Hall chooses comfort of home with Rays

The starting catcher agrees to a one-year, $2.25-million deal with Tampa Bay, saying he never wanted to play anywhere else.

By MARC TOPKIN
Published December 21, 2005

	[Times photo: James Borchuck]
	Catcher Toby Hall had a strong year throwing out runners and batted .287.

ST. PETERSBURG - The Devil Rays weren't sure if they wanted to keep catcher Toby Hall for the $3-million he was going to make through arbitration. Hall was very sure he didn't want to leave Tampa Bay to play anywhere else under any circumstance.

So a few hours before Tuesday's midnight deadline for tendering contracts, the Rays and Hall agreed on a one-year deal for $2.25-million with another $250,000 in incentives.

"My agents didn't want me to do it, but I've told them before, this is where I want to play," Hall said from his Tampa home. "I've been through the worst of times here and I think the best is yet to come.

"I live here. My family's here. We just had a new little girl. I don't want to have to deal with anything going into spring training. I just want to get focused, get ready and see if we can flip this thing around."

The Rays decided to not offer contracts to relievers Trever Miller and Joe Borowski, making them free agents.

They also nontendered reliever Lance Carter, but then quickly agreed to terms on a one-year deal for around $550,000.

Five arbitration-eligible players were tendered contracts: starters Casey Fossum and Mark Hendrickson, who figure to be part of the rotation pending possible acquisitions; relievers Jesus Colome and Travis Harper, who will compete for bullpen jobs; and newly acquired catcher Josh Paul, who figures to be Hall's primary backup.

Hall posed the biggest decision for new executive vice president Andrew Friedman, having made $1.95-million last season while ranking among the leaders in throwing out runners and hitting a career full-season high .287 but logging only 25 extra-base hits and 48 RBIs.

"We're happy to come to terms with Toby," Friedman said. "He's an instrumental part of what we're trying to do as we develop a young pitching staff."

Miller, the top lefty reliever, was 2-2 with a 4.06 ERA in 61 games while making $1.1-million. Borowski, who had a $2.3-million salary with the Cubs before being released, started great after joining the Rays at the All-Star break but struggled as the season went on and finished 1-5 with a 3.82 ERA in 32 games.

The two are free to sign with any team, or to re-sign with the Rays, a possibility that Friedman said will be explored, along with other options.

Carter, who was arbitration eligible for the first time after making $361,000, was 1-2 with a 4.89 ERA and was demoted to Triple A for six weeks.

Also:

Special assistant Tim Wilken, who was to function as scouting director and run the Rays' June draft, left to join the Cubs as director of amateur and professional scouting.

Wilken, who joined the Rays in 2003 after more than 20 years with the Blue Jays, said he will have more duties with the Cubs, including international scouting and special assignment work at the major-league level.

"I'll be pretty active there," he said. "It's a little more detailed and a little more responsibility, simply because we didn't have an international market here."

Assistant scouting director R.J. Harrison is a candidate to replace Wilken.

Manager Joe Maddon said he was pleased to hear first baseman Travis Lee was coming back. "I like it a lot," Maddon said. "Watching him defensively, he's one of the best in the American League. He does a lot of things that don't show up in the box score, like protecting infielders. And in the second half his offense really came around."

With Lee back, the Rays figure to use Aubrey Huff (assuming he isn't traded) and Jonny Gomes in the rightfield and DH slots.

The Rays lost trade partners when the Dodgers, who had interest in centerfielder Joey Gathright, signed veteran Kenny Lofton and the Cubs, who were looking at Huff as an outfielder, instead signed Jacque Jones.

But they may have gained one for Gathright when the Red Sox lost Johnny Damon to the Yankees. The Sox may also still have interest in Huff and shortstop Julio Lugo.

Talks with Japanese reliever Shinji Mori are expected to continue today.

[Last modified December 21, 2005, 00:52:16]