring to really spring forward in my development as a pitcher with other pitches and other aspects of the game, the mental side and the physical side.”

As for Pena, the numbers were stacked against him from the beginning. As long as Greg Norton was on the squad, there really was no room for him. The Rays were thrilled with what he did and hope he accepts an assignment to Durham. If he can find a big-league job elsewhere (the Nationals, perhaps?), he’ll go. If not, I think he’ll probably take the assignment. If he does, he’ll probably make his way to Tampa Bay this year.

Either way, he was crushed by the news. Pena’s a very cerebral, articulate guy, and this is what he told both the Rays brain-trust and us this morning:

“I envisioned myself at first base with this team,” he said. “I envisioned myself at least on the team. Every time I woke up in the morning and got in that car, my vision was Opening Day, New York, seeing the planes go by when we’re listening to the National Anthem. I envisioned that every single morning. That’s why every day I came to this park with energy and with a smile on my face, because that’s what was inside of me.”