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The Rays have signed Wilson Betemit to a minor league deal, according to Jon Heyman, in a deal that will at the very least, improve the Rays' depth against right handed pitchers.
wilson betemit agrees to minor league deal with #rays
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) January 31, 2014
Yes, that's right, Friedman gets his man again! No, wait, Collette does.
Wilson Betemit did not play last season, due to a knee injury, then a wrist injury, and was released by the Orioles last September.
Over 376 PA's for the Orioles in 2012, Betemit batted .261/.322/.422 -- in other words, league average. We're talking .324 wOBA, 101 wRC+ average. He's a switch hitter, but isolating his split, he was able to bat well against right handed pitching. Here are his numbers vRHP as a left handed batter in 2012:
| PA | HR | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 280 | 11 | .302 | .357 | .502 |
| BB% | K% | BABIP | wOBA | wRC+ |
| 7.9% | 27.1% | .388 | .370 | 133 |
The condition of the knee is not known. The condition of the bat is not known. The condition of his glove is well known, and it ain't pretty.
His role for Durham is not immediately clear, but knowing the Rays, they'll turn him into a stud left fielder.
It's all happening, you guys.
Look at this major league strikeout -- Photo credit: Dave Reginek/Getty Images
Worth Mentioning: Betemit was incredible in 2010 -- with a .297/.378/.511 slash line, .386 wOBA, and 141 wRC+ over 315 PA's. It's been three years since that happened, but maybe there's lighting left in the bottle.
