The Tampa Bay Rays' 2010 season will be their 13th season of baseball. They will attempt to improve on their 84-78 record from 2009.

[edit] Summary

[edit] Offseason

Outfielder Gabe Kapler, who had been signed before the 2009 season to just a one-year contract, was re-signed to another one-year deal for $1.05 million on October 27, 2009.^[1]

Second baseman Akinori Iwamura was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for relief pitcher Jesse Chavez on November 3, 2009. Iwamura had a $4.85 million option for 2010, but with several other players in the organization who could fill the position, the Rays decided to part ways with Iwamura by trading him. Andrew Friedman, the Rays' Vice President of Baseball Operations, stated that it was "tough to put into words" what "Aki" meant to the Rays, who had been with the team since the 2006 season, and was the player who recorded the final out in the 2008 American League Championship Series that sent the Rays to their first World Series.^[2]

On November 9, 2009, the Rays chose to exercise the 2010 option of left fielder Carl Crawford, worth $10 million, but declined the options of relief pitcher Brian Shouse and catcher Gregg Zaun that would have been worth $2 million each.^[3]

The Rays acquired catcher Kelly Shoppach from the Cleveland Indians on December 1, 2009 for a player to be named later.^[4] That player turned out to be minor-league pitcher Mitch Talbot.^[5]

Chavez was dealt to the Atlanta Braves for relief pitcher Rafael Soriano on December 10, 2009.^[6]

The Rays had been in talks with the Chicago Cubs to send Pat Burrell to Chicago in exchange for Milton Bradley. Both players would make the same amount of money in 2010, but while Burrell would be at the end of his contract following the conclusion of the season, Bradley was owed $13 million in 2011, a price the Rays were not willing to take on all of. Unable to make an agreement on how to split the cost, the Cubs eventually sent Bradley to the Seattle Mariners on December 18, 2009.^[7]

[edit] Organizational Changes

One day after the end of the 2008 season, the Rays let hitting coach Steve Henderson go. Quality assurance coach Todd Greene would not return either, as the position was eliminated.^[8] Derek Shelton was hired as the team's new hitting coach on October 21. Shelton had been with the Cleveland Indians in the previous five seasons.^[9]

[edit] Game Log

2010 Game Log
April # Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record 1 April 6 Orioles 2 April 7 Orioles 3 April 8 Orioles 4 April 9 Yankees 5 April 10 Yankees 6 April 11 Yankees 7 April 12 @ Orioles 8 April 13 @ Orioles 9 April 14 @ Orioles 10 April 16 @ Red Sox 11 April 17 @ Red Sox 12 April 18 @ Red Sox 13 April 19 @ Red Sox 14 April 20 @ White Sox 15 April 21 @ White Sox 16 April 22 @ White Sox 17 April 23 Blue Jays 18 April 24 Blue Jays 19 April 25 Blue Jays 20 April 27 Athletics 21 April 28 Athletics 22 April 29 Royals 23 April 30 Royals
May # Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record 24 May 1 Royals 25 May 2 Royals 26 May 4 @ Mariners 27 May 5 @ Mariners 28 May 6 @ Mariners 29 May 7 @ Athletics 30 May 8 @ Athletics 31 May 9 @ Athletics 32 May 10 @ Angels 33 May 11 @ Angels 34 May 12 @ Angels 35 May 14 Mariners 36 May 15 Mariners 37 May 16 Mariners 38 May 17 Indians 39 May 18 Indians 40 May 19 @ Yankees 41 May 20 @ Yankees 42 May 21 @ Astros 43 May 22 @ Astros 44 May 23 @ Astros 45 May 24 Red Sox 46 May 25 Red Sox 47 May 26 Red Sox 48 May 27 White Sox 49 May 28 White Sox 50 May 29 White Sox 51 May 30 White Sox 52 May 31 @ Blue Jays
June # Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record 53 June 1 @ Blue Jays 54 June 2 @ Blue Jays 55 June 4 @ Rangers 56 June 5 @ Rangers 57 June 6 @ Rangers 58 June 8 Blue Jays 59 June 9 Blue Jays 60 June 10 Blue Jays 61 June 11 Marlins 62 June 12 Marlins 63 June 13 Marlins 64 June 15 @ Braves 65 June 16 @ Braves 66 June 17 @ Braves 67 June 18 @ Marlins 68 June 19 @ Marlins 69 June 20 @ Marlins 70 June 22 Padres 71 June 23 Padres 72 June 24 Padres 73 June 25 Diamondbacks 74 June 26 Diamondbacks 75 June 27 Diamondbacks 76 June 29 @ Red Sox 77 June 30 @ Red Sox
July # Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record 78 July 1 @ Twins 79 July 2 @ Twins 80 July 3 @ Twins 81 July 4 @ Twins 82 July 5 Red Sox 83 July 6 Red Sox 84 July 7 Red Sox 85 July 8 Indians 86 July 9 Indians 87 July 10 Indians 88 July 11 Indians All-Star Break 89 July 16 @ Yankees 90 July 17 @ Yankees 91 July 18 @ Yankees 92 July 19 @ Orioles 93 July 20 @ Orioles 94 July 21 @ Orioles 95 July 23 @ Indians 96 July 24 @ Indians 97 July 25 @ Indians 98 July 26 Tigers 99 July 27 Tigers 100 July 28 Tigers 101 July 29 Tigers 102 July 30 Yankees 103 July 31 Yankees
August # Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record 104 August 1 Yankees 105 August 2 Twins 106 August 3 Twins 107 August 4 Twins 108 August 5 Twins 109 August 6 @ Blue Jays 110 August 7 @ Blue Jays 111 August 8 @ Blue Jays 112 August 9 @ Tigers 113 August 10 @ Tigers 114 August 11 @ Tigers 115 August 13 Orioles 116 August 14 Orioles 117 August 15 Orioles 118 August 16 Rangers 119 August 17 Rangers 120 August 18 Rangers 121 August 19 @ Athletics 122 August 20 @ Athletics 123 August 21 @ Athletics 124 August 22 @ Athletics 125 August 23 @ Angels 126 August 24 @ Angels 127 August 25 @ Angels 128 August 27 Red Sox 129 August 28 Red Sox 130 August 29 Red Sox 131 August 30 Blue Jays 132 August 31 Blue Jays
September # Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record 133 September 1 Blue Jays 134 September 3 @ Orioles 135 September 4 @ Orioles 136 September 5 @ Orioles 137 September 6 @ Red Sox 138 September 7 @ Red Sox 139 September 8 @ Red Sox 140 September 10 @ Blue Jays 141 September 11 @ Blue Jays 142 September 12 @ Blue Jays 143 September 13 Yankees 144 September 14 Yankees 145 September 15 Yankees 146 September 17 Angels 147 September 18 Angels 148 September 19 Angels 149 September 20 @ Yankees 150 September 21 @ Yankees 151 September 22 @ Yankees 152 September 23 @ Yankees 153 September 24 Mariners 154 September 25 Mariners 155 September 26 Mariners 156 September 27 Orioles 157 September 28 Orioles 158 September 29 Orioles 159 September 30 @ Royals
October # Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record 160 October 1 @ Royals 161 October 2 @ Royals 162 October 3 @ Royals

[edit] Current roster

Tampa Bay Rays 2010 Spring Training roster view • talk • edit
40-man roster				Spring Training non-roster invitees		Coaches/Other
Pitchers 50 Grant Balfour 37 Randy Choate 31 Lance Cormier 58 Wade Davis 22 Matt Garza -- Jeremy Hellickson 39 J. P. Howell 57 Jacob McGee 34 Jeff Niemann 14 David Price 33 James Shields 21 Andy Sonnanstine -- Rafael Soriano 59 Dale Thayer -- Alexander Torres 35 Dan Wheeler		Catchers 28 John Jaso -- José Lobatón 30 Dioner Navarro -- Kelly Shoppach Infielders  8 Jason Bartlett 15 Reid Brignac 29 Elliot Johnson  3 Evan Longoria 23 Carlos Pena -- Sean Rodriguez 18 Ben Zobrist Outfielders 13 Carl Crawford -- Desmond Jennings 20 Matt Joyce 27 Gabe Kapler 38 Fernando Perez 10 Justin Ruggiano  2 B. J. Upton Designated hitters 16 Willy Aybar  5 Pat Burrell		Pitchers -- Winston Abreu -- Joe Bateman 47 Jeff Bennett -- Jason Cromer -- Richard De Los Santos -- Carlos Hernández -- R. J. Swindle Infielders -- Joe Dillon 32 Chris Richard -- Ryan Shealy		Manager 70 Joe Maddon Coaches 77 Scott Cursi (coach)  6 Tom Foley (third base) 25 George Hendrick (first base) 48 Jim Hickey (pitching)  4 Dave Martinez (bench)  7 Bobby Ramos (bullpen) -- Derek Shelton (hitting) 61 Don Zimmer (coach) 60-day disabled list None * Not on active roster † 15-day disabled list Roster updated December 21, 2009 Transactions • Depth Chart → More rosters

[edit] References

1. ^ Tampa Bay Rays re-sign outfielder Gabe Kapler
2. ^ Tampa Bay Rays trade Akinori Iwamura to Pirates for relief pitcher Jesse Chavez
3. ^ Tampa Bay Rays pick up option for LF Carl Crawford; decline Shouse and Zaun's options
4. ^ Tampa Bay Rays acquire catcher Kelly Shoppach
5. ^ Talbot named as player going to Cleveland
6. ^ Live from Indy: Thursday morning edition, Soriano deal set
7. ^ Report: Milton Bradley set to be traded - to Mariners
8. ^ Rays drop hitting coach Steve Henderson; bring back pitching coach Jim Hickey, others
9. ^ New hitting coach will be Derek Shelton

v • d • e 2010 MLB season by team AL East Baltimore • Boston • New York • Tampa Bay • Toronto AL Central Chicago • Cleveland • Detroit • Kansas City • Minnesota AL West Los Angeles • Oakland • Seattle • Texas NL East Atlanta • Florida • New York • Philadelphia • Washington NL Central Chicago • Cincinnati • Houston • Milwaukee • Pittsburgh • St. Louis NL West Arizona • Colorado • Los Angeles • San Diego • San Francisco 2010 MLB Draft • 2010 All-Star Game • 2010 World Series

v • d • e Tampa Bay Rays Formerly the Tampa Bay Devil Rays • Based in St. Petersburg, Florida (Tampa Bay) The Franchise History (Baseball in the Tampa Bay area) • Expansion Draft • Seasons • Records • Players • Managers and Owners • First-round draft picks • Broadcasters • Tampa Bay Rays Radio Network • Opening Day starters • All articles Ballparks Tropicana Field • Champion Stadium • Rays Ballpark (proposed) Spring training: Progress Energy Park • Charlotte Sports Park Culture Raymond • The Rookie • The Happy Heckler • More Cowbell • 9=8 • Florida Tuskers Rivalries Boston Red Sox • Citrus Series Important Figures Lou Piniella • Larry Rothschild • Fred McGriff • Aubrey Huff • Carl Crawford • Scott Kazmir • Wade Boggs • Carlos Peña • Dioner Navarro • Akinori Iwamura • Evan Longoria • B. J. Upton • Rocco Baldelli • Joe Maddon Retired Numbers 12 • 42 Key Personnel Owner: Stuart Sternberg • President: Matthew Silverman General Manager (de facto): Andrew Friedman • Manager: Joe Maddon AL Pennants (1) 2008 Division Titles (1) 2008 Minor League Affiliates Durham Bulls (AAA) • Montgomery Biscuits (AA) • Charlotte Stone Crabs (A) • Bowling Green Hot Rods (A) • Hudson Valley Renegades (A) • Princeton Rays (Rookie) • Gulf Coast League Rays (Rookie)   Seasons (13) 1990s 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 2000s 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 2010s 2010