If the Rays Keep Selling…

The Tampa Bay Rays started the offseason off by sending right-handed pitcher Nathan Karns and CJ Riefenhauser to the Seattle Mariners for a package revolving around Brad Miller but the Tampa Bay GM may not be done there. According to Marc Topkin of TampaBay.com the Rays may not be done there and they may be in the market to sell off another starting pitcher or more, well a starting pitcher not named Chris Archer anyway. I know this is extremely unlikely, a team trading to a division rival they are in direct competition with inside the American League East Division, but if the Rays keep selling hopefully Brian Cashman is calling and hopefully Brian Cashman is buying.

Money is the ultimate motivating factor for Tampa Bay so having pitchers with question marks and health concerns surrounding them may move to the top of the trade list for the Rays. Players like LHP Drew Smyly who battled shoulder issues for much of the 2015 season and comes attached to around $4 million in salary through arbitration. Players like LHP Matt Moore who will make $5 million in salary in the final season of his deal before three team options kick in. Moore missed a significant chunk of the 2015 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and struggled with his command upon his return. Speaking of Tommy John surgery Alex Cobb should be back on the mound from the UCL ligament replacement surgery around August if there aren’t any setbacks.

Outside of the rotation the team could trade first baseman James Loney to one of the many teams that will miss out on Chris Davis on the free agency market. The team could also look at trading Brad Boxberger, although the team would have to be blown away since he is still relatively effective and on the cheaper side. Tampa has plenty of moveable contracts and attractive pieces that they could literally do as they pleased this winter. Any and all of these moves could open the door for a short-term deal with a veteran such as Rich Hill and could also open the door for top prospects LHP Blake Snell and RHP’s Taylor Guerrieri and Jacob Faria.

The Yankees would obviously have little interest in Boxberger, Loney or Cobb (unless it was essentially a salary dump which Tampa won’t do) but you have to think that either Moore or Smyly would at least interest Brian Cashman somewhat. I’m not saying a deal is going to get made, and I’m especially not saying it’s going to involve the New York Yankees, but what I am saying is that if the conversations are happening I hope Cashman is at least on the conference call list. 

Recap: Yankees 4, Rays 1

Slade Heathcott hit a dramatic three-run home run in the ninth and the Yankees rallied to beat the Rays, 4-1, on Monday night at Tropicana Field.

The Ultimate Bailout: Making his first at-bat of the evening with two on and two out, Heathcott drilled a Brad Boxberger fastball into the first row in left -- breaking a 1-1 tie in the most unexpected of fashions. Heathcott was playing in his first big-league game since May 27, and had only come in as a defensive replacement in the eighth.

What Else Did You Expect?: Alex Rodriguez preceded Heathcott's blast with a clutch RBI double of his own, a line-drive to the right-center field gap to plate Brett Gardner. The Yankees appeared done following a Jacoby Ellsbury double play, but after Gardner walked and stole second, a spark of hope was ignited within them.

Like Old Times: The often-erratic CC Sabathia kept the Rays off the board for 6 2/3 innings, yielding just three measly singles while walking two and strking out six. Sabathia -- aided in no way by Brendan Ryan's fielding error -- found himself in a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the second, but escaped without damage when Kevin Kiermaier grounded into a force-out and J.P. Arencibia flied to left.

Not What You Want: Justin Wilson, working the eighth even though Dellin Betances was seen warming up, surrendered a go-ahead double to Logan Forsythe, putting the Yankees in a 1-0 hole one couldn't help but find unsurprising. Wilson didn't seem to have his best stuff from the beginning, and at 28 pitches, it wasn't that strange that number 29 went off the wall.

Near No-No: The Yankees didn't record their first hit off Erasmo Ramirez until the eighth, when a hot-shot from Carlos Beltran deflected into right. The single would remain the lone knock on Ramirez's final line, which included 7 2/3 innings of six-strikeout ball.

Next Up: The Yankees will look to continue their success in St. Petersburg with another matchup on Tuesday, sending Adam Warren (6-6, 3.29 ERA) to the hill versus Tampa Bay's Jake Odorizzi (7-8, 3.21 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. ET, airing live on YES and WFAN.

Young's Ninth Inning Homer Lifts Yankees to Thrilling Win Over Rays

Alex Cobb surrendered just a hit and an earned run in 7 1/3 innings and Michael Pineda gave up four times that in as many frames, but thanks to a late rally headed by Martin Prado and Chris Young the Yankees found a way to win tonight's rubber game over the Rays, 5-4, in what can only be described as amazing fashion.

Now as you can see by Cobb's final stats, the inconsistent Yanks' bats struggled for a good majority of this one, trailing 4-0 going into the last two innings due to a pair of home runs by Tampa Bay's Yunel Escobar.

Still, once Young doubled off Cobb with one out in the eighth frame (the Yankees' first hit of the game) to knock the right-hander out and Prado followed him with a two-run shot off Brad Boxberger the excitement began to go the home team's way, with New York's offense suddenly catching fire in their half of the ninth.

And yes, it was cool. 

After Rays' reliever Jake McGee hit Chase Headley in the mouth to start that at-bat, Ichiro laced a clutch double into the left-center field gap, moving pinch runner Austin Romine to third for Zelous Wheeler. 

No, Wheeler didn't get on base, but since his strikeout did still keep him out of a triple play the red-hot Young got another chance to hit, taking advantage of it by lining a fastball into the left-field stands.

In other words, in a thirty-minute span this evening things went from the-Yankees-are-going-to-get-no-hit to playoffs?, a strange happening I'm sure they'll happily take. 

The Daily Dozen - August 15, 2014

The Daily Dozen - August 15th, 2014 I Can't Take it Anymore Edition
(Twelve Takeaways from Tonight's Game vs. the DEVIL Rays)

1. Two singles, a walk, and two fielder's choice.  That's all it took for the Rays to basically put the struggling Yankees offense away.

2. Through 6 innings each team had 4 singles each...and that was it.

3. Teixeira had an infield single?  I would have liked to see that!  What did all of the infielders trip or something?

4. Brandon McCarthy continues to induce groundball outs.

5. And of course the Yankees continue to make errors.

6. At 4-0 in the 7th, it might as well be 10-0 against the #BronxBombless, because they just don't score past the 5th inning.

7. The Yankees looked to make a comeback in the 8th...noticed I said "looked."

8. Jeter goes 2 for 4.  It's pretty bad when the only one hitting is your oldest guy that is retiring at season's end.

9. What kind of a name is Brad Boxberger?  Seriously...

10. Yep...bases loaded and sure enough Ellsbury and that awesome power hitter Teixeira strike out!

There is no 11 or 12...so disgusted right now.  How the heck do the hapless Rays blank the Yankees???

So mad...good night!