Rays sign Delmon Young to minor league deal

The Tampa Bay Rays have signed outfielder/designated hitter Delmon Young to a minor league contract, according to FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal. Rosenthal adds that Young will report to Double-A Montgomery in hopes of joining the Rays' major league roster when rosters expand in September.

Young, 27, was released by the Phillies after being designated for assignment earlier in the month. After signing a  one-year, $750K contract with the Phillies before the season, he did not live up to expectations in Philadelphia, hitting .261 with 8 HR and 31 RBI in 80 games while struggling defensively in right field all season. As Rosenthal reports, the Phillies will have to pay the remainder of Young's salary for the season; they will not have to pay the $150K bonus that was owed to him with nine more plate appearances, according to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Young, the Rays' first overall pick in the 2003 draft, hit .293 with 16 HR and 103 RBI in two seasons (2006-2007) with the Rays before being traded to the Twins with Brendan Harris and Jason Pridie in exchange for Jason Bartlett, Eduardo Morlan and Matt Garza in November 2007. In eight major league seasons with the Rays (2006-2007), Twins (2008-2011), Tigers (2011-2012) and Phillies (2013), Young has a career .283 average with 97 HR and 513 RBI.

The Rays, who currently sit only one game behind the AL East-leading Red Sox, are known to be in search of outfield options. In addition to signing Young, the team placed a waiver claim on Nationals' outfielder David DeJesus today, and may acquire him in the next 24 hours. The team's interest in Young was first reported by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times last week.