New Job For Rocco

So Rocco Baldelli has a new job for the 2010 baseball season and it’s even back with the Tampa Bay Rays. Unfortunately for Rocco the job won’t include him being in the lineup. Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times reports that Baldelli has accepted a role with the organization as a special assistant and he’ll work primarily with young players. Topkin says that he’ll “be a roving instructor concentrating on outfield and baserunning.”

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“Obviously we’re thrilled to add Rocco and his experience and what he can bring to our young players,” Vice President Andrew Friedman said. “We think he’ll be a tremendous asset for us. And he looks better in blue.”

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While Baldelli is taking a role as an assistant he doesn’t plan on retiring from the game just yet. There was rumored to plenty of interest in the outfielder this offseason but no deal materialized. It’s most likely because of his injury history and his current shoulder issue which he suffered in the second half of the 2009 season. “”I do have a shoulder issue that I’m dealing with right now,” he said. “It’s something … I need to address it, just because I don’t want to walk around in pain any more. It’s something that affects my ability to play, so it’s something that I have to take care.”

It’s really unfortunate that this once promising prospects career has been hampered by injury after injury but at least he’s not running away from the game, as we’ve seen to many players just disappear after injuries shortened their careers. It’s great to see Baldelli want to stay in baseball and give back to the younger players in the organization, while he attempts to work his way back.

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“I’m going to have fun with it,” Baldelli said. “I think I’m going to have fun being out on the field again and having the Rays jersey on and going out and trying to do anything I can to help the young players in the organization. I don’t think I’d want to do it in any other organization than this. I feel this is my second home.”

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I really hope Baldelli can get his shoulder issue taken care of and make his way back to the bigs once again. He’ll never be the .300 hitter with blazing speed that he once was but he could still be a productive fourth outfielder if he can get healthy.

In the meantime, hopefully the youngsters take his advice as he was once a very productive major league starter.