--No one within the organization will comment, but the scouts who watched LHP Scott Kazmir pitch feel he was not healthy during the 2008 season. They feel the elbow injury that shut down his spring training and forced him to miss the first month of the season either did not completely heal or resurfaced in June and prevented Kazmir from throwing his slider.
--RHP Wade Townsend, the eighth pick in the 2005 draft, has been shut down again, this time for surgery on his right shoulder that will likely cost him the 2009 season. Townsend, who missed the 2006 season while he rehabbed from Tommy John surgery, was 1-6 with a 6.08 ERA last summer while splitting time between Class A and Class AA. He was 2-0 with an 8.44 ERA in the Arizona Fall League before suffering his latest setback. --SS Jason Bartlett received one vote for AL MVP, and that was a fifth-place vote from someone who values defense. It was Bartlett's glove and range that helped settle the infield, which made the other infielders better and gave the pitchers move confidence to pitch to contact, knowing anything hit on the ground, especially to the left side, likely would find a glove.
--RHP Wade Davis was added to the 40-man roster, meaning the 23-year-old will earn his second invite to major league training camp. Davis, voted Class AA Montgomery's pitcher of the year, was 9-6 with a 3.85 ERA for the Biscuits last summer.
--RHP Chris Mason, who spent last spring in the Rays' major league camp, was 0-1 with a 10.38 ERA through 13 games with the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League.
BY THE NUMBERS: 39 -- Players on the Rays' 40-man roster after RHP Wade Davis, LHP Jake McGee and RHP Dale Thayer were added Nov. 20.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It all started with Joe." -- Rays DH Cliff Floyd, crediting manager Joe Maddon on the amazing worst-to-first season turned in by the Rays in 2008.
