Jason Bourgeois signs minor league deal with Rays

Former Kansas City Royals outfielder Jason Bourgeois has landed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. At the end of the season, the Royals designated Bourgeois for assignment, but the 30-year-old elected to go the free agent route.

The minor league contract that Bourgeois signed with the Rays does not even give him a tryout for spring training, meaning that it will be quite difficult for the outfielder to land a spot on the Opening Day roster.

In his four-year Major League career, Bourgeois has never been a big hitter; the outfielder has a career .261 batting average and a .306 on-base percentage. His best asset is his speed where he has 51 career stolen bases.

This past season with the Royals, Bourgeois had just 66 plate appearances, hitting .258 with an on-base percentage of .303. He also scored 10 runs and knocked in five RBI. Though he didn't have any home runs, he showed some of his speed with five stolen bases.