Gross gets $1.255-million from Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays avoided arbitration with OF Gabe Gross by settling on a one-year, $1.255-million deal.
Gross, 29, hit .242 with 13 homers and 38 RBIs in 127 games for the Rays last season after being acquired in April from Milwaukee, then struggled through a miserable post-season, going 1-for-19 (.053). He is expected to platoon in rightfield again this season, paired with new acquisition Gabe Kapler.
The settle provided a nice raise as Gross made $414,000 last season.
The Rays have four remaining arbitration eligible players and a Tuesday deadline to settle or proceed to a February hearing - INF Willy Aybar, RHP Grant Balfour, SS Jason Bartlett and C Dioner Navarro.
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sounds like a bargain considering they paid Gomes a mil last year...
Posted by: Mike Lewis | January 19, 2009 at 01:55 PM
Balfour is predictable?
He sure is buy you forget nearly unhitable.
Posted by: TriplePlay | January 15, 2009 at 05:21 PM
Hopefully Joyce will be the one platooning with Kapler in RF.
Posted by: MarkFidrych | January 15, 2009 at 05:16 PM
What are they doing paying him that much? He's a good right fielder but a horrible hitter......is that worth that kind of money?
Posted by: Tim | January 15, 2009 at 07:02 AM
Dana, I agree, I would like to see Perez in there as well.
Posted by: brianj | January 14, 2009 at 10:55 PM
9=8,
First, I'm not a Yankee fan, but you really can't use Grant Balfour and Mariano Rivera in the same sentence and be serious. Rivera is arguably the best closer in baseball history, the best closer in postseason baseball history, the all-time leader in post season saves and ERA, 4 world series titles, 9 all star appearances and has 482 saves just to get started. Balfour has played since like 2001, didn't even play in 2005 or 2006 because of injuries and he looked shaky at best in the post season. He has trouble keeping the cutter down in the zone and hitters are getting more accustomed to his style. I'm just saying I think the guy's going to have a serious letdown. I hope I'm wrong .
Posted by: drspb | January 14, 2009 at 10:21 PM
Gross is not worth this kind of contract, especially as a part time player playing subpar defense and putting up terrible numbers in the post season. I'd rather call up Perez and see what he can do. He is the fastest guy in baseball on the basepads and plays pretty good D.
Posted by: Dana | January 14, 2009 at 08:36 PM
Gross' lack of ability to hit in the clutch was so frustrating last year, especially during the playoffs.
I really wish the Rays would have made a trade for an impact RF such as Jason Bay last year. The Rays just might have won the World Series, and they certainly would stand a better chance for success this year.
Posted by: Jeff | January 14, 2009 at 07:36 PM
Look at the numbers...Balfour is far more valuable than some of the newly signed/resigned players.
Posted by: Rob | January 14, 2009 at 05:03 PM
Balfour was the single best middle relief pitcher in all of MLB last year. Mariano Rivera is also very predictable - paint the near corner with a 90+ cutter and then paint the other corner with 90+ a cutter.... Preditable doesn't mean hittable! Balfour may be in for a letdown this year as last year will be very difficult to repeat (only because it was SO good), but he's far from expendable!
Posted by: 9equals8.com | January 14, 2009 at 04:24 PM
Let's hope Gross continues to develop. Need to keep Navarro, Aybar, Bartlett but Balfour to me has become too predictable, and is expendable.
Posted by: drspb | January 14, 2009 at 04:01 PM