Ben Zobrist

Carlos Pena had a stellar year in 2007, and to say thanks, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays decided to provide him with a hefty raise. Unfortunately, he'll be playing in Tampa. And no one told him that's a bad thing. The 28-year-old slugger and the Tampa Bay Rays avoided arbitration, reached a preliminary agreement on a three-year contract worth $24,125,000. Pena must pass a physical to complete the deal, which would pay him $6 million this year, $8 million next year and $10,125,000 in 2010. It's Friday. And we'd delight to ramble on about how wonderful this is for Pena, but also how ironic ... Read Full Story

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Ben Zobrist and Carlos Pena both homered in a three-run fifth inning Friday and Tampa Bay tightened the wild card race with a 5-3 win over Texas. Scott Kazmir (8-7) took a shutout into the eighth inning before the Rangers made it close and the Rays went on to capture their sixth victory in seven games. Tampa Bay already had a 2-0 lead going into the fifth, when Zobrist hit a two-run homer and Carlos Pena produced a solo shot, his 32nd of the season. Both long balls came off starter Dustin Nippert (4-2). The Rays moved ... Read Full Story

BALTIMORE, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Reid Brignac was 4-for-4 with his first major league homer Monday when Tampa Bay ended an 11-game losing streak with an 8-4 win over Baltimore. B.J. Upton had a solo homer and two runs scored for the Rays, who won for the first time since beating Boston Sept. 2. Carl Crawford had three hits and drove in a run for the Rays. David Price (8-7) gave up four runs on seven hits to earn the win for Tampa Bay. Melvin Mora went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Orioles. Matt Wieters and Luke Scott each ... Read Full Story

In what was intended to be a weekend worth of mid-season picks for major MLB awards, my laziness has stretched to three weeks. That being said, I'm ready to post my selection for the A.L. MVP as the Cubs and Cardinals play us into this year's All-Star break. For N.L. MVP, there was no uncertainty. Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols was the obvious choice . The A.L. MVP isn't nearly as obvious. A.L. MVP: Joe Mauer, Twins - Ernie Lombardi (1942) was the last catcher to win a battle before Joe Mauer. Since Lombardi, Mauer has won two batting titles. Despite having his worst ... Read Full Story

In what was intended to be a weekend worth of mid-season picks for major MLB awards, my laziness has stretched to three weeks. That being said, I'm ready to post my selection for the A.L. MVP as the Cubs and Cardinals play us into this year's All-Star break. For N.L. MVP, there was no uncertainty. Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols was the obvious choice . The A.L. MVP isn't nearly as obvious. A.L. MVP: Joe Mauer, Twins - Ernie Lombardi (1942) was the last catcher to win a battle before Joe Mauer. Since Lombardi, Mauer has won two batting titles. Despite having his worst ... Read Full Story