Rays sign Balfour

[Lake Louise]

The contract will pay Balfour $12 million over the next two seasons, a baseball source confirmed to ESPN.com.
 
The deal comes a month after a proposed two-year, $15 million agreement between Balfour and the Baltimore Orioles fell through after the O's objected to the results of Balfour's physical exam.
 
Balfour, a 36-year-old Australia native, went 1-3 with a 2.59 ERA and 38 saves last season in Oakland and made the American League All-Star team. Balfour pitched previously in Tampa Bay from 2007-10.
 
He's a career 28-17 with 72 saves over 10 seasons with Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Milwaukee and Oakland.
 
Barring a spring training surprise, Balfour will succeed Fernando Rodney as Tampa Bay's closer this season. He joins a strong Rays bullpen contingent that also includes Joel Peralta, Jake McGee, Heath Bell and Juan Carlos Oviedo.
 

 

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Think the Orioles will regret passing on him after that suspect physical.

 

[elcheato]

Balfour at 6 mill per is about as good of value as you can get for a reliever who has the fabled closer tag on him