ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays courted J.P. Arencibia last winter, hoping to land the veteran catcher with experience within the division and a bat capable of hitting a few home runs.
Instead, Arencibia saw more of an opportunity with the Orioles and signed a minor-league deal with Baltimore.
“We spent some time talking to him and trying to persuade,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Obviously that shows how I’m not very good at persuading guys to come over here. He made a decision about three months later to come over, and we’re lucky that he came here.