Grant Balfour signs two-year contract with the Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays signed closer Grant Balfour to a two-year contract.

Pay per head services know that the deal, which was first reported by Fox Sports, is expected to pay the former Athletics closer $12 million over two years.

As previously reported here, Balfour had reached a two-year, $15 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles earlier this offseason, but they backed out of deal due to issues with his throwing shoulder.

Balfour, who missed the entire 2006 season recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum, recorded a career-high 38 saves for the Athletics last season and went 1-3 with a 2.59 ERA in 65 relief appearances.

The 35-year-old right-hander went 9-7 with a 2.53 ERA while racking up 64 of his 72 career saves in three years with the A’s. Balfour also appeared in at least 62 games in each of those seasons.

Grant Balfour is 28-17 with a 3.27 ERA and 514 strikeouts in 463 games with one start over 10 seasons with the Twins, Brewers, Rays and Athletics. He was 14-7 with a 3.33 ERA and eight saves in four seasons with the Rays from 2007-10.