B.J. Upton News

View full size photo>> First, whoever decided on the exact payroll figures since 2006 is a fan of checks ... and checks: Here are the 2010 payroll numbers as told by Cots with some lame duck estimates for arbitration and incentives thrown in.

I did an appearance on the Fantasy Insiders show last night that involved a lot of Rays talk.

Reid Brignac gave Rays fans snapshots of the future this season during several stints with the big league club.

Triple-A Durham manager Charlie Montoyo has been named the 2009 winner of the Mike Coolbaugh Award.

Ah, here we are yet again, sports fans: the offseason. Just a week after the Yankees won their 27th World Series trophy, the baseball world is itching and ready to go for next April, when our stars will finally take the field again for another season of America's Pastime.

Catcher Dioner Navarro and outfielder Fernando Perez have had minor surgery, and each is expected to be back to full strength by Spring Training, the Rays announced.

Rays catcher Dioner Navarro had left elbow surgery in late October to stabilize an ulnar nerve but is expected to be ready for spring training, the team said Monday.

Published: Friday, October 30, 2009 at 4:01 a.m. Last Modified: Friday, October 30, 2009 at 2:05 a.m. WINTER HAVEN - Girls Inc.

What will it take to compete against the massive payroll we are constantly up against year after year? -- Rick W., Gulfport, Fla.

A quick smorgasbord here on two thoughts I have in my mind but are undeserving of their own full-fledged post.

World Series veteran B.J. Upton of the Devil Rays has been sharing his World Series thoughts with PlayMaker Mobile, who've shared BJ's thoughts with us, presumably so we can share BJ's thoughts with you.A Here's what we got from BJ: On Philly having an edge due to experience last year: Maybe a little.

According to an AP report, the Tampa Bay Rays have re-signed one half of their Double-Gabe right field platoon, welcoming back Gabe Kapler.

I was reading an article the other day where a baseball commentator said the qualities needed to make the playoffs aren't the qualities needed to succeed in the playoffs They said that deep starting pitching, production up and down the lineup, good middle relief and steady defense isn't nearly as important as having two dominant starters and a ...

Operation fix B.J. Upton has a new general. The Rays announced 39 year-old Derek Shelton will be the teams new hitting coach.

The Rays may not have won the AL Pennant last year if Hamilton stuck to baseball like this way back when.

Trading LHP Scott Kazmir to the Angels was about the money, in that it allows the Rays to keep the core of their team together for 2010 and helps going forward with Carlos Pe?a, Carl Crawford and Grant Balfour headed toward 2011 free agency.

Of the three most disappointing Rays, DH P at Burrell has the farthest to go, CF B.J. Upton is the most important to the team and C Dioner Navarro poses the biggest question.

Tampa Bay won a seesaw homerfest in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series with a 9-8 win in 11 innings over Boston to even the best-of-seven series.

Rays manager Joe Maddon greets Josh Cohen, 11, of Seminole, who with his dad, Victor, were among the winners of the Shirts Off Our Backs fundraiser and received Maddon's game jersey after the final game of the season Sunday.

The Rays had many players with strong seasons this year, which even adds more to why the Rays clearly had a good enough year, but CC put up a career year.