The Winter Meetings begin next week, and Chaim Bloom met with the media yesterday to discuss what lies ahead:

Someone asked Bloom if the Rays were in on Bryce Harper...

More #Rays Bloom, on heading to winter meetings and about that Bryce Harper guy: pic.twitter.com/xNgrMdXMnX — Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) December 5, 2018

“This is a time to look at a wide array of possibilities,’’ Bloom said. “The important thing for us is make sure we balance our opinion that we have a group that is capable right now of competing for the postseason with knowing this is something we want to do not just once, but we want to do year in and year out and have a consistently and sustainably competitive club.’’

Read more from Marc Topkin here.

Rays News

Hillsborough County’s commissioners met yesterday, and for the first time publicly discussed the framework for funding a new Rays stadium

County Administrator Mike Merrill set an unofficial deadline of May 1 for a deal to be hammered out, but also didn’t leave much up to negotiation:

“We’ve got nothing else after this,” Merrill said. “This is the best we can do.”

Another member of the Rays FO is on the move. Many in the media like to dunk on the Rays, but a good tree bears good fruit.

#Rays are indeed losing Kevin Ferris, a research and development assistant, to the #Angels, where he will be their R&D director, as @YahooSports and @TheAthleticMLB reported — Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) December 5, 2018

More on the Rays newly invented Process and Analytics Coach position

Jonathan Erlichman will add a new perspective to what the #Rays are doing and challenge why they are doing it, covering everything from game-day routine and specific pre-game drills to in-game strategy and post-game analysis. @RaysBaseball @TBTimes_Rays https://t.co/Ta5BBkSZw6 — TampaBayTimesSports (@TBTimes_Sports) December 5, 2018

Other Links

The Cardinals have acquired Rays trade target Paul Goldschmidt from the Diamondbacks for a trade built around major league ready catcher Carson Kelly, their version of Jake Faria, an infielder and a Competitive Balance pick after the second round