Orvella Most Shocking Cut By Devil Rays

[IE]

Published: Apr 1, 2006


ST. PETERSBURG - Inside a nearly empty Devil Rays clubhouse at Tropicana Field on Friday evening, reliever Chad Orvella was left alone with his emotions.

He looked blankly at his locker and then reached for two gloves and tossed them into a box that will head to Triple-A Durham. In a matter of minutes that felt like forever to the 25-year-old, Orvella slung his equipment bag over his shoulder and left the clubhouse with no idea when he'd return.

"I'm just trying to take a couple of deep breaths and relax a little bit," Orvella said minutes after exiting Manager Joe Maddon's office, where he was told he was being cut from the team's spring roster and would begin the season in the minors.

Orvella entered the spring as one of the favorites to earn the closer job after establishing himself at the team's set-up man during his rookie season.

It was the most surprising roster move of the seven the Rays made Friday as they shape their 25-man Opening Day roster, which will be completed before today's final exhibition game when the Rays host Detroit at Tropicana Field.

The Rays also outrighted reliever Chad Harville to Durham. He has 72 hours to accept the assignment or become a free agent. Tampa Bay also reassigned catcher Mike Rose and pitcher Justin Miller to the minor-league camp, as well as a pair of injured players - infielder Luis Rivas and pitcher Al Reyes. Since-departed pitcher Mark Malaska also was released. The spring roster now stands at 32.

Orvella's departure was the most shocking. He was 3-3 with a 3.60 ERA in 50 relief innings in 2005 after being called up from Double-A Montgomery near midseason. He is seen as the franchise's closer of the future, especially since the team dealt Danys Baez this offseason.

But Orvella struggled this spring. His ERA was 7.59. He allowed 12 hits and 10 runs - nine earned - in 10 2/3 innings.

However, the main reason Maddon said Orvella was being sent down wasn't because of stats, but because his delivery to the plate was too slow, meaning he wouldn't be able to control base runners. The optimum time to the plate is 1.3 to 1.35 seconds, Maddon said. Orvella's time was above 1.5 seconds.

"He got here rather quickly," said Maddon, who said he expects Orvella to be back with the team at some point this season. "[Orvella] is wonderful and we consider him a big part of our future and we felt it was better to tidy things up right now as opposed to later. It's better for him and it's better for us. ? We all love the guy and we think his stuff is wonderful. And he's going to pitch here."

Orvella said concentrating on speeding up his delivery affected his approach. And it showed. He allowed three home runs this spring - just one fewer than he allowed all of last year. And he was uncharacteristically wild, walking six to go along with eight strikeouts. Last season he walked just 23 hitters and struck out 43 in 50 innings.

"You speed up things and mechanics are going to get screwed up, absolutely. But in order to sometimes get better you have to take a step back. My past few outings have felt really good. I've been quickening the times up and I'll continue to do so," he said.

"Throughout the minor leagues that was never really stressed a bunch and they brought me up here. Maddon really likes to control the running game, and that's not something I can do right now."

Meanwhile, Maddon, who hasn't decided on a closer to replace Baez, hinted he feels comfortable going into Opening Day on Monday without a bona fide closer. But following Friday's moves, the bullpen seems nearly set.

Relievers Shawn Camp, Jason Childers, Jesus Colome, Travis Harper, Ruddy Lugo, Brian Meadows and Dan Miceli remain on the spring roster. Maddon will decide between Edwin Jackson and Doug Waechter for the fifth starter spot today, a move that could affect the look of the bullpen.

Still, there's no closer. And it seems as though Maddon is comfortable with a committee approach.

"We just don't have clearly defined roles at this point, and I'm OK with them defining themselves as we go along," Maddon said. "As we move along, maybe at that point it will create some form. But at this point, we're not looking at it that way. We want to create the seven guys we want as a group and we'll work from there. And then by the end of the month or maybe six weeks we'll know where we want to go."

 

[IE]

Devil Rays Opening Day outlook


The Devil Rays went to Spring Training hoping to shore up their everyday lineup, establish their starting rotation, cobble together a bullpen and change the attitude of the team.
Aubrey Huff's move to third base strengthened the club's everyday lineup and helped clear up some confusion about which players would play in the outfield. Meanwhile, the starting rotation that finished the 2005 season showed well enough not to make changes.

Putting together a totally reliable bullpen was the only goal not reached, but the team will leave Spring Training with several promising bullpen candidates.

Perhaps most important, the attitude about being a Devil Rays player seems to be changing thanks to the new ownership group and to the positive outlook of new manager Joe Maddon.

Rays fans might have to be patient a little while longer, but for the first time in the organization's history, the future looks bright.

BATTING ORDER
1. Julio Lugo, SS:
Lugo brings speed and a selective bat to the top of the lineup; the Rays went 29-26 with him leading off.

2. Carl Crawford, LF:
Crawford has power and speed. One of the best young players in the game, he should improve on the career year he had in 2005.

3. Jorge Cantu, 2B:
Cantu led the team in home runs, doubles and RBIs in 2005. Now that he'll be settled in at second base and in the third spot of the order every day, he should improve those numbers.

4. Aubrey Huff, 3B:
Huff returns to the position he broke into the Major Leagues playing. He's coming off a tough offensive year, but he did a lot of work in the offseason on his swing and his conditioning, which could pay dividends in the way of a quick start.

5. Jonny Gomes, RF:
Gomes brings a power presence to the lineup and an attitude. His enthusiasm is infectious on the batting order.

6. Travis Lee, 1B:
Lee got off to a slow start in 2005 after missing most of 2004 due to injury. He had a stellar second half in 2005, so there's no reason for his offensive production not to continue.

7. Rocco Baldelli, CF:
Baldelli returns after missing 2005 due to elbow and knee surgeries. He looked back to normal in Spring Training. He will likely play two days in center field and one at DH to start the season.

8. Toby Hall, C:
Hall provides solid defense, as he threw out 37.8 percent of attempted basestealers in 2005. He hits for a high average but has not developed in the power department.

9. Joey Gathright, DH:
Gathright could be the fastest player in the Major Leagues, and now he's learned to bunt. He can be counted on to disrupt opposing defenses and he'll spot Baldelli in center field.





ROTATION
1. Scott Kazmir, LHP:
The young left-hander finished the 2005 season in dominant fashion. He appears ready to build on that performance in 2006 -- and will do so if his strikeouts grow and his walks decrease.

2. Seth McClung, RHP:
The big redhead has dominating stuff, but he has lacked consistency. Now that he's completely healthy, he should find more consistency in 2006.

3. Casey Fossum, LHP:
After splitting time between the bullpen and the starting rotation, Fossum will start the 2006 season as a starter. A couple of alterations to his delivery should help improve his control.

4. Doug Waechter, RHP:
Waechter had several stellar performances in 2005, but he struggled with the long ball. He's had a good spring and hasn't surrendered many home runs.

5. Mark Hendrickson, LHP:
After experiencing a hip problem early in Spring Training, Hendrickson, who led the staff in wins in 2005, worked a little slower than the rest of the staff, but he came on and should be prepared to start the season.

BULLPEN
Danys Baez closed for the Rays in 2005 and finished the season with 41 saves; he was complemented by the work of setup man Joe Borowski. Both players will be elsewhere in 2006, leaving the Rays to begin the season without a true "hombre" -- the term Maddon reserves for his closer. In absence, the team will go with a closer-by-committee situation that includes Dan Miceli, Shawn Camp, Chad Orvella and Jesus Colome. Of that group, Colome has the dominating stuff to take the job if he can show some consistency. Long man Travis Harper will be back to lead the long-relief effort. Due to the instability of the bullpen, Maddon will break camp with 12 pitchers rather than 11 at the cost of an extra position player.

OPENING DELAYED
Baldelli is questionable for Opening Day with a sore left hamstring; if he misses the opener, he shouldn't be out long. Utility man Luis Rivas broke a knuckle on his right hand and should miss approximately a month of the season. Right-hander Shinji Mori, who was supposed to contend for the closer role, is out for the season with a torn labrum.

BURNING QUESTION
Can the bullpen develop into a formidable unit? The answer to this question likely will dictate whether the team moves toward .500 or above. Colome has the best arm in the 'pen and showed signs during Spring Training of how he can dominate a game. The Dominican right-hander's fastball hits the 97-99 mph range, but he was inconsistent during the 2005 season, which can be attributed in large part to his not being completely healthy. Miceli's veteran influence should help while Camp and Chad Harville seem capable of establishing themselves as steady bullpen performers. If the Rays don't get a solid performance from the bullpen, the effect could be disastrous given the nature of the young starting rotation.