Rays searching for 'the hombre'

03/01/2006
ST. PETERSBURG -- Danys Baez no longer resides in the Devil Rays' clubhouse.
The Rays packaged their closer and right-hander Lance Carter to the Dodgers on Jan. 14 in return for right-handers Edwin Jackson and Chuck Tiffany -- each of whom hopes to be a future starter.
In leaving, Baez took with him his 41 saves and a massive security blanket the Rays enjoyed when they carried a lead into the ninth inning.
Rays manager Joe Maddon is now left to find a closer or the reliever who will become -- in the new manager's vernacular -- the hombre.
"It's a makeup situation, someone who likes to do that," Maddon said when asked what he likes in a closer. "Guys that like to get the last three outs don't mind being the guy to get the last outs. Furthermore, if they don't get it tonight and they get bumped a little bit and lose or give it up, they can come back the next night and get it done."
He also wants a guy who doesn't walk people and also has an above-average pitch.
"Whether it's a fastball, Trevor Hoffman changeup, whatever it is," Maddon said.
If ever there was a true Spring Training competition, the Rays' search for the hombre is it.
"It's wide open," said pitching coach Mike Butcher.
Chasing the closer role this spring are: Shinji Mori, Dan Miceli, Chad Orvella, Jesus Colome and Chad Harville. Each candidate brings his own toolbox filled with the pitch or pitches capable of nailing down a win. Mori has a nasty forkball; Orvella, a changeup; Colome, a 98-mph fastball; Micelli, an assortment of pitches; and Harville, a slider.
The competitive situation sits well in the clubhouse.
"That's the vibe I'm getting from everybody -- this thing is wide open," Harville said. "There are some good guys competing for this job."
Knowing the job is open has added to the vitality of the contenders.
"Coming in last year, with Baez already here, you knew that job wasn't open," Orvella said. "He was the closer, everybody knew that. But with the trade, it's left a lot of opportunity. I'd love to take advantage of it if I could. And we'll see in a couple of weeks."
Colome misses Baez's friendship, but he is excited about the opportunity.
"I want to be the closer, or the big man in the bullpen," he said.
Butcher said it is premature for the competition to be narrowed down.
"I don't think they're going to see anything early, to be honest," Butcher said. "The guys are going out there and getting their work in. There's competition going on. ... I'm just looking for a healthy competition. We're going to go on past history as well. But somebody's going to have to rise up and get it."
If somebody steps forward and wins the job, fine. If not, the Rays will go with a closer-by-committee approach.
"It might be closer by committee," Butcher said. "That's not up to me. [Maddon] is going to make the final decision on that. We're just going to go out there and see who wins the job."
Harville said the closer-by-committee approach worked for some teams.
"It hasn't worked for others," Harville said. "We've got some great arms here and a lot of experience in Miceli. I'm looking forward to the whole battle through spring and to seeing what happens going into the season."
So don't look for an early call on who will become the Rays' closer -- if, in fact, it comes down to one true hombre.
"We've got to see them in the game as Spring Training progresses," Maddon said. "We're actually looking to see the hitters [who are] in better shape. Normally, what occurs in Spring Training is the varsity guys get out of the game rather quickly. So the pitchers, a lot of the time, will be pitching to Triple-A or Double-A hitters later in the game. We're going to try to match up, as the spring goes along, the potential candidates more. Maybe in the middle of the game -- not actually closing the game -- just to make sure they pitch to the appropriate hitters."

Source: http://tampabay.devilrays.mlb.com/