Gathright to Benefit from Huff Trade

Tampa Bay OF Joey Gathright will be the most likely beneficiary once OF-IF Aubrey Huff is traded. Huff, in the last year of a $7.6 million annual contract, may as well keep his bags packed because he'll be gone before the All Star break, and could be shipped out at any time. The Rays are eager to see what Gathright can do once they give him the everyday center fielder's job, a platform from which he is expected to develop into one of baseball's top base stealers. On the same roster with OF Rocco Baldelli and OF Carl Crawford, the three will a catcher's worst nightmare. The idea that Huff might be moved to third base to replace newly acquired 3B Sean Burroughs appears absurd considering that the Rays want to see what Burroughs can do, and Huff is as good as gone anyway.