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Joe Christensen's Sunday Insider: Trade shines bright for Rays

Tampa Bay not only has enjoyed first place, but the players it got from the Twins have been major contributors.

Star Tribune

Last update: May 31, 2008 - 10:52 PM

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The Tampa Bay Rays aren't making life any easier on Delmon Young these days.

It's natural for players to put extra pressure on themselves after being traded, and that's what the Twins have seen from Young.

Maybe it would be easier if his old team were back in last place, the same spot the Rays finished nine of their first 10 years.

Today, however, the Rays are 34-22, sitting atop the AL East for the 17th day.

Remarkable, considering they were a first-place team for only 15 days combined in their first decade.

Young is 22, so there is plenty of time to settle in and make that six-player trade look as good for the Twins as many analysts expected.

The Rays already are seeing better things from former Twins Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett.

Garza is 4-1, including 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA in his past two starts. On Wednesday, he had 10 strikeouts against Texas.

"That [trade] may have had a little bit of an impact on him," Rays manager Joe Maddon told the St. Petersburg Times. "Now, I think he's starting to settle in. ... I think as his confidence grows, you can see him pitching like that more often."

Bartlett, 28, has helped turn around Tampa Bay's defense. The Rays have 23 errors, fewest in the American League, while the Twins had 43.

Bartlett hit .213 through April but is batting .283 for May.

Ten days ago, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said he didn't want Bartlett to go and credited the Rays for insisting.

Since then, Brendan Harris -- another player from the trade -- has shown himself to be a serviceable shortstop after being shaky at second base in April and most of May.

The third player the Twins obtained, outfielder Jason Pridie, batted .311 in April for Class AAA Rochester but is batting only .139 for May.

Tampa Bay did not want Juan Rincon included in the deal, choosing instead to go with relief prospect Eduardo Morlan. He posted an 8.10 ERA in six games at Class AA before being shelved because of a shoulder injury.

There are several more factors to Tampa Bay's turnaround than this trade alone. Rookie third baseman Evan Longoria has emerged as a franchise cornerstone.

The Tampa Bay rotation includes two stalwarts in lefthander Scott Kazmir (5-1, 1.22 ERA after beating the White Sox on Saturday) and righthander James Shields (4-3, 3.38).

The loss of closer Troy Percival (14 saves, 2.95 ERA) to a hamstring injury hurts, but the Rays promoted Twins castoff Grant Balfour, who had a 0.38 ERA in 23 2/3 innings at Class AAA. Balfour earned the save Saturday night.

From all reports, the Rays are for real. Now, if they could just convince their long-suffering fans.

Their home record is 23-10, but they entered Saturday averaging 17,671 fans per game, fewest in the AL. They drew 36,048 on Saturday night after drawing 14,679 the night before.

The Twins, who split two games with the Rays at the Metrodome in April, won't face them again until September at Tropicana Field.

It will be interesting to see the progress Young and the others have made by then.

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