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The Rays Can't Waste A Talent Like Upton

By MARTIN FENNELLY

Published: Aug 29, 2007

They were kneeling near the outfield at Tropicana Field the other day, the three of them, maybe the greatest bargain in baseball.

Carl Crawford, B.J. Upton and Delmon Young.

Name a better young outfield in the majors or a bigger steal. The Devil Rays will pay Crawford, Upton and Young, combined, less than $6 million in 2007.

For that, they get Crawford, 26, one of the most exciting players in baseball, and Young, 21, who oozes Can't Miss, and Upton, 23, who might turn out to be the best of them. We see - and hear - the ball rocket off Upton's bat and we whistle.

He had three more hits Tuesday. Upton is hitting .314 with 20 homers and 65 RBIs and would have more if not missing several weeks with an injury. Upton runs down everything in center field.

"I knew, deep down, I could do it," Upton said.

He looks at Crawford and Young and sees more.

"Maybe one day we can start in the All-Star Game together or something like that."

He'd rather have them start in a playoff game together.

"Oh, in a second, definitely," Upton said.

Meanwhile, another season melts away.

Here's An Idea: Win Now

The Devil Rays are on the clock, though they either don't know it or ownership simply doesn't want to admit it.

Sooner rather than later, Scott Kazmir goes to arbitration. In 2011, after club options, the bill for Crawford comes due. That's not that far away, especially for a franchise that always talks about being a contender not next season, but the season after next. The Rays are currently looking at 2009, but don't count out 2010.

And then there are Young and Upton, who eventually will have to be paid - or traded - by an organization that still has a lower payroll than a bad hockey team.

The Rays can talk about how they had the smartest offseason in baseball, with steals like Carlos Pena, Brendan Harris and Al Reyes.

This team has the worst record in baseball.

We are approaching critical mass. It's time for the Rays to decide whether they want to be a farm club for other teams or a team all by itself.

The clock is ticking. You can see it in Crawford's eyes this time of year every year, the big beat-down, his talents lost in losing baseball.

Think he didn't notice how this team didn't go buy bullpen help last offseason? Think he doesn't already know he can be rich and famous, and maybe win, somewhere else?

What about Young and Upton? Delmon might be difficult to turn. Upton might be the Rays' best bet. You could build a winner around him - oh, and a pitching staff.

Each year of losing is another year of wasting Upton, Crawford and Young at remarkably low prices.

Money has to be spent, beginning this offseason. The talent in the system? Get it here.

The Rays are out of tomorrows. It needs to be about today.

The Cable

If it isn't, then you don't have standards, and you end up with guys who just want to be here for the Gulf views, and who needs them?

B.J. Upton's young brother, 20-year-old Justin, already is in the bigs. He plays for Arizona, which leads the NL West.

Think B.J. doesn't notice?

"I know we'll get there, but it's hard not to be a little envious of him."

I don't know if the Rays will get there. I do know that B.J. Upton is major league. He flicks his bat and a baseball goes 400 feet. He could hit 30 homers a year. Don't be fooled by his wiry frame.

"The guy's a cable," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "Like a cable that holds up a suspension bridge."

But we keep wondering if he'll be a bridge to nowhere, if the Rays ever will strike while players like Upton want to play here. What a waste if they don't.