Curtis Mead's Role with Tampa Bay Rays in New Season

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00:00It's Curtis Meade of the Tampa Bay Rays.

00:02George is poking fun, but I heard this guy's name several years ago with Tampa Bay,

00:06so this is not surprising for me to see all of a sudden him come up.

00:10If I'm not mistaken, Curtis Meade from Australia didn't play baseball growing up,

00:14all of a sudden just sort of found it, and boy, has he found it this spring.

00:18He's making his case to make the team, George.

00:20I don't think the Rays have announced anything as of yet.

00:25So, okay, they did announce that.

00:29Thank you, Sam.

00:30That's why we have Sam here.

00:31So, now that he's made it, how much playing time will he get?

00:36I mean, my only fear with somebody like this is, will they allow him to go through it

00:41in April and May and keep him up?

00:44I think so.

00:45I think the Rays are in a position to try and get the most they can out of him.

00:48I think, once again, he's going to be in that platoon, and once again,

00:54he's at the wrong end of the platoon.

00:56So, he's got to hit.

00:56He's got to hit to get in that lineup here.

00:58Listen, we know what the Rays are going to do, right, Craig?

01:00They're going to play the guys who are playing.

01:02They do that because they have no choice here.

01:04He's sort of the guy who can play all over the field.

01:06He can play a little first, a little second base here.

01:08First base, okay, that's Yadi Diaz, right?

01:11You're not getting much playing time there.

01:13Second base is Brandon Lowe.

01:15So, that's really where you're looking at it.

01:16Maybe a little DH as well here.

01:18He's got to hit, but they have so many guys that are just like him, you know?

01:23If he doesn't hit, they're going to move on.

01:26They're going to find the guy who is going to hit there.

01:27So, good for him.

01:28He's going to get a shot.

01:30You know, he's a big guy, 6'2", but only 170 pounds.

01:33So, he's a little wiry.

01:34So, we'll see what he can do there.

01:36He's got to continue.

01:37I'm curious about what the Rays as a team are going to do.

01:39Remember, they're not playing in Tropicana.

01:41They're playing at Steinbrenner Field.

01:42All those home games in March, April, and May, what are they playing, 49-57 at home?

01:47Something crazy like that.

01:49So, we'll see.

01:50That ballpark, though, is built after the Yankees, which means it's built for left-handed power.

01:55Something Meade is not.

01:56So, Brandon Lowe may be able to take advantage of that.

01:59If you're looking for a little cheap power there, maybe it's Brandon Lowe later in your draft there,

02:02taking advantage of what is the short porch at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

02:06So, it's not really going to be built for the right-handers.

02:10Yeah, I still think that if he performs, you're right about Yandy Diaz.

02:15I don't see him playing over him, but I still do see quite a bit of playing time coming for him if he performs.

02:20The Rays really have nothing to lose.

02:22But, you know, again, it's one of those things where you don't know how a rookie is going

02:26to perform at the beginning of the season.

02:27All right, Brandon Drury signed a pretty big contract, George, to be honest with you.

02:33Coming off, like, his best season where we thought he was, like, gone and finished in baseball,

02:38came back with Arizona, signed a mega deal, I believe over $50-60 million with the Angels.

02:44Angels were just handing out money.

02:47Finally, he's having a really good spring here.

02:48He had a disastrous season last year.

02:50Is it possible that there's a bounce back here for Drury going into the season?

02:56Oh, I mean, you're playing in Chicago.

02:59It's a bandbox all over, left, center, right.

03:01So the bull does fly out of there, especially once the weather heats up there.

03:05That being said, of all the drafts I've done, I don't think Drury's been drafted in any of them.

03:09I mean, not even drafted.

03:10So I don't think people are expecting it.

03:12So, I mean, what do you want me to tell you here?

03:16Yeah, can you take a shot at him late, middle infielder, bench con kind of guy?

03:20Sure, doesn't bother me to do that here.

03:22But another guy, I think you're moving on from eventually here.

03:25I'm not, what are we hoping for here?

03:27He's going to hit 20 plus home runs, steal here, some sparring at base with a good average here.

03:32I'm not so sure I see that or I feel that.

03:35He's not a guy I'm after here.

03:36He's a guy, Craig, that'll be for me.

03:38Oh, look at that.

03:39He is hitting.

03:40You know, and okay, I'm going to take him over this guy.

03:42It's already on my roster.

03:43That's probably where I go with Brad Drury.

03:46Bruised hand is the latest injury for Drury.

03:50Nassim Nunez, who I'm quite familiar with.

03:52He's a member of the Washington Nationals.

03:54Was a Rule 5 pick.

03:55Didn't play all that much.

03:56This kid can steal, man.

03:58Like, they can move him up and down now the entire season.

04:01I just wonder if they will.

04:04Uh, so we all need bases though, right?

04:06He can fly.

04:07If he can play, he'll be valuable for that one category that I keep saying that I have a big problem with.

04:12And I always have a big problem.

04:13I tried to, I tried to correct that this season, Craig.

04:15I actually tried to transfer stolen base guys.

04:17Uh, so that's what we're looking for with Nunez.

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