Tampa Bay Rays To Sign Cory Rasmus to Minor League Deal

Baseball could be a family affair with the Tampa Bay Rays this upcoming season. A day after announcing the signing of Colby Rasmus, the Rays inked his brother Cory Rasmus to a minor league contract.

Throughout baseball history, there have been a few brother tandems that have played together. The most notable may be the Waner brothers, who patrolled the Pirates outfield together during for over a decade. There were the Alou brothers, who were together on the 1963 Giants. More recently, the Uptons joined that list of nearly 100 sets of siblings that played together.

The Rasmus brothers have a chance to join that list this season. A day after announcing the signing of Colby Rasmus, the Tampa Bay Rays are set to sign his brother, Colby Rasmus, to a minor league contract, making it possible for the two to end up playing together in Tampa Bay.

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Rasmus has had his moments of success in the Majors, particularly in 2014 for the Angels. That season, he produced a 2.57 ERA and a 1.054 WHiP, splitting time between the bullpen and the starting rotation. Overall, in 123 innings over 84 games, Rasmus has posted a 4.17 ERA and a 1.325 WHiP, striking out 121 batters against 57 walks.

While he is certainly a worthwhile lottery ticket, he could have a difficult time making the Rays out of Spring Training. Excluding Alex Colome and Brad Boxberger, the Rays also have Danny Farquar, Shawn Tolleson, and Erasmo Ramirez in the bullpen. Should they keep two left handed relievers, Rasmus would not appear to have a spot unless a trade occurs or he dominates in Spring Training.

Nonetheless, this is a solid depth signing. If the Rays are able to stash this Rasmus away at Durham to start the year, he could still come to the Majors and become a valuable middle reliever for the team. He also does have some experience starting, and could potentially get stretched out for a look in the rotation in case of injury. He does give the Rays some options.

Next: Who gets the next long term deal?

Cory Rasmus may not be an exciting move, but he could still help the Tampa Bay Rays. He can also potentially join his brother Colby, adding their names to the list of brothers that played together on the same team.