Tampa Bay Rays' Joe Maddon knows -- it's the economy, stupid

LAS VEGAS -- Speaking of the economy -- and who isn't? -- Tampa Bay Rays Manager Joe Maddon said he has no doubt it will affect how teams do business this winter.

"You know, it's got to have some kind of an impact," the studious, college-educated Maddon said. "I'm out in California right now, and I'm reading the morning paper and you're talking about families of disposable income of $70,000, $80,000 all of a sudden showing up in line for Social Services. You get that group of people having to go for a meal or spending the night, all of a sudden obviously that's going to impact a baseball situation.

"I'm just curious to see to what extent -- we don't even know where this is all going yet. There's no doubt it's going to have some impact. I can't see how it cannot have some impact where you have people that want to work and have worked and all of a sudden can't work. It's going to decline, there's no question. I'm not smart enough to know exactly, but I do believe there's going to be some form of an impact."

-- Kevin Baxter

Photo: Joe Maddon. Credit: Chris O'Meara / Associated Press