Rays designate Reid Brignac, Elliot Johnson for assignment

UPDATE 2/6 7:40 a.m. EDT: Tampa Bay has designated Brignac AND fellow infielder Elliot Johnson for assignment, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

The moves make room on the 40-man roster for the Rays' two newest signings, Kyle Farnsworth and Kelly Johnson.

Original: The Rays have designated infielder Reid Brignac for assignment, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

The infielder has been rumored to have been shopped this offseason, but a straight-DFA was somewhat surprising for the useful infielder.

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The 27-year old has been a frequent rider on the Durham-Tampa shuttle, providing valuable depth to the Rays at a premium spot. He is sure to garner a lot of interest from teams with an open spot on their 40-man roster.

He played just 16 games for the Rays last season, compiling a mere 22 plate appearances. In 2011 he played in 92 games, but hit a poor .193.

He was at one time considered a top prospect in the Rays system, but never developed the way that many of the Rays' other prospects did. Either way he is a valuable, cheap player who should catch on pretty soon.

Tampa acquired shortstop Yunel Escobar recently, which may have spelled the end for Brignac.