ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Left-handed reliever Brian Shouse officially joined the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday when the AL champions finalized a $1.55 million, one-year deal that includes a club option for 2010.
To clear room on the 40-man roster, right-handed reliever Juan Salas was designated for assignment.Earlier this week, Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the signing of the 40-year-old was "pretty official," but there still were a couple of details to iron out in his contract.
Shouse was 5-1 with a 2.81 ERA in 69 appearances for the Milwaukee Brewers last season. He has also played with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers during a nine-year career in which he's gone 12-9 and 3.65 ERA.
The lefty was especially effective against left-handed hitters in 2008, limiting them to a .180 batting average (18-for-100).
Shouse gets $1.35 million this year, and the Rays have a $1.9 million option for 2010 with a $200,000 buyout.
Play FOX Fantasy Baseball today
