The Rays Fifth

If David Price’s chances of making the Rays opening day rotation weren’t slim before, they are now. Price entered his second outing of the spring Monday night with high expectations – given that the game was being shown as a simulcast on MLB Network didn’t help – and for the first time in his career disappointed.

It’s not that Price allowed a few hits and a few runs, but instead a hodgepodge of various other things. Price’s fastball command was a bit off and his vaunted slider was missing. Oh, and do not forget the absence of anything resembling a changeup. Price would come out after the game and admit that his slider has “[Gone] away from [him].” Music to every Rays fans’ ears, right? Well, the good news is that Price was likely headed to Triple-A anyways, and should be able to work on “finding” it again along with a third pitch. Somewhat amusingly, the whole ideology behind Price starting the season in Durham was to refine his changeup and now he’s back to square one.

Price’s admission along with the demotion of Carlos Hernandez and Mitch Talbot leaves Jason Hammel and Jeff Niemann as the front runners for the Rays final rotation slot. Niemann is not scheduled to make a start this week, but will pitch in relief. It’s easy to write that off, but it seems a bit coincidental that the Rays are finally going to their regular season rotation and it doesn’t feature Niemann.

Both are out of options, and with Price’s fulltime arrival pending towards April/May, it might make more sense for the Rays to place the pitcher they plan on keeping in the bullpen. Allowing the other to build up trade value through starting since the difference between Hammel and Niemann through a handful of starts is near negligible.