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Forum: Talk Rays
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The Rays traded minor league pitcher Josh Butler to Milwaukee for outfielder Gabe Gross. No word yet on when Gross will get here, although he scored the winning run in the Brewers’ victory today against the Cardinals in St. Louis. So, it’s doubtful Gross, 28, will be able to make it to Disney in time to sneak in a plate appearance against the Blue Jays tonight. In fact, GM Andrew Friedman wasn’t sure whether Gross would report tomorrow or Thursday.
When he does get here, the Rays will have to make a move. That appears to be optioning OF Justin Ruggiano to Triple-A Durham or designating OF Nathan Haynes for assignment, but nothing has been announced.
Butler was Tampa Bay’s second-round pick in the 2006 draft. He’s 0-2 with a 6.35 ERA in three starts this year for Class A Vero Beach.
So, what do they do with Gross? He’s a lefty hitting outfielder and former Auburn QB who was drafted by the Blue Jays in the first round in 2001. He was traded to the Brewers in the deal that brought Lyle Overbay to Toronto last year. Gabe Kapler’s emergence as an everyday player for Milwaukee apparently made Gross expendable. Conceivably, Gross could be part of an almost-all lefty or switch-hitting lineup for the Rays, if Joe Maddon chose to go that route. How’s this: Iwamura 2B, Crawford LF, Upton CF, Pena DH, Hinske 3B, D. Johnson 1B, Gross RF, Navarro C, E. Johnson SS. Only righty in the mix would be Upton. They won’t do that ... I think. But hey, now they can! (And if they keep Haynes, they can run out an all-lefty lineup if they juggle some spots in a weird way.)
Anyway, VP Andrew Friedman just talked about the deal. Here’s what he had to say:
“He’s somebody we’ve actually talked to them about since spring training. We feel like he’s going to help us defensively and we like his bat against right-handed pitching. We feel like he has a good mix between patience at the plate and power from the left side. We feel like he’ll help us win games.”
More Friedman, on the growing number of lefty swingers on the roster (Dan Johnson over the weekend, now Gross): “We’re trying to get as much balance as we can, but obviously there’s more right-handed pitchers in this league than there are left-handed pitchers. We feel like he can help us on both sides of the ball.”
Posted by Mark, Orlando on 04/22 at 11:50 PM
Another lefty outfielder? The only way this deal makes sense is to dump Haynes.
All of this platooning is over-rated and it steals ab’s from Gomes. What the Rays really need is another infielder (ss-2b)to replace Bartlett and to rest the struggling Aki. This signing may turn out ok, the Johnson signing is plain dumb.
Posted by Mark Harmon, Lutz, FL on 04/22 at 08:23 PM
What about Longoria? He may fit in somewhere in that lineup. How about this, play him at SS instead of Bartlett? Hinske’s been from team to team because of his fielding. He’s a pretty good hitter, most consistent in our lineup right now. I think Gross is nothing more than a role player to spot starter at best right now. Longoria along with Hinske seem to be delivering the most in our lineup. Go Rays!
Posted by Greg M, Tampa, FL on 04/22 at 07:45 PM
This seems like a waste of a transaction - he won’t even be on the team by the end of the year.
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Posted by Dan, Milwaukee on 04/23 at 10:36 AM
I think you got a pretty decent player in Gross. We (Brewers) just didn’t have a spot for him. His OBP is right at .400 or so, and he has good power. His average is down right now, but he actually has been hitting the ball hard all year. A lot od “hang with ‘em” type line outs. He’s the type of guy who is better with regular playing time.
I’m curious what people think about Josh Butler. Just from his numbers, it looks like he is struggling right now. At least he is still pitching… Our first round pick that year smoked his way to two suspensions so far.