Pat Burrell has likely played his last game in a Tampa Bay uniform, as the veteran outfielder was designated for assignment by his team on Saturday. The Rays now have ten days to trade, release, or waive Burrell, who was let go in favor of Hank Blalock, who signed a minor league deal with the Rays this offseason.
Burrell has been a huge disappointment since signing a two-year, $16M deal prior to last season, hitting a dismal .218 with a .311 on-base percentage in 496 at-bats between 2009-2010. With his batting average barely above .200 to begin this season and the veteran Blalock raking in Triple A, this move makes sense from a baseball perspective – the hope now is that the Rays will be able to make a trade and get something in return for their $9M 2010 investment. Where might Burrell wind up?
- Oakland Athletics: The Athletics need power, hitting just 22 home runs as a team so far in 2010. They’ve just called up their own version of Burrell, Jack Cust, so I think they may hold off for now.
- Seattle Mariners: The Mariners get next to nothing out of their designated hitter position, so they should at least show some interest in Burrell to see if he can regain his stroke.
- San Francisco Giants: The Giants are another team in search of some offensive punch, though Burrell would have to play the field in the National League. They would probably be better off promoting Buster Posey from Triple A.
- Washington Nationals: The Nationals have needed a permanent right fielder since releasing Elijah Dukes late in the offseason. I’m not sure it’s worth the defensive downgrade to bring Burrell aboard, however.
Despite Burrell’s struggles, a team will take a chance on him in 2010 since he’ll basically come free of charge. I think the best match is in Seattle, where the Mariners are so desperate for an offensive upgrade at DH that they can afford to give Burrell some at-bats and see if he can regain the form that made him a 100-RBI producer in Philadelphia.
What do you think?
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