Back in January, it seemed almost a certainty that the Rays would have Chris Carter as their starting first baseman in 2017. Everyone around the game pegged the two as a perfect match and they were just waiting for the contract to be signed.
Then an unexpected series of events unfolded.
The Rays re-signed Logan Morrison to a one year, $3 million deal. That same day, news broke that the Rays had signed Rickie Weeks to a minor league deal, but almost guaranteed to make the Opening Day roster.
This was completely out of left field considering all the rumors and speculation that had been running rampant.