Al Reyes not upset about losing closing job
Last year, Al Reyes seemed to come out of nowhere to perform admirably in the closer’s role for the Rays. This year, he’s taking a step back. Upon the signing of Troy Percival, Reyes lost his grip on the job and will now be one of Percival’s chief setup men. Reyes, however, isn’t viewing the move as a demotion, just strides to make the team better.
“I feel good, because the team is doing something to cover what we missed last year,” Reyes said. “We lost a lot of games, especially in the bullpen, and they tried to bring in guys to help the team win. I just want to win, too - whatever it takes to win.”
In addition to Percival, the team has also added Trever Miller and Dan Wheeler to their bullpen since the trading deadline last year. With the bullpen being their weak spot in 2007, the Rays were set to improve — and improve they did. Last season, the Rays lost 16 games in which they led in the seventh inning or later, and six games in which they were leading after the eighth. With Percival now closing, Miller, Reyes and Wheeler on board as setup men, the team is hoping that problem is behind them.
Filed under: Tampa Bay Rays