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| Updating a previous report, the Rays have activated relief pitcher Grant Balfour off the bereavement list, according to RaysProspects.com. To make room for Balfour on the roster, the team has optioned John Jaso to Triple-A Durham. |
Our View: Balfour was in Australia to attend the funeral of his grandfather, so he should be ready to go for the weekend. His fantasy value isn't great, but he should return to his role for the Rays starting tonight.
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| Grant Balfour is expected to come off the bereavement list Friday, according to the St. Petersburg Times. |
Our View: Balfour has been away from the Rays to attend his grandfather's funeral in Australia. He should return to the mound by the end of the week.
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| Rays' beat writer Marc Lancaster is reporting on his Twitter page that the team has placed reliever Grant Balfour on the bereavement list. He is expected to be back by Friday, but he will be replaced on the roster by John Jaso until he returns. |
Our View: Balfour hasn't been quite as good this season as he was last year, but he is still a solid middle reliever. Owners in leagues with middle men should give him a look, as he has a solid strikeout ratio and he also has three wins.
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| The Tampa Tribune reports that reliever Grant Balfour will not pitch for Australia in the World Baseball Classic. He was asked by the Rays to attend the entirety of their spring training. |
Our View: There goes Australia's hopes at winning the gold medal. Balfour is an excellent reliever who provides plenty of holds and may have an opportunity at picking up some saves this season. He sports a stellar 12.65 K/9 rate to go with a 1.54 ERA and 0.89 WHIP.
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| Grant Balfour has signed a one-year deal worth $1.44 million with the Rays to avoid arbitration, according to the St. Petersburg Times. |
Our View: He made $500,000 in 2008, when he broke out with 82 strikeouts over 58.1 innings, while maintaining a stellar 0.89 WHIP. The club was able to retain a key piece to their bullpen as they attempt to make another run at the World Series.
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| MLB.com is reporting that Grant Balfour will be on the hill for the Rays whenever the World Series resumes. "Balfour is still in the game," manager Joe Maddon said. "The game still has Grant on the lineup card. So as of right now, Grant will be pitching." |
Our View: Balfour pitched the fifth inning for the Rays in relief of Scott Kazmir. Even though Maddon has said that Balfour will pitch when the games resumes, it may not be for long. Phillies pitcher Cole Hammels is scheduled to bat and he will be pinch hit for. If Charlie Manuel decides to use left handed hitting Geoff Jenkins or Matt Stairs the Rays may make a move to a lefty.
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| MLB.com reports that Grant Balfour may get the opportunity to close games in the ALCS against the Boston Red Sox. Regular closer Troy Percival is not on the roster. |
Our View: The animated reliever is one of the central figures in this rivalry. In 51 regular season appearances, he had a 6-2 record with a 1.54 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 58.1 innings. Dan Wheeler would seem to be the more likely option to close.
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| Troy Percival owners would be wise to reserve Grant Balfour . The veteran Percival is beginning to struggle with his command and his ground ball to fly ball rate is a concern. Balfour has been lights-out since joining the bullpen. |
Our View: Where does Balfour's 13.64 K rate combined with his 3.90 BB ratio rank him among the leagues relievers? With the best closers in the game.
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| Grant Balfour picked up his third save of the season on Saturday night by picking up two strikeouts in a scoreless inning against the Royals. |
Our View: One night its Balfour, the other it's Dan Wheeler. At this point we would give the slight edge to Balfour, but it's really a bit difficult to discern.
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| It appears that Grant Balfour will serve as the Rays closer while Troy Percival is on the disabled list, not Dan Wheeler. When Balfour was in Triple-A Durham to begin the season he was 8-for-8 in save opportunities. According to the Tampa Tribune, in his 23-plus innings, he allowed just five hits and struck out 39. Right-handed hitters batted .029 against him.
He was recalled in late May. The fire came with him. Eleven of Balfour's 12 appearances have been scoreless. He has 25 of the 63 batters he has faced. His ERA is 1.08. There's fire, and people can feel it. |
Our View: Since being recalled in late May, eleven of Balfour's 12 appearances have been scoreless. He has struck out 25 of the 63 batters he has faced and his ERA is 1.08. Madden likes the 30-year old hard-throwing right-hander and he appears destined for big things in Tampa this year.
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| Grant Balfour pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings to get the win on Thursday night. It was the second win of the interleague series against the Cubs for the former Twins prospect. |
Our View: Balfour made his eighth appearance of the season on Thursday night. Coming into the game the right-hander had allowed two runs on three hits, walked five and struck out 12 in 8.2 innings. He is a solid addition to what has turned out to be a very good Rays 'pen.
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| Grant Balfour could be on his way up to the Rays whether Troy Percival ends up on the DL or not, according to the Tampa Tribune. Percival figures to at least miss a few days, and the team could like to shore up their relief corps. |
Our View: Ben Zobrist could be sent down to make room for Balfour, who holds a 0.38 ERA with a whopping 39 Ks in 23 2/3 innings at Triple-A Durham.
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| Grant Balfour converted his fourth save of the season for Triple-A Durham on Tuesday. His ERA stands at 0.00 after eight appearances. |
Our View: The Aussie would definitely be in Tampa if it was 2007, but the Rays’ bullpen turnaround has Balfour stuck in Durham after he failed to make the major league squad out of spring training. He could still be an innings contributor later this season, as he definitely has major league stuff.
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| Grant Balfour has cleared waivers, according to the St. Petersburg Times. The Rays are now waiting to see if he will accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Durham.
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| Grant Balfour has been told that he won't break camp with the Rays, according to the Tampa Tribune. That means that Scott Dohmann has earned the final spot in their bullpen. |
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| Rays' skipper Joe Maddon told Marc Lancaster of the Tampa Tribune that the final roster spot for opening day has come down to a competition between relievers Grant Balfour and Scott Dohmann. Both relievers will race to the finish line with expected spring game appearances today. |
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| The Devil Rays obtained Grant Balfour from the Brewers in exchange for minor leaguer pitcher Seth McClung on Friday night, according to the AP. Balfour had been designated for assignment earlier in the day after going 0-2 with a 20.25 ERA in three appearances with Milwaukee. |
Our View: He was truly awful for the Brewers, going 0-2 with a 20.25 ERA in two games. The Devil Rays must see something in him most everyone else does not.
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| Grant Balfour was recalled from Triple-A Tuesday and will work out of the bullpen, the Brewers official site reports. Balfour pitched parts of three seasons with the Twins but underwent major elbow and shoulder surgeries in 2005. The Brewers picked him off waivers last October and he has been a revelation, posting a 1.69 ERA and five saves with Triple-A Nashville. |
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