Rays sign Burrell to two-year deal

PatBurrell
Rays signed outfielder Pat Burrell, who had been with the Phillies, to a two-year, $16 million contract.

Burrell has posted OPSs right around 890 four years running, and he's still just 32. He probably won't age particularly well, but he's an excellent pickup at these terms. The Rays will likely use him pretty strictly as a DH. He'll probably be penciled into the sixth spot in the order initially, but the Rays now have the opportunity to rework their lineup if they want top. Dropping either Akinori Iwamura or Carl Crawford into the sixth spot and going with a top five of Crawford/Iwamura, B.J. Upton, Evan Longoria, Carlos Pena and Burrell would make a lot of sense. As is, the top two hitters both project to have worse numbers than the four guys that follow.

(rotoworld.com)
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