Sure, Jason Isringhausen is 36 years old and he had some injury issues last season with the Cardinals, but injury concerns, along with a long time away from the game, didn't stop the Rays from signing Troy Percival to a deal. And it's not stopping them from signing Isringhausen to a minor-league deal, as they did on Friday night. The ironic part of it all is that Isringhausen could be the guy to replace Percival as the closer in Tampa, if the low risk of signing him reaps a high reward. But whether he's the closer or not, signing Isringhausen is a shrewd move either way.
Most likely, Isringhausen will turn into a serviceable middle innings guy. But it's nice to have a guy who knows how to close on the roster now that their most reliable closer of the '08 postseason (David Price) is going back to his original calling as a starter. And when you figure that Percival will most likely battle those nagging injuries again, the closer job is going to be there for the taking whether Isringhausen is the guy, or whether the likes of J.P. Howell is given a shot.
Perhaps Percival and Isringhausen together can make one good, and healthy, closer.
Hot Stove Movers and Shakers
Feb. 20: Looking to bounce back from lingering injury issues, Jason Isringhausen signs a minor-league deal with defending AL-champion Tampa Bay. Click through to see more big moves from the MLB offseason.
Dilip Vishwanat, Getty Images
Feb. 11: The Big Donkey finally finds a home days before the start of Spring Training. Adam Dunn agrees to a two-year deal with the lowly Nationals, injecting some much-needed power into Washington's lineup.
Lisa Blumenfeld, Getty Images
Feb. 11: The Angels wait almost the entire winter before finding a bat to help cover for the loss of Mark Teixeira. Los Angeles inks right fielder Bobby Abreu to a one-year, $5 million contract.
Jarrett Baker, Getty Images
Feb. 11: One of the final starters left on the market reportedly agrees to a deal. The Brewers land Braden Looper pending a physical.
Tom Gannam, AP
Feb. 10: Hounded by questions about his desire and weight after a rocky year with the Dodgers, Andruw Jones finds a new home, agreeing to a minor-league contract with the Rangers.
Jeff Lewis, AP
Feb. 10: Baltimore continues what has been a very busy offseason by coming to terms with utilityman Ty Wigginton.
Bob Levey, AP
Feb. 8: Former NL MVP Ryan Howard avoids going to arbitration again by signing a three-year, $54 million contract with the Phillies, buying out his remaining years before free agency.
Lucy Nicholson, Reuters
Feb. 6: The Dodgers do their best to fill the void left by staff ace Derek Lowe, landing left-handed starter Randy Wolf to bolster their rotation.
Morry Gash, AP
Feb. 6: Oft-injured veteran reliever Tom Gordon finds work even in a tough market, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Diamondbacks.
Wilfredo Lee, AP
Feb. 5: Injury-prone veteran Cliff Floyd moves on after helping the Rays to the World Series, agreeing to a one-year pact with the Padres.
Steve Nesius, AP
