Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Drew Jenkins
Love 4 The Win!
By Drew Jenkins Choose love... One thing that I've discovered over the years, is that even in your darkest hour, love will be there for you. You can be facing hatred or bullying... You may be experiencing discrimination or injustice... You could be the victim of violence... Love will still be there for you. All you need to do is choose it. Because ultimately, no matter what challenges you face in the world, there is always the next...
How to Coach Middle School Basketball
By Drew Jenkins I have no idea what I'm doing, and they might be on to me... Photo by Drew Jenkins Ten pairs of eyes stared at me expectantly. Each had arrived at our first practice with the anticipation that I somehow could teach them the sport of basketball. Oh, how uninformed they were... As the parent convinced into taking the high-paying position of volunteer 7th/8th-grade rec league girls...
This is my Zen...
By Drew Jenkins What is your Zen? Photo by Drew Jenkins On a recent trip to Nashville, after spontaneously looking up where Taylor Swift had been discovered, my wife and I stumbled upon The Bluebird Cafe. We realized our hotel was only a couple of miles away, so we booked an Uber, and away we went. Being 4:30 pm in the afternoon, we thought we could pop in for a drink and take a couple of pictures. We were wrong...
Making Peace with Anxiety
By Drew Jenkins My personal experiences with this normal emotion Photo by Drew Jenkins When I was 21, I went to Cancun, Mexico on spring break with a group of friends. While excited and fully expecting a week of late nights and excessive alcohol consumption, I was NOT prepared for the extent of it...
6 FA Cup 2020 Breakout Stars
6 FA Cup 2020 Breakout Stars an hour ago By Drew Jenkins After a cracking FA Cup third round, COPA90 took a look back at some of the rising stars who broke onto the scene and made headlines. The FA Cup in recent years has become synonymous with managers rotating their teams, playing different and much younger squads than usual. Opinions on this are mixed but, more often than not, it’s widely ridiculed as clubs playing their ‘kids’ and not taking the competition seriously.
Five Common HIPAA Compliance Myths Debunked
So you did your homework and partnered with a hosting provider that is both HIPAA compliant and has a great reputation for security—you’re all set, right? Actually, maybe not. Let’s back up. As we mentioned in an April post entitled: Audits are Coming, are you Fine or Fined, business associates and their subcontractors are directly liable for HIPAA compliance.
Best Practice Guidelines for Assessing Your Cloud Service Provider
Most enterprise companies and many small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) have embraced some level of cloud adoption, and for good reason—smart use of cloud applications can help businesses streamline processes, improve efficiency and stay relevant in today’s digital marketplace. However, in this race to the cloud, companies, regardless of size, must vet potential cloud service providers (CSPs) before engaging in business with them.
Outsourcing to MSPs Offers Benefits Beyond Cost Savings
Before you look at the question of whether to outsource part or all of your IT needs to a managed services provider (MSP) ask yourself this essential question, “what business are we in?” If you didn’t answer that with something that contains the words ‘information technology’ and ‘as a service’ then your business may use information technology, but that’s not your product.
What Keeps Healthcare CIOs and CTOs Up at Night?
The challenges healthcare CIOs and CTOs face are mounting as incidents of data breaches occur with increasing frequency. Keeping business-critical data secure is becoming progressively complex. Balancing the need for top IT talent; managing the systems, and enforcing the policies required for regulatory compliance; and just staying on top of internal and external threat levels are all top concerns for today’s healthcare IT professionals. So what’s keeping them up at night?
How Mobility Impacts the Role of the CIO
There’s no question that today’s business landscape is a mobile one. Workers often access company information out of the office from smartphones and other personal devices. Or, due to the popularity and growing expectation of being able to BYOD, they use a combination of multiple devices concurrently in certain professional settings. CIOs face the challenges of streamlining processes, keeping data secure and troubleshooting across both in-house and user-initiated endpoints—but there’s more.
Scouting Jake Bauers, Newest Tampa Bay Rays Prospect
On Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Rays swung a potentially franchise-altering deal when they traded Wil Myers in a three-team deal with the San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals. This deal netted a group of prospects, and now that the deal has been made official, it is time to digest the prospects they acquired. This past season, I saw newly-acquired first base prospect Jake Bauers on multiple occasions, and here is what I saw.
Why Matt Joyce Is Still Valuable To The Tampa Bay Rays
2014 was arguably Matt Joyce‘s most disappointing season with the Tampa Bay Rays. Generally a nice power hitter to complement the likes of Evan Longoria and Ben Zobrist, Joyce’s slugging percentage (.383) and ISO (.129) slipped to career-lows. As such, many thought this would be the end of Joyce’s tenure with the Rays. He will go through arbitration for the final time this offseason, where he will likely make in the ballpark of $5 million, and he will be a free agent after the 2015 season.
Report: Tampa Bay Rays And Texas Rangers Talking Trades
The Tampa Bay Rays have already made two trades in the young offseason, with Jeremy Hellickson being dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cesar Ramos going to the Los Angeles Angels. Though it might not have been the entire motivation behind both of those two deals, they did come with the benefit of clearing 40-man roster spots. The Rays needed that, as they have a plethora of prospects that they must protect from the Rule 5 draft.
Jeremy Hellickson Dealt To Arizona Diamondbacks
As we have heard rumored for the past few days, Jeremy Hellickson was indeed traded to a National League team as of Friday night. That team turned out to be the Arizona Diamondbacks. In return, the Rays received two prospects in outfielder Justin Williams and shortstop Andrew Velazquez. This move represents the final chapter in Hellickson’s fall from grace with the Rays.
A.J. Burnett Takes Less Money, Wisely Returns To Pittsburgh Pirates
After one year away from the Pittsburgh Pirates, A.J. Burnett is on his way back. The veteran RHP has officially agreed to a one-year deal with the Pirates worth $8.5 million. This comes after Burnett declined a player option to stay with the Philadelphia Phillies that would have paid him $12.75 million in 2015. It’s refreshing to see a player take less money and value winning.
Does Cesar Ramos’ Exit Open A Role For Mike Montgomery?
Yesterday, the Tampa Bay Rays made their first trade of the offseason when they dealt Cesar Ramos to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for Mark Sappington. While Ramos had been a decent contributor to the Rays, the left-hander’s upside was limited, and the Rays have plenty of other internal options for the bullpen. Could Ramos’ departure mean that Mike Montgomery finally has the inside track on a big league job?
Should Jerry Sands Be Retained By The Tampa Bay Rays?
The Tampa Bay Rays face some tough decisions with their 40-man roster. It is already full with 40 players, and the Rays have two players who need to be activated from the 60-day DL in Matt Moore and Jerry Sands. Plus, that does not even account for multiple prospects that the Rays need to protect from the Rule 5 draft. Thus, the Rays will need to decide on who to keep around on the 40-man. Is Sands deserving of one of these spots?
Could The Rays Sign Korean Lefty Kwang-Hyun Kim?
The Tampa Bay Rays will head into 2015 with some questions in their starting rotation. The top four of the rotation seems to be locked down by Alex Cobb, Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi, and Drew Smyly, but after that the picture is less clear. Matt Moore needs to be healthy to get a spot, and even when he returns there are questions about his control and velocity.
Retaining Jim Hickey Will Be Key For Tampa Bay Rays
With the Tampa Bay Rays currently searching for a manager, the team has already stated they are planning on retaining their coaching staff. Despite them saying that, though, returning the coaching staff is not guaranteed. After all, the Rays could hire a veteran manager who wishes to bring in his own staff, or the coaches could be unhappy with the hire and leave on their own accord.
Searching For Why Joe Maddon Left The Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays franchise took a big hit when Executive VP of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman left for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now another man who helped build their franchise is gone in Joe Maddon, who opted out of his contract on Friday. This was certainly a puzzling move, as it seemed like Maddon and the Rays were likely to strike a contract extension. So what are the potential reasons why Maddon suddenly left?
Yoel Araujo: Best Raw Power In Tampa Bay Rays’ System?
Generally in baseball, a team’s best power prospect will be one of the team’s best prospects in general. In the past, we have seen the likes of Richie Shaffer, Wil Myers, and Josh Sale ranked among the club’s top prospects for their power. Some of those have clearly worked out better than others, but all have shown the potential to be huge power hitters, and thus they were heralded as prospects.
Sean Rodriguez: Looking Back, Moving Forward
If you had said before the season that Sean Rodriguez would be one of the Tampa Bay Rays’ most proficient power hitters, you probably would have been laughed at. But that’s what it came to for the Rays in 2014, as Rodriguez’s .443 slugging percentage was second on the team behind the equally surprising Kevin Kiermaier. It was encouraging to see Rodriguez finally tap into his raw power, but, that said, there were still plenty of negatives to his season.
Rays Winter Leagues Recap: Hector Gimenez Homers For Aragua
Some players have an undying love the game of baseball, and they find a way to keep playing at all costs. Winter ball is often an avenue for them to keep playing, and it can be a way of boosting their stocks in hopes of latching on with an affiliated club in the next season. That is the case with Hector Gimenez, who saw time in three different organizations in 2014 before finding a home with the Tigres de Aragua in the Venezuelan Winter League.
How Will Tampa Bay Rays Create Room On 40-Man Roster?
With the recent signing of reliever Michael Kohn, the Tampa Bay Rays filled their 40-man roster to its maximum capacity. That represents a problem for the club, because they need to make room on their 40-man roster. First of all, they need to activate Matt Moore and Jerry Sands from the 60-day DL.
Understanding Hierarchy Of The New-Look Rays Front Office
With Andrew Friedman leaving the Tampa Bay Rays front office to join the Los Angeles Dodgers a few days ago, things got a bit crazy for the Rays. People were changing roles left and right in the front office, and promotions meant that new people will now be calling the shots in the Rays front office. Now that the dust has more or less settled, here’s a guide to who will be making what decisions in the new-look front office.
VSL Rays Season Review
The Venezuelan Summer League Rays, the lowest minor league affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, were hardly inspiring as a whole in 2014, going just 24-43. That said, the VSL Rays squad had plenty of players with potential, and this could actually be one of the more intriguing VSL squads that the Rays have had in the last few years. Best Performers On the pitching side of things, Jorman Duarte had a solid year, posting an outstanding 1.99 ERA and 1.7 BB/9, though his 3.1 K/9 was not good.
DSL Rays Season Review
By the time you get down to the foreign summer leagues, a majority of the players on the team, if not all of them, are names that even an avid prospect enthusiast would not recognize. That does not mean that these players don’t come without intrigue, however. After all, many players currently playing in the big leagues got their start in foreign summer leagues years ago.
Rays Winter Leagues Recap: Doug Mathis Solid In VWL
Winter leagues can be a way for a team to send their prospects in order to get more seasoning to fast-forward their developmental clock. But, just as important is that winter leagues can also help an individual boost his stock in hopes of latching on with an affiliated team the next season. That is the goal of Doug Mathis, and he was successful in his first outing for Tigres de Aragua.
Evan Longoria, Ben Zobrist Join Roster For Japan Series
Major League Baseball has begun to emphasize growing the game worldwide, not just in the United States. As a part of that, a team of MLB All-Stars is set to travel to Japan this November to play a five game series against the Japanese national team and two additional exhibition games. Two Tampa Bay Rays players will get a chance to be a part of that, as Evan Longoria and Ben Zobrist were recently named to the MLB roster for this series.
Evan Longoria: Looking Back, Moving Forward
The Tampa Bay Rays could not deliver on lofty expectations in 2014, ultimately finishing 77-85 and missing out on the playoffs. A good deal of that disappointment was due to the offense, who sat at just 27th in the league in runs scored, and their lack of power was a big cause of that as they were just 25th in the league in SLG. At the root of that disappointment was third baseman Evan Longoria. Longoria put up the worst season of his career in 2014, hitting just .253/.320/.404.
Rays Winter Leagues Recap: Jaime Schultz Struggles In AFL
Tampa Bay Rays prospects were back in action in the Arizona Fall League on Wednesday. Tuesday saw a nice AFL debut from Justin O’ Conner, but Rays prospects did not have as good of a showing on day two. Still, these players are getting extra developmental time against some of the best minor league talent, and they will only become better because of it.
Could A Ryan Howard Trade Interest The Tampa Bay Rays?
Aug 31, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard (6) hits an RBI double against the New York Mets during the fourth inning of a game at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports This year the Tampa Bay Rays disappointed, and it was primarily because of their offense. The Rays ranked 27th in all of baseball in runs scored, and their .367 SLG was 25th in the league. Thus, it makes sense that the Rays could try to add a power bat this offseason.
Can Jake Odorizzi Solve His Road Struggles In 2015?
Overall, Jake Odorizzi had a successful rookie year. Though his 4.13 ERA was nothing too special, if you take out a rough six game start to the season that lowers all the way to 3.59. Also, Odorizzi’s 9.27 K/9 ranked 9th in the league, and he quickly showed that he had a higher ceiling than we previously thought. That said, a big negative about his year was his struggles on the road. Is that something he can fix moving forward?
Is Ryne Stanek Just Grayson Garvin 2.0 For Tampa Bay Rays?
When the Tampa Bay Rays drafted Ryne Stanek at 29th overall in 2013, there were plenty of reasons to be excited. Sure, Stanek had his issues, but he was considered by some to be a top-ten talent, and for good reason. Stanek’s fastball and slider had flashed plus potential, his changeup looked like it could become above-average, and even his curveball had its moments. Stanek once again showed great stuff in his pro debut this year but it was hard to walk away from without disappointment.
Rays’ Enderson Franco Could Be Steal As Ex-MiLB Rule 5 Pick
The Tampa Bay Rays are always looking for ways to add talent to their system. The most conventional way of doing this is through signings, trades, and the draft, but there are plenty of other ways the Rays try to bring in talent. Some of these include signing players out of independent league ball and adding minor league free agents in the middle of the season. One other way they do it is through the annual minor league rule 5 draft (separate from the big league portion of the rule 5 draft).
Should The Tampa Bay Rays Be Worried About Nick Ciuffo?
When the Tampa Bay Rays took Nick Ciuffo in the first round of the 2013 draft, they were hoping for a catcher who could become a force to reckon with on offense and defense. In his first two years at Rookie ball, though, Ciuffo his hit an underwhelming .239/.292/.322, including a .224/.289/.333 line this year, and he has at least lost some of his luster as a prospect. That said, there are still plenty of positive takeaways from Ciuffo’s first two seasons as a pro.
Three Positive Takeaways From The Tampa Bay Rays Season
The Tampa Bay Rays finished off their 2014 season on Sunday, and it is hard to say it wasn’t disappointing. Picked by some as World Series favorites, the Rays were stuck playing meaningless games for a good part of the year, and they will not get to see any October baseball. That said, there are at least a few reasons why the Rays shouldn’t count 2014 as a completely lost year. Here’s three positive takeaways from the 2014 season. 1.
Rays Face Tough Decision With Joel Peralta’s Option
Joel Peralta has been a solid member of the Tampa Bay Rays bullpen over the past few seasons, but some believe this could be his last year as a Ray given his $2.5 million team option that is coming up this offseason. Peralta’s 4.41 ERA seems like it would indicate that won’t be exercised, but that mark may not truly represent how Peralta’s pitched this year and there could still be hope for him yet.
Is Cesar Ramos’ Future With Tampa Bay Rays In Jeopardy?
Since coming over from the San Diego Padres in the Jason Bartlett trade in 2010, Cesar Ramos has managed to establish himself nicely in the Tampa Bay Rays’ bullpen. Over parts of four years, Ramos has thrown 221.2 innings for the Rays, and he’s been a permanent member of their relief corps the past two seasons. That said, some are speculating about Ramos’ future with the Rays. Could he be on his way out after this season?
Blake Snell: The Next Matt Moore For The Tampa Bay Rays?
The Tampa Bay Rays have a history of developing solid pitching prospects. In the past we have seen the likes of Jeremy Hellickson, David Price, and Chris Archer all ranking among the league’s best prospects before eventually making a big league impact. Another one of these players was Matt Moore, who was able to find his name among the league’s top prospects after years of development in the minors.
Game 158: Jake Odorizzi, Bullpen Struggle In Rays’ Loss
As the season winds down for the Tampa Bay Rays, we are simply hoping for some signs of life after a disappointing season. That didn’t exactly happen on Wednesday though, as the Rays fell to the Boston Red Sox by a score of 11-3. With the loss, the Rays moved to 76-82 on the year. Every Red Sox hitter had reached base at least once by the time there was one out in the fifth inning, and that likely tells you what you need to know about how Rays’ pitching did in this game.
Five Tampa Bay Rays Prospects Who Boosted Their Stock In 2014
Each year, there are breakout prospects within a minor league organization. For whatever reason, these players have been able to tremendously boost their stocks in just one year. With that in mind, here’s a look at five Tampa Bay Rays prospects who have boosted their stock with solid 2014 performances. SP Brent Honeywell Honeywell was just drafted this season in the Competitive Balance B Round (right after the second round).
Montgomery Biscuits Season Review
The Montgomery Biscuits opened their season by defeating the big league Tampa Bay Rays in a scrimmage by 6-5. That inspired some hope that they could be a solid team this year, and a four-game winning streak to start the year also led to excitement. But when the dust settled and the season was over, the Biscuits left more to be desired. The team went 66-74, which put them on the outside of the playoff picture.
Curt Casali Not Making The Jose Molina Decision Any Easier
In what has been a frustrating season for the Tampa Bay Rays, no player might have been tougher to watch than Jose Molina. He still is getting good reviews on his pitch-framing, but he has turned from barely passable at the plate into looking helpless, as he’s hit just .178/.232/.188 on the year, good for a 76% below league average 24 wRC+. As such, the Rays could look to cut ties with the catcher this offseason despite his guaranteed $2.75 million salary for 2015.
Rays Should Shut Down Jake McGee And Brad Boxberger
In a year that not much has gone right for the Tampa Bay Rays, there have been some diamonds in the rough. Two of those players have been Jake McGee and Brad Boxberger, both of whom have dominated in the back-end of the Rays’ bullpen. Neither were sure things coming into the year- McGee posted a disappointing 4.02 in 2013 and Boxberger’s previous command issues made you wonder if he could ever take full advantage of his stuff.
Game 152: Evan Longoria’s Two RBIs Not Enough For Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays took on the New York Yankees on Wednesday looking for a sweep in Derek Jeter‘s final series at Tropicana Field. For a while it seemed that Rays’ starter Alex Cobb was going to show the same form that almost no-hit the Yankees just last week, but ultimately Cobb ceded three runs and the Rays fell by a score of 3-2. Cobb dominated through the 4th inning, allowing just one hit and no walks. But in the 5th, Cobb lost his command.
Which Worthy Players Weren’t Called Up From Durham Bulls?
With the Durham Bulls’ season ending on Saturday, the Tampa Bay Rays promoted a trio of players to join the club for the last couple of weeks of the season. With Durham being the runners up for the International League championship, the team clearly had a wealth of talent, and as such there were plenty of players who you could have made a case for a call-up. Who were these worthy players that did not get a shot with the Rays?
The Undercards: Durham Bulls Lose Heartbreaker To Even Series
The Durham Bulls came into this game needing just one victory to wrap up their second International League Championship in a row. For a while it looked like they would be able to pull out ahead, but some late innings drama resulted in a Bulls’ loss. The team now heads into a win or go home situation as the best of five series is tied at two games each.
Nate Karns Trying To Show He Is MLB Starter, Not Reliever
Mar 12, 2014; Dunedin, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Nathan Karns (51) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Florida Auto Exchange Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports When the Tampa Bay Rays re-called Nate Karns to take the rotation spot of Drew Smyly, who had hit his innings limit, it was reasonable if you were scratching your head.
How Will The Tampa Bay Rays Sort Out Their 2015 Payroll?
Last offseason the Tampa Bay Rays surprised everyone by taking on a numerous payroll commitments. As such their around $80 million payroll this season is a clear record; in fact they’ve only topped the $70 million mark once before this season. This high of a payroll was not expected to be sustainable, and Rays owner Stuart Sternberg confirmed to Marc Topkin that the 2015 payroll is “clearly going to be lower” than this year’s. So how far will the payroll drop in 2015?
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Drew
Contact Drew, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack