Rays News and Notes: Ryan Madson?

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe is reporting that the Rays should be interested if the asking price for Ryan Madson comes down. My biggest question would be whether that is a smart way for the Rays to spend money. As usual, the Rays are operating on a bigger budget crunch than most other teams, and Madson most likely come that cheap, considering he was asking for 4 years at $44 million earlier this offseason.

Madson  would be a great reliever and would most likely close for the Rays, but the bullpen is pretty well set for the Rays. I would rather see them spend that money on a guy like Carlos Pena or Vladimir Guerrero and bring an impact bat to the offense instead of adding to the already good pitching staff.

Rays News and Notes

• Buster Olney is reporting (insider only) that the Rays interest in Seth Smith was not so they could keep him for themselves. Olney says the Rays would’ve turned Smith into Ryan Hanigan of the Reds had they been able to pull off a deal. I like that move, considering the Rays still need a good catcher and Hanigan is a pretty decent hitter. He would’ve fit in well with the Rays. Smith has yet to be traded, so this could still happen, but talks have cooled.
• Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times  spoke to Andrew Friedman recently. Friedman says he is confident that the Rays will be able to add two more bats before the season and that Casey Kotchman and Johnny Damon are still candidates. I see Damon coming back since he was a big bat and presence for the Rays, but I see the Rays upgrading at first base. The Rays need to get more power from that position than what Kotchman provides. As I have been saying for a while, I could easily see Carlos Pena coming back to Tampa Bay.
• Finally, in a good piece of news, Sam Fuld will be hosting a diabetes sports camp at USF on February 3rd and 4th. Fuld, a diabetic himself, continues to do great things for the Rays community since his trade last offseason. Fuld became a fan favorite for his play on the field, but his off the field contributions have really made him loved by everyone in the Bay Area.