--RHP Jason Hammel, who spent almost all of 2008 in the bullpen, has become a candidate for the rotation now that Edwin Jackson has been traded to Detroit. Hammel made five starts in April, then moved to the bullpen when Scott Kazmir came off the disabled list. He was 4-4 with a 4.60 ERA in 40 appearances in 2008.
--OF Gabe Gross is still being mentioned as part of a right field platoon with Fernando Perez and the recently acquired Matt Joyce despite hitting a career-high 13 home runs and providing steady defense in right field in 2008, when he played in a career-high 127 games. --2B Akinori Iwamura, a member of Japan's championship team in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, will play for his homeland this spring in the World Baseball Classic.
--RF Matt Joyce was playing for Mexicali in the Mexican Winter League with the idea of getting more experience. He was batting .291 with eight doubles, eight home runs and 25 RBIs.
--RHP Scott Dohmann, who made 12 relief appearances for Tampa Bay this year, agreed to a one-year, $650,000 deal with the Hiroshima Carp. In parts of two seasons with the Rays, Dohmann went 5-0 with a 4.18 ERA in 43 appearances.
BY THE NUMBERS: 200 -- Pounds of pasta purchased by manager Joe Maddon with his own money for his annual Thanks-Mas dinner, which he cooks and serves to Tampa Bay area Salvation Armies at this time each year.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "You go to the World Series and the spotlight is on you, and that's not the point. The spotlight should be on (the homeless). Part of us doing better as a team is things like this can be better, also. The idea is to make it bigger." -- Manager Joe Maddon on his idea to take his Thanks-Mas event nationwide.
