January 1: Victor Ocana, the studly free-agent 2B out of Cuba whom I referred to earlier, proved he was out of our price/length range by signing an 8/197 deal with Washington.
January 2: Claimed 2B Cameron Holly on waivers from the Cubs.
A new entrant into our 2B derby?
The 25-year-old didn't have a great season between the minors and a cup of coffee with the Cubs but he does have 25-HR power and is competent at the position. We'll see how he does and the price was right.
January 3: The Hall of Fame balloting is in, and congrats to former Rays great Danny Ayala!
1B Edgar Medina 95.0 (1st year) Inducted HOF
LF Danny Ayala 75.4 (3rd year) Inducted HOF
RF Dayle Jenkins 69.0 (3rd year)
SP Shohei Ohtani 65.8 (9th year)
CF Jasson Dominguez 64.1 (7th year)
CL Kikuo Kawase 58.0 (1st year)
SS Bo Bichette 48.0 (5th year)
SP Josh Doyle 43.4 (2nd year)
3B Bo Angeac 33.5 (2nd year)
Medina was one of the more feared hitters of the 30s and 40s, spending most of his career with Texas and was a career 322/371/496 batter with 3155 hits, including 8 200-hit seasons and 4 with 225 or more. He also had 316 career homers.
The story on Ayala, who will go into the HoF wearing a Rays cap:
"He simply produced -- game after game after game. That's what I loved about him."
Those sentiments were expressed by one of Danny Ayala's managers (that would be me) from his Tampa Bay Rays days at the gifted left fielder's Hall of Fame induction ceremony yesterday. On a cloudy, but comfortable afternoon, he took his rightful place among the best Major League Baseball players of all-time.
The newest Hall of Famer assessed his career in these words: "I did my best to contribute to the team -- in the field, at the plate, in the dugout. I didn't care about personal numbers. I just went out there to win."
Ayala spent his best years playing for the Tampa Bay Rays, playing in 1651 games with a .276 career batting average and 1736 hits. He also scored 1093 runs and drove in 1375 runs with 447 home runs.
Ayala retired from baseball when he was 35.
Another of those great Rays from the 30s came very very close in Dayle Jenkins while Jasson Dominguez and Kikuo Kawase (in an impressive first-year showing) are also knocking on Cooperstown's door. Just wish the voters would show a little more love for Shohei Ohtani who will have one last chance next year.
Meanwhile still another of our free agents signed elsewhere as Mel Mejia joined Texas on a 3/29 deal.
January 14: Steve Holt, our one-time second-round pick and top prospect for a while before never really panning out, signed a minor league contract with Houston.
Speaking of former Rays named Steve going elsewhere, Steve Kay has signed a 2/15 deal with the Phillies. Apparently he didn't make much of an impression last year as I didn't get one of those "the fans are upset to see him go" messages.
February 21: Beau Bonczek became the last of our big free agents to sign and it was worth the wait for him as he inked a whopping 4/109 pact with the Cubs.
March 7: Signed a free agent:
Espinoza is up there at 35 and is about 7 years removed from leading the league in pitcher WAR in consecutive seasons, but his ratings are still strong (65/50/65 with 65 stamina). The main concern is that he's rated "fragile" and he only made 22 starts last year with the White Sox.