Hank Blalock Fails To Make Rays’ Opening Day Roster, Will Report To AAA Durham

Hank Blalock has previously said that he wouldn’t accept a minor league demotion should he fail to crack the Rays’ roster. Well, Blalock didn’t crack the Rays’ roster, with infielder Reid Brignac beating him out, but the situation isn’t so black and white. Says Marc Topkin:

If Blalock can’t find another big league roster spot, he might as well accept the AAA gig with the Rays for the time being - beating up minor league pitching could help re-establish some of the lost value in his bat, and in the event of an injury, he could be called up to join what looks like a very good team.

Hank Blalock’s journey to make a spot on the Tampa Bay Rays’ Opening Day roster has come to an end.

Manager Joe Maddon elected to keep middle infielder Reid Brignac over Blalock to start the season. Blalock recently said he would not go to the minors if he was not given a spot on the 25-man roster.

Despite signing a minor league contract with the Rays, Hank Blalock says he has no interest in playing minor league baseball this season:

Blalock is hitting .219 on the spring, but manager Joe Maddon said Blalock has “done everything he could to make the team.”