Rays, Burrell Agree To Two-Year Deal

By Tim Dierkes [January 5 at 1:51pm CST]
1:51pm: Buster Olney agrees with Rosenthal. He writes that Burrell has agreed in principle to a two-year $16MM deal with the Rays pending a physical.

12:51pm: According to Ken Rosenthal, the Rays are close to signing Pat Burrell to a two-year, $16MM deal.  It'd be a solid move, as the Rays can increase his value by not using him in the field.  The '08 Rays struggled against lefties (.726 OPS) and Burrell crushes them (.952 OPS in '08).

Rosenthal figures this signing may pave the way for the Cubs to get Milton Bradley and the A's to sign Jason Giambi.  You have to think they'll also be affordable; Raul Ibanez could be the outlier.

Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times has similar information about the potential signing. He doesn't get into financial details, but writes that the Rays are nearing a two-year deal with Burrell.

 2년 1600만 달러의 계약이라고 하네요
  헐 싸게 잡았다는 2할 6푼에서 30홈런 90타점 정도 기대할 만한 타자지만 그가 필리스에서 받았던 돈을 생각하면
 이렇게 싸게 계약을 했다는 것이 의외이기도 합니다... 올해 33살이니 장기 계약을 노릴 법도 했는데 말이죠
 템파로 상당히 가고 싶었던 듯... 어쨌든 DH로 6번으로 출장할 듯 합니다
 이 계약은 또한 곧 이어 터질 것으로 보이는 비슷한 유형의 선수들인 에이스의 지암비 계약, 애덤 던의 계약에도 약간의 영향을 미칠 것으로 보입니다

Milton Bradley Signs With Cubs

By Tim Dierkes [January 5 at 3:10pm CST]

According to ESPN Radio's Bruce Levine, the Cubs signed Milton Bradley to a three-year, $30MM deal.

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