by Fitzgerald Cecilio

Rays Sign Grant Balfour to Two-Year Deal
Credit: Keith Allison (flickr.com/photos/keithallison/)

St. Petersburg, FL

The Tampa Bay Rays have signed Grant Balfour to a two-year deal worth $12 million, according to several media reports.

The 36-year-old Balfour is expected to become the Rays' closer this season. Balfour accrued 64 saves with Oakland the past three seasons.

Earlier, the Rays traded for veteran closer Heath Bell and signed Juan Carlos Oviedo (formerly known as Leo Nunez), who also is an experienced closer. Fernando Rodney closed for the team the past two seasons.

In December, Balfour agreed to a two-year, $15 million contract with the Orioles, but that deal fell through when Baltimore said he flunked his physical.

In the aftermath of that news, Seth Levinson, Balfour's agent, charged that his client was healthy and that the O's had just decided not to sign him.

Validating his charge, Levinson cited the findings of two doctors who found nothing out of order after looking at an MRI of Balfour's shoulder.

Balfour pitched for the Rays from 2007-10, posting a 14-7 record and eight saves with a 3.33 ERA in 203 appearances.

 

 

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"Rays Sign Grant Balfour to Two-Year Deal"