First, Marc Topkin from the Tampa Bay Times reported that the Rays were close to reaching a deal with Luke Scott. Within minutes, we had this update from Dan Connolly at the Baltimore Sun:
Former
#Oriole Luke Scott & the#Rays have agreed to a one-year deal with a 2013 option, pending physical.
Check one hitter off the offseason "To Do" list. Based on projections alone, Scott has some of the biggest upside of any hitter left on the free agent market (outside Prince Fielder...and Carlos Pena is close). He may be a risky option -- he'll be turning 34 this season and had shoulder surgery last season -- but if healthy, he has the potential to be a big power bat in the middle of the Rays lineup.
Can you imagine what the Rays' lineup could be like if they also sign Carlos Pena? Be still, my heart.
We'll have more on Scott later on, but for now, here's Tommy Rancel's piece about Scott when he was first released by the Orioles. Rancel also made an excellent point on Twitter: Dr. James Andrews was the surgeon that did Scott's shoulder last season and Andrews is the Rays' medical director according to the team's site.