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12-23-2013, 12:38 AM
Rays To Re-Sign James Loney
DECEMBER 22: Loney has passed his physical, but the official an**uncement is being delayed while contractual details, such as the size of the signing bonus, are finalized, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/rays-dont-appear-in-a-hurry-to-trade-price/2158161).*
DECEMBER 13: The Rays have reached an agreement with James Loney (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/loneyja01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com) on a three-year, $21MM contract, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter (https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/411623728427319296)). The deal is pending a physical. ESPN's Buster Olney was the first to report that the Rays were on the verge of an agreement with the Legacy Agency client (also*on Twitter (https://twitter.com/Buster_ESPN/status/411621525138460672)). Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets (https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/411624953629261825) that $5MM of that guarantee will come as a signing bonus.
http://rotoauthority.blogs.com/.a/6a00d834515b9a69e2019b02d66bb7970d-250wi (http://rotoauthority.blogs.com/.a/6a00d834515b9a69e2019b02d66bb7970d-pi)
Loney's guarantee is slightly less than the three-year, $27-30MM contract he was recently rumored to be seeking. The 29-year-old still obtains a tremendous raise from last year's $2MM salary. The raise is well-deserved, as Loney is fresh off a rebound campaign in which he batted .299/.348/.430 with the Rays. He posted the strong defensive marks that have come to be expected of him, registering a 7.2 UZR/150 and +4 Defensive Runs Saved.
Loney will re-join a lineup that features franchise cornerstone*Evan Longoria (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/longoev01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com), 2013 AL Rookie of the Year*Wil Myers (http://www.baseball-reference.com/player_search.cgi?results=,myerswi01&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com)*and the underrated*Ben Zobrist (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/z/zobribe01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com). He doesn't have the prototypical power one would expect from a first baseman, but he has strong on-base and defensive skills, similar to recently acquired backstop*Ryan Hanigan (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hanigry01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com).
Loney was one of many first base options for the Rays to consider; Corey Hart (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hartco01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com) and Justin Morneau (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/morneju01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com) have each signed affordable contracts in the past week or so, and Seattle acquired Logan Morrison (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/morrilo01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com) from the Marlins in exchange for reliever Carter Capps (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cappsca01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com). The trade market still presents options such as Ike Davis (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/davisik02.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com), Mitch Moreland (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/morelmi01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com) and perhaps Justin Smoak (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smoakju01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com).
However, signing Loney has long been a priority of the Rays, based on comments from exeuctive vice president and general manager Andrew Friedman made to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times earlier this month (http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/12/loney-emerging-as-pirates-top-target-at-first-base.html): "The good thing for us is he liked it here.*We liked him, he fit in well. And we're a k**wn quantity ... I'm*hopeful that he can be here."
Edward Creech contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/MlbTradeRumors?d=yIl2AUoC8zA (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/MlbTradeRumors?a=k**d4K90zP4:GMxW2ZuyZcE:yIl2AUoC8 zA)
DECEMBER 22: Loney has passed his physical, but the official an**uncement is being delayed while contractual details, such as the size of the signing bonus, are finalized, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/rays-dont-appear-in-a-hurry-to-trade-price/2158161).*
DECEMBER 13: The Rays have reached an agreement with James Loney (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/loneyja01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com) on a three-year, $21MM contract, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter (https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/411623728427319296)). The deal is pending a physical. ESPN's Buster Olney was the first to report that the Rays were on the verge of an agreement with the Legacy Agency client (also*on Twitter (https://twitter.com/Buster_ESPN/status/411621525138460672)). Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets (https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/411624953629261825) that $5MM of that guarantee will come as a signing bonus.
http://rotoauthority.blogs.com/.a/6a00d834515b9a69e2019b02d66bb7970d-250wi (http://rotoauthority.blogs.com/.a/6a00d834515b9a69e2019b02d66bb7970d-pi)
Loney's guarantee is slightly less than the three-year, $27-30MM contract he was recently rumored to be seeking. The 29-year-old still obtains a tremendous raise from last year's $2MM salary. The raise is well-deserved, as Loney is fresh off a rebound campaign in which he batted .299/.348/.430 with the Rays. He posted the strong defensive marks that have come to be expected of him, registering a 7.2 UZR/150 and +4 Defensive Runs Saved.
Loney will re-join a lineup that features franchise cornerstone*Evan Longoria (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/longoev01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com), 2013 AL Rookie of the Year*Wil Myers (http://www.baseball-reference.com/player_search.cgi?results=,myerswi01&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com)*and the underrated*Ben Zobrist (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/z/zobribe01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com). He doesn't have the prototypical power one would expect from a first baseman, but he has strong on-base and defensive skills, similar to recently acquired backstop*Ryan Hanigan (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hanigry01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com).
Loney was one of many first base options for the Rays to consider; Corey Hart (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hartco01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com) and Justin Morneau (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/morneju01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com) have each signed affordable contracts in the past week or so, and Seattle acquired Logan Morrison (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/morrilo01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com) from the Marlins in exchange for reliever Carter Capps (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cappsca01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com). The trade market still presents options such as Ike Davis (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/davisik02.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com), Mitch Moreland (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/morelmi01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com) and perhaps Justin Smoak (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smoakju01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com).
However, signing Loney has long been a priority of the Rays, based on comments from exeuctive vice president and general manager Andrew Friedman made to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times earlier this month (http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/12/loney-emerging-as-pirates-top-target-at-first-base.html): "The good thing for us is he liked it here.*We liked him, he fit in well. And we're a k**wn quantity ... I'm*hopeful that he can be here."
Edward Creech contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/MlbTradeRumors?d=yIl2AUoC8zA (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/MlbTradeRumors?a=k**d4K90zP4:GMxW2ZuyZcE:yIl2AUoC8 zA)