Fastball

Tampa Bay Rays' Sign Former Cleveland Guardians SS to One-Year Deal

The Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to a one-year deal with free agent shortstop Amed Rosario, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. It's another sign perhaps that the Rays don't anticipate having Wander Franco for the 2024 season.

Brady Farkas

Tampa Bay Rays' Sign Former Cleveland Guardians SS to One-Year Deal
Tampa Bay Rays' Sign Former Cleveland Guardians SS to One-Year Deal /
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The Tampa Bay Rays officially came to terms on Tuesday with free agent shortstop Amed Rosario, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Per Passan on "X:"

Infielder Amed Rosario and the Tampa Bay Rays are in agreement on a one-year, $1.5 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Rosario, 28, will bring a strong bat against left-handed pitching and should get at-bats at shortstop, second base and potentially corner-outfield spots.

Rosario is a seven-year veteran who has played with the New York Mets, Cleveland Guardians and Los Angeles Dodgers in his career. A former top prospect, he was dealt to Cleveland before the 2021 season in the deal that sent Francisco Lindor to the Mets.

Rosario is a lifetime .272 hitter and is coming off a season in which he hit .263 for Cleveland and Los Angeles. He doesn't offer much in the way of power as 15 homers in 2019 is his career high.

His signing represents perhaps the latest indicator that the Rays fear they won't have star shortstop Wander Franco this season. He was arrested this offseason in the Dominican Republic, is under investigation and is not currently at spring training.

In addition to Rosario, the team has added Jose Caballero in a trade this offseason.

Tampa Bay won 99 games a season ago but figures to regress given the loss of Franco and the injuries to Shane McClanahan, Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen. They also play in a loaded American League East with the Orioles, Blue Jays and new-look Yankees.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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