Slow Going

It has been kind of slow on the news front since the end of the World Series. The team has not really been in very many rumors. Today they were linked to Cuban defector, Yoenis Cespedes, a centerfielder.

Cespedes is a guy that scouts are saying has the best skills of any Cuban in some time. That is saying a lot. He is 26 so he would be expected to make an impact this season if signed by a big league team.

Who knows maybe the Bucs take some of the money that they are not spending on Cedeno, Maholm, Doumit and others and spend it on this guy. Projections have him needing at least Chapman money to sign, which would be slightly over $30 million.

It would not be bad to perhaps overpay for this talent. It is not everyday you have a freak athlete with baseball skills show up like this.

Other names thus far linked to the team are Clint Barmes, formerly of the Astros and of the Rockies. The Clint Hurdle connection is there, as he played for him in Colorado. Signing Barmes will be like every other free agent signing in recent memory. He is an aging player that does not swing the bat all that well to begin with. Sure he is good in the field, but he is also aging so he will eventually lose a step.

Signing Clint Barmes will be akin to Lyle Overbay, a disaster, if you are expecting any offense. He might get by as a defensive player, but even then one should curb their enthusiasm.

Who knows what other rumors may pop up in the near future. It is going to be 15 days to the free agency arbitration deadline so that might spice some things up. I cannot wait to keep reading about how the club intends to offer arbitration to Derek Lee.