Rays trade

1) Reach arbitration agreements with Delmon Young ($5.25M), Kevin Slowey ($2.75M), and Alexi Casilla ($800K).

2) Sign Francisco Liriano to 4 year plus vesting option (625IP or 105 Starts), $45 million (4, 8, 9, 10, {14}) extension.

He is poised to keep getting better and will keep getting more expensive.

3) Trade Jason Kubel, Chris Parmelee, Ben Reeve/Angel Morales, one of Baker/Blackburn/Slowey, Matt Capps & Anthony Slama for BJ Upton, Matt Garza, Ben Zobrist, Alex Cobb and a minor league infielder (Elliot Johnson or JJ Furmaniak)

Know the Rays have said they want to keep starters, but just like anytime if the move comes they have to be willing to make it.

We give up fairly cheap power (Kubel) and speed options (Reeve/Morales) to help replace Crawford and Upton. Give relief help which rays are desperate for, and also give a SP replacement for Garza. We get a speedy with some power CF, which allows us to shift Span over to RF. We get a SP with nice ace potential and also a great utility player who can start at short, which keeps Casilla on bench. Cobb is a projected 2 or 3 starter and Johnson/Furmaniak are both power hitting with ok defense MI’s.

4) Sign Derek Lee to a 3 year 17M (5, 6, 6) contract

Power RH to help in

1) DH

2) Back up for Morneau

3) Power bat off bench

4) Assisting in evening out line-up

5) Sign Bengie Molina to a 2 year $5 million deal.

We need 3rd catcher to back-up Mauer, and since we traded Jose Moralas, Molina is a great pick up. Butera has the defense and Molina can hit at average if not a little above average.

2011 Opening Day 25-Man Roster:

STARTING LINEUP

C: Joe Mauer ($23M)

1B: Justin Morneau ($14M)

2B: Tsuyoshi Nishioka($4M)

3B: Danny Valencia ($450K)

SS: Ben Zobrist ($4M)

LF: Delmon Young ($5.25M)

CF: BJ Upton ($6M)

RF: Denard Span ($1M)

DH: Michael Cuddyer ($10.5M)

(Approx $68.2M)