Joining “TKras” Today will be:

Tom Jones (Tampa Bay Times)- Talked about the Lightning win streak, the Rays spring training and the Bucs offseason. 

Tom will also talk about the Rays spring training, the upcoming all-star weekend and USF’s chances of making the NCAA tournament.

You can get in touch with Primetime by emailing them at Primetime@ESPN1040.com

You can follow Tom on Twitter @TKras

Call them Toll Free (877) 355-1040

In Hillsborough, (813) 289-1040

In Pinellas, (727) 577-1040

Joining Whitney today will be:

1:00 – Steve Kyler – NBA All-Star Weekend

1:30 – Ken Morrow – Miracle on ice

2:00 – Mike Corcoran – Lightning trades

Call him Toll Free (877) 355-1040

In Hillsborough, (813) 289-1040

In Pinellas, (727) 577-1040

Unable to spend freely on the open market, the Tampa Bay Rays have built the core of their pitching staff through the draft and via trade. In fact, all 162 games last season were started by a pitcher drafted by the organization and no free agent pitcher has started a game for the franchise during the Andrew Friedman Era. In conjunction with a superb defense and a pitcher-friendly Tropicana Field, the staff finished 2011 with the second lowest ERA in the American League (3.58) with the talented rotation posting an AL-best 3.53 ERA.

As a result of solid talent acquisition, the Rays ended the season with more qualified major-league starters than slots in the rotation. Conventional wisdom suggested they would move one of those starters to upgrade their offense; however, the front office was able to add Carlos Pena and Luke Scott without compromising the depth of the rotation. While they still have seven starters for five spots, it is always better to have more pitching than not enough. There is always the chance for an opportunistic Friedman to deal one of his starters in March should another team come calling, but as we have seen before, the Rays makes deal on their own terms and not for the sake of making a move.

While Friedman has been able to build his rotation with precision, bullpen construction is largely a crapshoot. Year-to-year reliever performance is extremely volatile with only a handful of relief aces able to produce at high levels on a consistent basis. Of course, that type of reliever costs money and the Rays are unable to gamble with multi-million dollar contracts by playing reliever roulette.

Instead, Friedman and Co. have mastered the art of the one-year deal, and developed a process for finding flawed –yet talented – arms who can be acquired for less than they are actually worth. Following in the steps of Joaquin Benoit, Grant Balfour, and Rafael Soriano, Kyle Farnsworth and Joel Peralta were underpaid and underappreciated arms that the Rays cultivated into an effective, high-leverage tandem last season. The 2012 bullpen is much more stabilized than the 2011 version; however, there are some risk/rewards arms that could swing the pendulum one way or the other. More bullpen discussion will come in our next installment, but for now let us take a Tampa Bay’s talented rotation.

James Shields – Followers of advanced metrics pegged Shields as a prime candidate for positive regression after disappointing 2010 season. It would not be long before mainstream audiences caught on to the phrase “regression to the mean.” After leading the league in hits, earned runs, and home runs allowed in 2010, the right-hander led the league in complete games (11) and shutouts (4) last season. He was named to the All-Star game and set a career-best in traditional marks like wins (16) and ERA (2.82) while posting excellent peripheral marks in terms of defensive-independent metrics like strikeouts and walks. Some may point to a 46-inning increase in workload as a cause for concern going forward; however, a more efficient and effective Shields threw just 225 more pitches in the 2011 regular season than he did in 2010.

Not all of Shields’ success from last season was a product of improved luck. He spent the offseason ironing out inefficiencies in his delivery and controlled the running game with 12 pick-offs. In addition to the work on his mechanics, Shields was the sensei of pitching backwards or “Pitching 2.0” as Joe Maddon called it, throwing his signature changeup as well as a fantastic curveball in traditional fastball counts. While it was clear he was not as bad as he was in 2010, he probably pitched a little above his head in 2011. That said, with a high worth ethic, and an advanced knowledge of pitching, he should have another extremely solid season in 2012.

Jeremy Hellickson – The 2011 AL Rookie of The Year, Hellickson, posted an impressive 2.95 ERA in his first full season. That said, his peripheral statistics suggest negative regression ahead. The good news is the 24-year-old possesses attributes that may help stave off a sophomore slump. His .220 batting average on balls in play was well below the league average and will likely increase going forward. Meanwhile, if his ability to induce pop-ups at a high rate is a legitimate skill and not statistical noise, he may outperform the league average on a consistent basis.

For a pitcher who struck out better than a batter per inning as a minor leaguer, his 5.57 K/9 was rather disappointing. On the other hand, Hellickson continued to get whiffs at a rate above the league average. Perhaps with better sequencing, he could get some more punch outs. Speaking of sequencing, Hellickson, like Shields, was a believer of “Pitching 2.0,” using his highly effective changeup and breaking ball in fastball counts. Looking ahead, he will need to improve versus the platoon split –again perhaps better selection – and continue to miss bats in bunches. Though regression is a legitimate possibility, the tools to defend against it could be legitimate as well.

David Price – On the surface, Price took a step back in 2011 after finishing second in the AL Cy Young Award vote in 2010. The lefty followed up his 19-win season with a 12-13 record and added nearly a full run to his ERA. However, maintaining 2.72 ERA on an annual basis is not easy, and a 3.49 ERA while pitching most of the time against talented AL East lineups is still very good.

Results aside, Price was actually a better pitcher in 2011 than he was in 2010. He increased his strikeout rate while decreasing his walks. He expanded his repertoire slightly to include more changeups and cutters, relying less on his fastball. The development of the changeup and cutter could be keys for Price as the off-speed offering was effective going against the platoon split. Despite the 2011 results, Price heads into 2012 as a better pitcher than ever before. If his good processes continue, the results should soon follow.

Wade Davis – Davis has not lived up to expectations in his first two seasons, pitching slightly below the league average in 352 innings. The most concerning part of his game has been a lack of strikeouts and whiffs. After posting solid numbers in the minor leagues, he has struck out less than six batters per nine over the last two seasons. He came to the big leagues with a good fastball and a solid curveball, but has seen his velocity fluctuate and the effectiveness of his secondary options fade since then. In addition to the inconsistently in performance, he has missed time with arm injuries.

Deemed healthy in late July after missing 15 days with a strained forearm, Davis returned with a more effective breaking ball. Perhaps with increased health and confidence, it can become an out pitch – something he has lacked. He has also toyed with a cut-fastball; perhaps to combat some of the reverse-splits he shows at times. Still, he may fall victim to the numbers crunch and be moved to the bullpen or traded this spring. If he remains in the rotation, the hope is his stuff returns and he can bring a positive return on the $12.6 million investment the organization made in him last season.

Jeff Niemann – Injuries have made for an inconsistent performance from Niemann. When healthy, he is an above-average starter with a hammer curveball and a split-finger that can miss bats. Unfortunately, back problems limited him to 135.1 innings last season, and when he was off…he was way off.

A healthy Niemann has the potential of a middle-of-the-rotation starter for most teams, but for the Rays, he has become somewhat expendable. Although he has performed better than Davis over the past two seasons, he does not have the same cost certainty or upside. With that said, he is the most likely to be moved if a deal can be made before opening day.

Matt Moore - The top pitching prospect in baseball, Moore did not disappoint in his brief big-league debut. In 19.1 innings (regular and post season), he struck out 23 batters while walking just six. Equipt with effortless delievery that allows him to hit the high-90s with relative ease, Moore is the most complete pitching prospect in Rays’ history.

While he possesses similar talent to David Price, the younger lefty is a much more polished pitcher at the ripe age of 22. As Price continues to develop secondary options, Moore already posseses two plus-pitches beyond the fastball. He throws a good breaking ball in the mid-80s and an extremely effective changeup that is harder than most others. The off-speed offering will keep right-handers honest and make him strong against hitters on both sides of the plate. It will be tough to temper expectations, and there will be a speed bump or two along the way; however, even whenMoore struggles, his stuff and advanced development will prevent slumps from lingering. With an eight-year extension signed this offseason, the New Mexico native will be a mainstay in Rays’ rotation for the better part of the next decade

Alex Cobb – Similar to Jeremy Hellickson and James Shields in style (changeup/curveball), Cobb was highly effective in 52.2 innings last season as a rookie. Forced in to duty as the team’s sixth starter, he showed an advanced feel for pitching, making adjustments on the fly and using his secondary options to set-up the opposition. He will be overshadowed by the flashier prospects (Matt Moore), but has a legitimate future as an MLB starter.

Season-ending surgery to relieve a blood clot cut his 2011 short and could cost him a chance to make the majors out of camp this spring. For all the good he showed, he has just over 100 innings of experience above the Double-A level and has not pitched in a game since early August. With plenty of options available, the Rays do not have to rush Cobb to the big leagues and can save his service time for when they need him to fill a rotation spot full-time.

Alexander Torres – If Cobb is to become the Rays sixth starter iin 2012, Torres would be 6a. Torres also has the look of an MLB starter; however, with the Rays, is likely headed for more development at the minor-league level in 2012. A smaller-framed lefty, he shows good velocity and solid secondary options in the form of a slider and changeup. Acquired in the Scott Kazmir trade, he is a bit Kazmir-like in the way of needing more command and becoming more economical with his pitches. Even if he and Cobb are not needed in the rotation this season, both could help later in the season as members of the bullpen when rosters expand.

Next up in the series: Bullpen

At least as regular as you reasonably can expect at age 36.

The brother of a couple of other two-time World Series winners, Bengie and Yadier Molina, signed with the Rays this offseason. Manager Joe Maddon envisions a healthy “J-Mo” starting somewhere between 80 and 90 games as the Ray chase their fourth playoff berth in five years.

Molina says he preparing as if he’s going to play 162, even though he’s never appeared in more than 100 during parts of 12 seasons with the Cubs, Angels, Yankees and Blue Jays.

Source: Fred Goodall – AP

After getting the news about another teammate Steve Downie getting traded to the Colorado Avalanche earlier in the day, the Lightning got a visit from the red hot Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night. And much like the previous nights after they took to the ice as a trade was being announced, they came away with the two points an inched ever so closer to a playoff spot in beating the Ducks 3-2.

“It was good, takes everyone’s mind off of what happened,” Lightning forward Steven Stamkos said. “Obviously, it was an emotional day for a lot of us, we lost Downs [Downie], a guy we were all so close with in this room, everyone respects and loves. Its the business of hockey sometimes-its not always pretty and we don’t have control of it. He was a great friend and a great teammate and just wish him the best of luck and move on the best we can. I think we were able to do that with a big win tonight.”

The Good: Steven Stamkos: Stamkos set the tone early in this game, scoring a power play goal just 28 seconds into the game. It was a huge goal at the time because it got the team and the building into the game. Stamkos would later add his 42nd goal of the season with just under two minutes left in the period. There is no doubt Stamkos has been the offensive force for his team this year, and on a night that one of his best friends got moved, he played on another level.

The Lightning with a lead after two periods: The Lightning this year are near perfect when having the lead after two periods of play. With a record of 18-1-1, if the Lightning have a lead after two periods, they are usually a safe bet to come away with the two points.

Mathieu Garon: Garon was stellar again against the Ducks, stopping 28 0f the 30 shots he faced. As much as has been made over the early part of the season, Garon has very quietly put together a very solid run of late. Over the last month, Garon has a 2.53 goals against average and a .907 save percentage.

The Bad: Shots Against: As good as Garon was in net tonight for the Lightning, the Lightning need to do a better job limiting the shots on goal. Thirty shots to a team with the firepower the ducks have is just asking for trouble.

Captain Out: The Tampa Bay Lightning announced that Vincent Lecavalier will be out indefinitely with a non-displaced fracture in his right hand. Lecavalier is believed to have injured that hand in Saturday’s game against the Washington Capitals.

Standings Watch: With the win, coupled with overtime losses by both Winnipeg and Toronto, the Lightning gained ground on both the 8th seed in the east and the division leading Florida Panthers. The Lightning now sit five points behind in both circumstances.

Up Next: The Lightning begin a three game road trip Thursday night in a must win game against the Winnipeg Jets. They will also visit Pittsburgh and New Jersey in a trip that will go a long way to determining this teams potential playoff fate.

It all started with the mid-afternoon announcement that the Lightning had traded forward Steve Downie to Colorado in exchange for defenseman Kyle Quincy. Then came the news that Steve Yzerman was able to to trade Quincy to Detroit for a first round draft pick and prospect Sebastien Piche.

It is a move that was likely not popular with many around the Tampa Bay Lightning fan base, but getting a first round pick back give the Lightning even more options moving forward, whether that means trading for a goalie in the summer, or using all of the picks to replenish the depth in the organization.

For Steve Yzerman, even though he understands how this move could be viewed as unpopular, it is more about putting a team together that can compete for the Stanley Cup, and that starts through the draft.

“My goal is to win a Stanley Cup,” Yzerman said. “I think we have to do some tough things, some difficult things along the way to do that. We need young players. I have said we need to draft well, we need to build that way. This was an opportunity to take advantage of that and acquite more picks, and relatively high picks so that decision was made. The message it sends to our players is that I want to win a Stanley Cup and I am going to do what I have to do to win a Stanley Cup.”

Yzerman never made any secrets when he became General Manager of the Lightning that this was a process, and even with the success at the end of last season, that has not changed. That is why the news of the past week is not all bad for the Lightning. Even with the trades, the Lightning now have the opportunity to go out and possibly get a goaltender through at the draft. He now has the pieces in place to possible make that move if it is there for him.

Minor Move:

Shortly after the Downie move was announced, the Lightning announced another minor trade, acquiring Brandon Segal from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward prospect Matt Fornatero. It is not Segal’s first stint with the Lightning organization, as he played two games with the big club back in the 2008-09 season. Segal will be assigned to Norfolk of the American Hockey League.

In 28 games for Rockford of the AHL, Segal had 13 goals and 23 points.

The team announced the news before Tuesday night’s game against Anaheim.

Lecavalier was hurt in last Saturday night’s 2-1 win over Washington, but remained in the game. He underwent tests on Monday after departing practice early.

Lecavalier has 21 goals and 46 points in 58 games this season. The center has reached the 20-goal plateau in 12 consecutive seasons.

Source: Associated Press

Joining “TKras” Today will be:

Roy Cummings (Tampa Tribune)- Joining Primetime to talk about the Bucs coaching staff starting to fill out and what the Bucs need to do in free agency.

John Clayton (ESPN NFL Insider)- Talking to Tom about the Bucs hire of Bill Sheridan as well as the Buccaneers offseason.

Stan Heath (USF Head Basketball Coach)- Coming on to talk about what the Bulls need to do to get in to the NCAA Tournament and tomorrows game at Syracuse.

Tom will also talk about USF’s chances of making the NCAA tournament, the start of spring training, the Bucs top offseason priorities and coaching staff and the Lightning’s chances of making the playoffs.

You can get in touch with Primetime by emailing them at Primetime@ESPN1040.com

You can follow Tom on Twitter @TKras

Call them Toll Free (877) 355-1040

In Hillsborough, (813) 289-1040

In Pinellas, (727) 577-1040

Five was the magic number for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011. When the team scored five or more runs, they emerged victorious 90% of the time. When scoring less than five runs, the team had a .318 win percentage. Although they ended the season with 91 victories, the team scored four runs or fewer an equal amount (91) of times including 15 shutouts. The team ended the season in the middle of the American League pack with 4.4 runs scored per game. With this in mind, Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman spent the winter searching for that extra half of a run.

Diiscipled in his pursuit, Friedman did not overspend on the open market or in a trade. Perhaps more importantly, he did not sacrifice the team defense in the process of upgrading the offense. Casey Kotchman and Johnny Damon did admirable jobs as the team’s first baseman and designated hitter last season; however, new (old) first baseman Carlos Pena and DH Luke Scott provide much more offensive potential, especially in terms of power.

Let us now take a look at Pena, Scott, and the rest of the offense that will look to provide the magical five runs a night at the plate while maintaining a high level of run prevention in the field. After going around the infield in part one, here is a look at the Rays’ outfielders…

Matt Joyce – With Carlos Pena signed, there is no need for Matt Joyce to be anything but the Rays’ primary right fielder in 2012. Named to his first All-Star game in 2011, he finished the season with a .277/.347/.478 slash line, hitting 53 extra-base hits in the process. He crushed right-handed pitching (.295/.361/.505), but continued to struggle against southpaws (.217/.287/.370). With that in mind, he will likely join Jeff Keppinger in an unorthodox platoon where Keppinger takes his spot in the lineup versus left-handed hitters, but plays second base with Ben Zobrist replacing Joyce defensively in right field. Although this prevents Joyce from playing every day, he should still receive about 70% of the playing time. Because of his above-average bat and length of service time (pre-arbitration), he is a prime candidate to sign an extension in the near future.

B.J. Upton – After another offseason of trade rumors, Upton enters what could be his final season with the Rays. Though some may scoff at his $7 million salary, he is still quite the bargain, offering a rate combination of speed and power offensively while covering more ground than almost any center fielder in the game. Despite a .243 batting average, Upton was still on base 33% of the time (11% walk rate) in 2011, and was one of two American League players (Jacoby Ellsbury) with 50 or more extra-base hits and at least 35 steals. Reports say he has filled out his thin frame a little bit and there are already whispers of the annual “breakout season” talks.

Desmond Jennings – Although it took longer than some may have liked, Jennings set the world on fire upon his 2011 debut. In his first 35 games of the season, he hit .351/.439/.634. That said, he cooled off considerably, hitting just .150/.256/.230 line the rest of the way (28 games). Despite coming down to Earth, his overall .356 on-base percentage was a welcomed addition at the top of the lineup – a perch he should hold for the considerable future. He showed more power (10 home runs in 287 plate appearances) than anticipated, but even if some of those home runs become doubles or triples, he is a candidate to approach 60 extra-base hits. He is a dynamic defender in left field, but could easily shift to his natural position – center field – if something were to happen with Upton. And while he lost his rookie eligibility, he will still be one of the top young players in the AL.

Luke Scott – Andrew Friedman finally landed Scott via free agency after several attempts to trade for the left-handed batter over the past few seasons. An outfielder by trade, Scott enters 2012 as the team’s primary designated hitter; although like Johnny Damon, he could see some time at first base or the corner outfield. From 2008-2010, he averaged 25 home runs a season with the Baltimore Orioles, but a torn labrum cost him nearly 100 games in 2011. In addition to the labrum, he also underwent vision correction surgery in the summer. The Rays – along with medical director Dr. James Andrews, who performed Scott’s shoulder surgery – are banking on him regaining his power stroke and joining Carlos Pena, Evan Longoria, and Matt Joyce to give the team formidable power potential in the middle of the lineup. Despite his left-handedness, Scott is somewhat platoon neutral with a career .786 OPS versus left-handed pitchers and a .859 OPS versus right-handers. If healthy enough to handle 600 plate appearances, he could belt 25 homers with an equal amount of doubles.

Sam Fuld – Although he went from legend in April to mere mortal by May, Fuld is nearly the ideal fourth outfielder for the Rays. He can more than adequately play all three outfield positions, is a stolen base waiting to happen as a pinch-runner, and can be used as a left-handed, pinch-hitter in situations where a 90% contact rate is useful. His flaws were exposed as an everyday player; however, he should not have to fill that role in 2012 and should continue to be Brett Gardner-esque off the Rays’ bench.

Brandon Guyer – Guyer presents the main competition to Fuld as the team’s fourth outfielder; albeit with a different skill set. Guyer is more of a corner outfielder, but is athletic enough to roam in center field on occasion. A right-handed hitter, he offers balance and more extra-base pop off the bench while still being a threat to advance once aboard. There could be a scenario in which both Fuld and Guyer make the 25-man roster, but that would not an ideal use of available spots. Because Fuld is out of options and Guyer is not, he may start the season in Durham, where the team could groom him for a role as an everyday player in 2013.

Next up in the series: Starting Pitchers

Joining Whitney today will be:

1:40- Jeff Niemann- Rays Pitcher live from Port Charlotte

Call her Toll Free (877) 355-1040

In Hillsborough, (813) 289-1040

In Pinellas, (727) 577-1040