By Jerry Crasnick

ESPN Insider

 

Gary Sheffield, a proud man putting the finishing touches on an MVP-caliber season, stood at his Veterans Stadium locker stall the final weekend in September and shared his expectations for 2004. He chucked diplomacy, as usual, and got right to the point.

 

"Before I go to any winning team and don't get what I'm worth, I'll go to a losing team," said Sheffield, who fired agent Scott Boras last spring and plans to negotiate his own contract. "I'm not going to the Braves, I'm not going to the Yankees, if I don't get what I'm worth. Guess what? I'll play for the Devil Rays. Stay at home. I've let that be known."

 

Sheffield, who hit .330 with 39 homers and 132 RBI for Atlanta at age 34, has undeniable appeal for the Devil Rays. As a Tampa native and seven-time All-Star, he gives the team an instant dose of credibility at the gate. That's no small consideration, given that the Rays' attendance dropped 7,000 this year even though they increased their win total from 55 to 63 and added two new attractions in manager Lou Piniella and rookie outfielder Rocco Baldelli.

 

The Rays have discussed Sheffield in organizational meetings. They admire the way he played hurt this year, and they realize he could change the way their lineup is perceived. But unless: (a) Sheffield takes a hometown discount or signs for a bunch of deferred money; or (b) ownership junks its budget projections and bumps its ceiling up $10 million or so, don't expect Sheffield to be wearing a Tampa uniform next season.

 

It's a case of right player, right team, wrong economic model.

 

The Devil Rays tried making a big splash in 2000 with the combination of Fred McGriff, Jose Canseco, Vinny Castilla and Greg Vaughn. The "Hit Show," which rhymes with fiasco, set the franchise back years, and the sting is only now subsiding with Vaughn's four-year, $34 million contract officially off the books.

 

Having learned the hard way, the Rays are looking for systematic improvement. Their 25-man roster payroll at the end of last season was $8 million. Between salary arbitration for Aubrey Huff and Jeremi Gonzalez and other built-in roster commitments, that number will increase to about $13 million if they do next to nothing.

 

The Vince Naimoli ownership group is willing to spend $25 million, give or take. Which leads to the following question: Do general manager Chuck LaMar and Piniella put their heads together and invest $12 million in Sheffield? Or do they spread the money around?

 

According to two Devil Rays sources, the team is leaning strongly toward Plan B. Last summer in Pittsburgh, GM Dave Littlefield traded away his best player, Brian Giles, under the theory that the Pirates needed bodies more than a bona-fide All-Star. The same principle applies in Tampa, where the Devil Rays will be looking for a power-hitting outfielder, a third baseman, a starting pitcher and bullpen help this winter.

 

Tampa's free-agent shopping will be confined to the secondary market. That means no Vladimir Guerrero or Sheffield, no Kevin Millwood, Bartolo Colon, Andy Pettitte or Greg Maddux, and most likely no Sidney Ponson.

 

It could mean Reggie Sanders, Carl Everett, Jose Cruz Jr. or possibly Mike Cameron as an outfield bat. It might mean entering the bidding for a John Thomson, Miguel Batista, Brian Anderson or Pat Hentgen, if he doesn't return to Baltimore.

 

Throw in a Joe Randa at third base, find a closer from the glut of relief pitchers on the free-agent market, and the Rays figure they'll realize more benefits than they would with a single Sheffield -- no matter how scarily quick he can turn around a fastball. They're going to gorge themselves on appetizers.

 

While LaMar declines to address specific names or the Devil Rays' plans for the winter, he has reason to be upbeat. He's found a way to co-exist with his high-voltage manager. The farm system is producing, and the Rays have enough spare millions to complement their young talent base.

 

Piniella, who returned this week from a vacation trip to Italy and Spain, is already drawing out lineups on cocktail napkins and formulating and re-formulating his vision for the team. He's flush with the memory of the season's final weekend, when the Devil Rays took two straight games from Boston to avoid 100 losses.

 

"Because of the young players, this is the most excitement we've had here since the night before we opened up in '98," LaMar said. "There's more sincere enthusiasm here than ever before."

 

The Devil Rays have several decisions to make, including whether Julio Lugo or Rey Ordonez will keep the shortstop position warm for prospect B.J. Upton, who should be ready by 2005. Do they bring back Travis Lee and Marlon Anderson? And what do they make of pitcher Joe Kennedy, who started on Opening Day but finished 3-12 with a 6.13 ERA. The Devil Rays are down on Kennedy because of his poor work habits and lack of maturity, but they haven't given up on him. He is, after all, 24 and left-handed.

 

Piniella and LaMar figure a natural progression will take Tampa past 70 wins next season. The Devil Rays will do it with kids and a commitment to a new long-term vision. But unless the front office has a change of heart, they'll do it without Sheffield.

Devil Rays have a good farm team. They just need to go with prospects and young players like the tigers are doing. The Tigers may suck now but if they keep everyone they'll be competitive in a couple years.

Devil Rays have a good farm team. They just need to go with prospects and young players like the tigers are doing. The Tigers may suck now but if they keep everyone they'll be competitive in a couple years.

I'm not so sure the Tigers do have a good farm team. Their system has sucked for years and there doesn't seem to be much on the horizon.

 

Although Toledo was decent this year for the first time in ages.

The Tigers may not have a great farm team but when your team has no chance you might as well give the young players lots of big league experience and it will probably pay off in the future