Sources: Rays, Burrell agree to contract

[BullsWinBucsWin]

I like it.......

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3811501

Sources: Rays, Burrell agree to contract

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ESPN.com news services

Pat Burrell is leaving the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies for the runner-up Tampa Bay Rays.

Burrell has agreed in principle to a two-year, $16 million contract with the Rays, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney on Monday. The deal is pending a physical.

In Tampa Bay, the left fielder would DH. Burrell batted .250 with 33 homers with the Phillies last season.

Burrell's signing with the Rays increases the likelihood that the Oakland Athletics will be the front-runners to sign Jason Giambi.

Information from ESPN The Magazine senior writer Buster Olney was used in this report.

[Bruce Blingstein]

Good move.  He is a clubhouse veteran and leader. 

Buster Olney said Rays lineup will be better than Yanks and Sox this year.  Pretty impressive considering he differences in payrolls

[Bull Martin]

$8 million a season.  Wow he'll be the highest paid ray then?

What's happening with the rest of the team?  Is Upton gone?

[Triple B]

Certainly prefer him to Giambi .... Hopefully, they don't do a whole lot of other tweaking and ruin the chemistry of the team. I wonder if this news affects, in any way, Rocco's resigning or not.

[Triple B]

What's happening with the rest of the team?  Is Upton gone?

BJ's not going anywhere for, at least, a couple of years, I believe.

[Bull Martin]

What's happening with the rest of the team?  Is Upton gone?

BJ's not going anywhere for, at least, a couple of years, I believe.

I'm not a big follower of Baseball, but am trying to gain interest in it (I mean it's better than getting pissed off at ESPN for covering nothing but baseball for months).

I saw talk that Upton was unhappy and was going to be a free agent at the end of the season, but it might have just been some idiot (singabull, perhaps).

But, as far as anyone knows this has been the only major roster change?  Are they giving the players any raises?

[Triple B]

What's happening with the rest of the team?  Is Upton gone?

BJ's not going anywhere for, at least, a couple of years, I believe.

I'm not a big follower of Baseball, but am trying to gain interest in it (I mean it's better than getting pissed off at ESPN for covering nothing but baseball for months).

I saw talk that Upton was unhappy and was going to be a free agent at the end of the season, but it might have just been some idiot (singabull, perhaps).

But, as far as anyone knows this has been the only major roster change?  Are they giving the players any raises?

I think BJ has a couple more years on his contract but they should probably do something about it since he only made $412K in 2008 ... The problem is, and a more knowledgable Ryas fan can maybe chime in, I think they have tried to extend his contract but he hasn't been willing up to this point.

[BullsWinBucsWin]

What's happening with the rest of the team?  Is Upton gone?

BJ's not going anywhere for, at least, a couple of years, I believe.

I'm not a big follower of Baseball, but am trying to gain interest in it (I mean it's better than getting pissed off at ESPN for covering nothing but baseball for months).

I saw talk that Upton was unhappy and was going to be a free agent at the end of the season, but it might have just been some idiot (singabull, perhaps).

But, as far as anyone knows this has been the only major roster change?  Are they giving the players any raises?

Just to prepare you, if you do start following baseball, you will still be pissed at ESPN for their coverage.  It seemed like 3/4 of Sportscenter was devoted to the Texeira signing a couple of weeks ago when that was news.  Add in the constant slobbering over the Red Sox and Yankees, and you will want to put a bullet in your head after a while.

This was obviously the biggest signing of the off-season, though they did bring in a quality reliever in Joe Nelson from the Marlins and traded Edwin Jackson for Matt Joyce, a young OF w/ some potential.

[Bullpride08]

BJ has four more years on his contract I believe but is up for arbitration after this upcoming year...which is when he can start making the rays pay.  I think the disgruntled part comes from BJ's reluctance to negotiate a new contract with the Rays.  If he gives the rays 8 good years for nothing you can understand he deserves the right to go FA, big money, and finish his career elsehwere.  Some guys are like Longoria, and Crawford and some are not.

Pat Burrell is a solid pick-up, he's a 25-35 HR guy when healthy, but personally, if we're paying $8M plus then I would have rather had Adam Dunn.  Dunn strikes out, but he's also a guaranteed 40 HR guy, he's a good fielding RF, and bats for about the same average.  But i know why we got Pat over Adam because Pat is a righty hitter which is more important.  Get a righty that can give us 30 HR's, should be just the right mix.

[BullsWinBucsWin]

More on this.  I thought this was pretty cool of him:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3811501

Rays sign Burrell for 2 years

By Jayson Stark

ESPN.com

Monday, January 5, 2009

Pat Burrell's last swing of the bat in 2008 was a double against Tampa Bay in Game 5 of the World Series. Now, his first swing of the bat in 2009 will be as a member of those very same Rays, having signed a two-year, $16 million contract Monday. The agreement was first reported by Foxsports.com. Burrell will donate a portion of his contract to the Rays Baseball Foundation, the official charity of the Rays, the team said in a statement. Burrell, 32, is expected to serve primarily as the ...