7:25pm: The Rays could announce a deal for Webb as soon as tomorrow, writes Topkin in a full column. Moreover, it appears that Webb is in line for a Major League deal with the Rays, as Topkin writes that the the holdup in the deal “could be” related to the determination of a corresponding 40-man roster move (notably, players can officially be added to the 60-day disabled list beginning tomorrow).
12:07pm: The Rays are closing in on a deal with right-handed reliever Ryan Webb, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Tampa Bay has been said to be pursuing relief additions in recent weeks, and it seems they’ll likely add at least one new piece as camps open around the game.
Webb, 30, contributed 50 2/3 innings of 3.20 ERA pitching to the Indians last year after joining the team on a minor league deal. Though he averaged only 5.5 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9, he generated an excellent 59.2% groundball rate on balls put in play against him.
That solid effort came in spite of the fact that Webb was caught up in some early-season transactional machinations that somewhat surprisingly left him without a roster spot. Webb has averaged 58 frames of 3.31 ERA pitching annually since his first full season of MLB action back in 2010.