Devil Rays sign Burroughs, talk about others

Sean Burroughs was somewhere off the coast of Mexico, landing one of the four 200-pound tunas he hooked on a 10-day fishing trip, when he learned he was traded to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
The former San Diego Padres third baseman, who came to the Devil Rays in exchange for pitcher Dewon Brazelton on Dec. 7, said he expected to move sometime this offseason.
"There were signs," he said.
First were the trade rumors that began circulating during last July's trading deadline.
Then came the trade that brought third baseman and former Ray Vinny Castilla to the Padres.
"It doesn't take a genius to read between the lines," said Burroughs, who agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract with a $2.25 million club option for 2007 on Monday.
Avoiding salary arbitration with Burroughs was the first of several decisions the Rays front office will make this week.
They must decide today whether or not to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible pitchers Lance Carter, Joe Borowski, Jesus Colome, Travis Harper and Trever Miller. If non-tendered, the players could be free to pursue free-agent deals with other teams or, they could be offered Triple-A contracts by the Rays.
The Rays are also in negotiations with Japanese relief pitcher Shinji Mori. The Rays outbid Cleveland and Boston and spent $1 million for the right to negotiate a deal with Mori.
They completed a trade for Los Angeles Angels third-string catcher Josh Paul on Monday, sending minor league infielder Travis Schlichtring to Los Angleles, and are still working toward trading outfielder Joey Gathright.
Trading for Burroughs gives the Rays another left-handed hitter, something that might prove valuable if outfielder/designated hitter Aubrey Huff is traded before next season.
Burroughs, 25, has played third base for the Padres during parts of the last four seasons, serving as the team's everyday third baseman for extended periods.
At the time of the deal, Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman called the move a "classic change of scenery" for both players.
Burroughs, a lifetime .282 hitter with 11 runs and 133 RBIs in 432 major league games, agreed.
"(San Diego) was a great experience," Burroughs said. "But it was time to move on, a fresh start. I'll do whatever they want. I just want the opportunity to go out and play."