Evan Closky
@ECloskyWTSP
10 Tampa Bay Sports Director | Emmy & Murrow award winner | Proud Buckeye | Long Island born & raised | All opinions are my own
I appreciate @RaysBaseball GM Erik Neander talking with me this week as the team is officially halfway through the season. We talked about: - General thoughts - 'above-average' hitting - Kim is coming, balancing the MLB roster - SP innings way up - Is there a need for Bullpen…
Oh my
BREAKING: Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of MLB's sports-betting investigation, sources tell ESPN. Clase is the second Guardians pitcher on leave tied to the investigation, joining right-hander Luis Ortiz.
Brutal blow for Buccaneers. David Walker was seen as a depth piece for the upcoming season on DL. Larry Foote was so excited when he was drafted. Opens a lane for guys like Markees Watts & Jose Ramirez to step up.
Bucs DL David Walker has a torn ACL and is out for the season.
The Tampa Bay Rays are absolute sellers at this point, but the question is how do you maximize the market while also not doing a complete rebuild? If they trade BLowe & Yandy — what power do they have in 2026? As of now, would be: Caminero - 26 HR Aranda - 11 HR Morel - 7 HR…
Tampa Bay Rays hits since All-Star Break: 3 5 6 15 (lose 11-9) 5 5 7 5 13 (11-1 win) The Rays are successful when they utilize their speed. If they don’t get on base, their X-Factor is gone. Creates one stale looking product.
Quick clarification: The procedure is expected to address a flexor tendon repair with his UCL. Only during the procedure can they determine if full Tommy John is necessary.
#Rays reliever Manuel Rodriguez will have TJ surgery to repair his UCL on August 8, Kevin Cash confirmed. Massive loss for the ‘pen.
No reason for retweeting this. None at all. I love Stuff+. I love looking at underlying data. I believe in analytics. But man, I also watch the games. Kevin Kelly has not been right and it's a disservice to him to keep trotting him out there. Like, I'm taking crazy pills.
Kevin Kelly has walked 4 batters all season. He has walked two today. He had nothing tonight. Cash not only lets him blow the lead. He then leaves him out there to make a comeback nearly insurmountable. Just a mind-boggling decision and I still have zero idea why Kelly is in…
The Rays have 8 walks tonight. Taylor Walls has an error on a play he makes in his sleep. The Tampa Bay Rays historically thrive in close games. I don’t recognize these guys. Wild times.
Rays newly acquired RP Bryan Baker leaving tonight’s game. Looks like some lower-body issue.
The best defensive player in MLB this season makes an inexcusable error at a pivotal point in the game. Rays now trail. Just don’t know what to say about this team. It has been a rotation of players who decide to make a head-scratching mistake.
If the Rays wanted to explore a Yandy Diaz trade, this would be a candidate to replace him at DH. Bob Seymour just took the No. 73 prospect yard in a lefty v. lefty matchup. 25 HR. His walk rate stayed the same from last season with a 5% decrease in K%. Whiffs will likely be an…
BOBBY BARRELS Bob Seymour smashes a 4⃣0⃣2⃣-foot shot for his IL-leading 25th homer of the year!
The expected batting average on this ELDC flyball was .070. Christopher Morel + brutal sun in Cincy = oof
Ken Rosenthal with a salient update on the Tampa Bay Rays heading into the trade deadline. Red Sox & Rays, while divisional foes, are great partners for a trade *if* Yandy Diaz is available. Tampa Bay needs OF help. Boston doesn't have enough room for Jarren Duran, Wilyer…
What I’m hearing (latest edition): nytimes.com/athletic/65174…
Feel for Manuel Rodriguez who was emerging as a great, high-leverage option. Not only hurts the 2025 team, but the 2026 bullpen takes a hit, too.
#Rays reliever Manuel Rodriguez will have TJ surgery to repair his UCL on August 8, Kevin Cash confirmed. Massive loss for the ‘pen.
Tampa Bay Rays will face an Aaron Judge-less Yankees team.
Boone announced that Judge has a flexor strain. No tear to the UCL. Will need IL and to DH initially when he returns.
amidst this overwhelming waterfall of Nick Kurtz fun facts I'm somehow especially stunned by this very simple one: scoring 6 runs in a game is apparently even more rare than hitting 4 homers in a game via @Stathead, this is only the 9th time in MLB history it's happened
Since the Rays swept Kansas City on June 26, the team is 7-16. Pain.
Rays thoughts from 2 weeks ago. ↘️↘️↘️
Here is the biggest fear I have about the second half of the season for the Rays. The bullpen will get better. This bad of a stretch is simply unsustainable. However, besides a few starts, the SP has been lights out at the same time. Could we see the bullpen 📈, but the SP 📉?