Rays, Burrell Agree To Two-Year Deal

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.