• Willy Aybar (28) – The Rays declined Aybar's option and non-tendered him, but he can play first, second and third and has a career .341 OBP. He wouldn't be in line for more than a minor league deal if he signs. 
• Jeremy Bonderman (28) – Bonderman may sit the season out, but you have to think he can help someone (the Cardinals?) despite the 5.53 ERA he posted in 171 innings last year. He's only 28 and he has recovered from shoulder surgery.
• Manny Corpas (28) - Corpas will miss the 2011 season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. He posted a 4.62 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 62 1/3 innings last year, and defense independent pitching stats suggest his ERA should have been lower, so he would have drawn interest if healthy.
• Hank Blalock (30) - Blalock averaged 29 homers per season from 2003-05, when he made two All-Star teams. That power was nowhere to be seen last year, when he posted a .254/.319/.349 line in 69 plate appearances for the Rays. Blalock just turned 30 last fall, but he probably needs to rebuild value in the minor leagues to make a complete comeback.
• Bobby Crosby (31) – Three teams were interested in the former AL Rookie of the Year earlier in the winter, but he remains on the open market. In 189 plate appearances for Pittsburgh and Arizona last year, Crosby hit .220/.294/.298 and played all four infield positions. 
• Ryan Church (32) - Church, who was traded with Crosby from Pittsburgh to Arizona last summer, also struggled in 2010. He posted a .201/.265/.352 line, though he had 59 extra base hits as recently as 2007.
• Ben Sheets (32) – If he wasn't going to miss the season with flexor tendon surgery, Sheets would likely have found a team by now. He won't sign this year.

JUNE 29th: The Rays designated Hank Blalock for assignment, according to the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter). Gabe Kapler returns from the disabled list tomorrow, so the Rays can afford to part with Blalock. They promoted him in mid-May, just as Pat Burrell's disappointing stint in Tampa was coming to an end. But after tearing through Triple A pitching early on in the season, Blalock hit just one homer and posted a .254/.319/.349 line in the majors.

Blalock, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Rays in March. He makes $925K plus incentives, but even at that salary, it would be a surprise to see a team claim him. Instead, Blalock could be traded or released within the next ten days.

The White Sox have been relying on Mark Kotsay to DH and could use depth at third. Blalock could be a consideration, but he may not be the answer since he has hit righties better than lefties in his career, much like Kotsay. The Twins could look to improve over Danny Valencia and the Angels could use corner infielders, but there's no guarantee either team believes in Blalock's bat or his ability to defend. Blalock was mostly a DH for the Rays, though he did appear at first, third and in right.

"We're not limiting our options," Reagins said, without referring to Blalock in particular. "There are opportunities to get better, and we're exploring all of them."

The Angels appear to be operating without financial limitations, but Blalock will cost just a pro-rated portion of the major league minimum if he clears waivers. He posted just a .254/.319/.349 line in the majors this year, though he did hit well in the minor leagues before his stint in Tampa. When the Rays cut Blalock yesterday, I speculated that the Twins could have interest as well as the Angels.

Kendry Morales is out with a season-ending leg operation and Brandon Wood has a .438 OPS, so the Angels could use a corner infielder. Blalock was mostly a DH for the Rays, though he did appear at third and first.

• Nick Green, who was designated for assignment by the Dodgers, has cleared waivers and accepted a minor league assignment, writes MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.
• WEEI's Alex Speier explains why trading for Adrian Gonzalez appears less and less likely for the Red Sox.
• Lance Berkman's agent is telling teams that his client will approve a trade in which his $15MM option for 2011 is picked up, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.  No teams are willing to do that but if the demand is dropped, Heyman says that the Angels are a match.
• Joe Frisaro of MLB.com says that while no exact date has been set for the major league debut of Mike Stanton, speculation is that he could get the call as soon as Tuesday when the Marlins head to Philadelphia.
• Alex Rodriguez now has some say in the fate of his former team after being named to the Rangers creditors' committee, tweets Heyman.  Texas owes A-Rod $24.9MM in deferred compensation.
• Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes that Jaime Garcia would have been an Oriole if not for a translation mishap.
• Hank Blalock is happy to be in Tampa Bay, writes Drew Davison of the Dallas Morning News.

• The Tigers announced tonight they've demoted Max Scherzer and Scott Sizemore to Triple A, with Armando Galarraga and Danny Worth getting the call.  Both Scherzer and Edwin Jackson have disappointed since changing teams in December's big deal.
• Hank Blalock comes to Tampa Bay determined to be a more well-rounded player, according to MLB.com's Adam Berry and Bill Chastain.
• The Marlins could make a 40-man roster move soon to bring back Mike Lamb, tweets MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Lamb was designated for assignment last week and is currently in Triple A.
• Despite Adam LaRoche's successful 2009 stint in Atlanta (.325/.401/.557 in 57 games), the Braves didn't approach him about returning, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• Alan Schwarz of the New York Times takes an in-depth look at the likely first overall pick in next month's draft, Bryce Harper.
• Nats manager Jim Riggleman says that the club will have to consider making a roster move with reliever Brian Bruney, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (via Twitter).
• Mets pitcher Oliver Perez won't accept a demotion to Triple-A if asked, tweets David Lennon of Newsday.  Perez has been bumped out of the starting rotation and placed in the bullpen.
• Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes that Eric Byrnes and Morgan Ensberg are making the most of life-after-baseball.
• Brewers pitching prospect Jeremy Jeffress will have to wait a little bit longer to return to the mound once he is reinstated, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.  Jeffress, the 18th overall pick in the 2006 draft, has tested positive for a "drug of abuse" on three separate occasions.

Friedman insists that the move has nothing to do with Blalock's contract situation and potential opt-out clause.  The club, he says, talked during Spring Training about re-evaluating things at this point in the season. 

He added that Dan Johnson, currently in Triple-A Durham, was also considered for promotion.  The 30-year-old has been posting even stronger numbers than Blalock, hitting .311/.382/.647 with 11 HRs.

10:52am: The team has yet to confirm the move, but it appears that Hank Blalock will join the Rays for today's game against the Mariners according to Heath Baywood at DRaysBay. Marc Topkin of The St. Petersburg Times backs up the report.

Earlier this week Scott Boras indicated that Blalock would exercise the opt-out clause in his contract if he wasn't called up within a week. The two-time All Star hit .349/.405/.505 with Tampa's Triple-A affiliate, though oddly enough he hit lefties better than righties. That could easily be a function of limited at-bats, however.

Tampa Bay has two open spots on it's 40-man roster, but they will need to clear a 25-man roster spot for Blalock. Topkin says that it remains to be seen if this is the end of the Pat Burrell era, even though he's hitting just .202/.292/.333 this year. Either way, the Rays are the hook for his $9MM salary this season.

Here are a few links from around the web…

• Royals Authority thinks about the unthinkable: trading Zack Greinke.
• Pittsburgh Lumber Co. busts the myth that Neal Huntington can't spot talent.
• DRays Bay wonders if the Rays should cut Pat Burrell and replace him with Hank Blalock. 
• The Crawfish Boxes looks at Lance Berkman's trade value.
• Feeling Dodger Blue says that Garret Anderson may not be long for the Dodgers. 
• At Home Plate says that Carl Crawford's future is uncertain.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

• Royals manager Trey Hillman told MLB.com's Dick Kaegel that he's as frustrated as ever about his club's slow start.
• R.J. Anderson of FanGraphs is not completely convinced that Hank Blalock is the solution for the Rays, even as Pat Burrell's struggles continue. Blalock may exercise the opt-out clause in his contract in the coming week. ESPN.com's Buster Olney names the A's as a possible suitor for Blalock (Twitter link).
• An Associated Press article on ESPN.com notes that the deadline for signing players with remaining college eligibility has been pushed back a day to August 16th this year because August 15th falls on a weekend.
• RotoAuthority identifies Scott Olsen as a candidate to post a sub-4.00 ERA and respectable strikeout totals for your fantasy team going forward.
• MLB.com's Carrie Muskat says the Cubs aren't about to make a deal any time soon.
• If you have experience designing databases, MLBTR has a project for you. We’re interested in finding someone to design a searchable database for the site, so send an email to mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com if you are the right person for the job.
• Mark DeRosa told MLB.com's Chris Haft that last year's wrist surgery was "a total failure."  With numbness in a couple fingers and ligaments "flapping all over the place again," DeRosa might need another procedure.  From Day 1, two years and $12MM was an aggressive commitment by the Giants.
• In a similar vein, Nationals free agent signing Jason Marquis will likely miss another eight to ten weeks with surgery to remove spurs and bone chips from his elbow, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
• Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports asked Ken Griffey Jr. about retirement, and Junior said, "I'll figure it out when I get to that point."  The Mariners, meanwhile, have made a villain of Larry LaRue, the reporter who quoted a couple of unnamed players about a recent Griffey in-game clubhouse nap.

TUESDAY, 10:54pm: Scott Boras indicated to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times that Hank Blalock may exercise the out clause in his contract within a week if the Rays don't call him up.

"I would imagine that we'll probably know something about Hank in the next seven days," Boras said. "The time has come. The time has come. He's playing third base, obviously he's hitting well, he's a young guy."

Blalock, 29, has a .375/.435/.552 line and four homers in Triple A Durham (though that batting average has been inflated by a .421 batting average on balls in play). Meanwhile, Pat Burrell is hitting .221/.315/.364 with two homers in the majors. Willy Aybar has yet to start at DH for the Rays, but he has appeared in ten games as a backup DH, so the Rays could turn to him.

The Rays could cut their losses and release Burrell, who earns $9MM this year, to make room for Blalock. They could also attempt to trade Blalock, perhaps to the Mariners. But if Blalock hits free agency again, Boras says he is confident that there will be interest in his client.

"I think a lot of people understand Hank's a better choice for them, so we'll see," Boras said.

Under his current contract, Blalock is set to earn a base salary of $925K in the major leagues.

Kansas City's Jose Guillen has been mentioned as a possibility for the M's, though as of yesterday they have reportedly yet to make a formal inquiry.  Lance Berkman of the Astros has been mentioned as a fit for Seattle, though Stone points to his health, salary, and poor performance this season as reasons why Jack Zduriencik would want to steer clear of him.

Stone suggests that Baltimore could offer up Luke Scott or Garrett Atkins, though they have been struggling mightily.  On the flipside, Ty Wigginton and Miguel Tejada are in the final years of their respective deals and could be available at some point, though they have been hitting well for an O's team that desperately needs offense.

Austin Kearns and ex-Mariner Russell Branyan could be pried away from the Indians (especially Branyan), but Stone says to "forget about" Cleveland dealing Grady Sizemore.  Moving the reasonably-priced star outfielder would be a PR nightmare for a club that has made of a habit of losing their marquee players in recent years.

Stone also says to keep an eye on Hank Blalock, who is hitting quite well in the International League and has an out-clause in his deal with the Rays.  However, the M's passed on the two-time All-Star this winter.

Also hampering Seattle is that GMs from around baseball seem unwilling to make trades at this point in the season.

What other sluggers could you see the Mariners inquiring on?  Will they be able to talk a GM into making a significant trade with them at this juncture?

Another executive noted that the contracts of both players might be prohibitive. Oswalt is guaranteed $33MM through 2011, while Berkman is making $15MM this season with a $2MM buyout of his $15MM club option for next season. It's also worth noting that the first baseman is hitting just .185/.290/.352 in 62 plate appearances since coming off the disabled list. If McLane decides to move one of his franchise players, it might be a tough pill to swallow since the return is expected to be less than stellar. 

Here's the rest of Olney's rumors…

• Despite having the game's best record and run differential, the Rays need a righthanded reliever and lefty hitting designated hitter. The latter will likely have to come from outside the organization, and the opportunity to acquire such a player will assuredly arise during the summer. Remember, the Rays do have Hank Blalock hitting .388/.448/.541 in Triple-A.
• Olney speculates that the team could use top prospect Jeremy Hellickson as that righty reliever, though it might compromise their rotation depth since he's effectively their sixth starter.
• Kerry Wood's injury probably increased the chances that he'll be traded, because now his $11MM option for next season is unlikely to vest.

Burrell hit .221/.315/.367 in 2009 and is off to another slow start in 2010, the final season of his two-year contract. He'll make $9MM this year, a figure which will likely make him unmovable. Topkin thinks that at some point the Rays "will just have to accept their mistake and cut him loose."

If they were to cut ties with Burrell, the Rays would have other options available. Hank Blalock is currently in Triple A, waiting for an opportunity to earn Major League playing time. Additionally, Topkin points out that Rocco Baldelli has been taking regular batting practice at Tropicana Field and would like to play again. The long-time Ray would be a cheap right-handed alternative, and, as this Rays Index article suggests, Tampa fans would have more patience with him than they've had with Pat the Bat.

Burrell's $9MM salary would be a huge cost for the budget-conscious Rays to eat, so expect them to give the 33-year-old every chance to succeed. However, if his struggles continue and compromise the club's chances of contending, they could be forced to make a change.

Joe Crede turns 32 in April, which makes him two and a half years older than Blalock. Crede underwent surgery in September because of a herniated disk in his back. He has since recovered and was throwing and hitting a month ago, but teams haven't forgotten the back, shoulder, hand, knee and hamstring injuries Crede struggled with last year. 

Crede's bat is comparable to Blalock's at this point. Blalock appeared in more games than Crede, picked up 128 more plate appearances and hit ten more homers, but Crede's rate stats (.225/.289/.414) resemble Blalock's (.234/.277/.459). 

Even though Crede is older, more injury-prone and no more productive at the plate, Boras can point to Crede's defense. Every year since 2002, when data became available, UZR has ranked Crede as an above-average defender at third and he has defended particularly well in recent years.

If Blalock can't find a job now, it's unlikely that Crede can. It's hard to imagine Boras and Crede finding a guaranteed contract now, when roster spots are at a premium. But if Crede proves his health in workouts, he could become an attractive mid-season option for risk-taking GMs in search of a cheap third baseman who can play defense and add a little power. 

Late last week, Reid Brignac made Tampa Bay's Opening Day roster, leaving Blalock as the odd man out.  Despite his assertion that he does not want to play minor league ball, he told Topkin that he would remain in Durham for the "foreseeable future" if he could not land a gig in the big show (link goes to Twitter).

Blalock is not today's only notable addition to Triple-A Durham, as Elliot Johnson was also placed on the squad after clearing waivers.

• Baseball America's John Manuel provides updates on five Rule 5 picks: Carlos Monasterios with the Dodgers, John Raynor with the Pirates, Zachary Kroenke, who was optioned to the minors by the D'Backs, Kanekoa Texeira with the Mariners, and David Herndon with the Phillies.
• Peter Gammons previews storylines for the 2010 season, such as emerging stars, prospects of the future, a slew of contenders, and the ever-present unpredictability of baseball.
• Dave Campbell of the AP looks at Jacque Jones and how Minnesota's late-season surge in 2009 inspired a comeback attempt for 2010 when he was on the verge of retirement. Jones is reporting to Triple-A Rochester after hitting .366/.409/.585 with the Twins this spring.
• In an interview with Mike Wilner of the FAN 590 in Toronto, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos said while the team hasn't officially said anything about Adeiny Hechevarria, international cases like his are often slowed by visa issues and other approval processes.
• Tom Haudricourt tweets that there will be no last-minute changes to the Brewers 25-man roster.
• The San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser spoke with recently-DFA'ed Jack Cust, who is shocked and offended by the move. Cust says he will accept a minor league assignment if he clears waivers, but won't let Oakland "walk all over" him. The 31-year-old slugger has led the A's in home runs the past three seasons. Slusser takes a deeper look at the Cust move in a separate piece.
• Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times looks at what the Cubs' performance in 2010 means to Jim Hendry's job, and talks to several players about their positive relationships with the Chicago GM.
• Elliot Johnson cleared waivers and will report to Triple-A Durham, according to Marc Topkin. He adds that the Rays have set their roster and are waiting to hear from Hank Blalock on whether or not he'll accept a minor league assignment.