Luke Scott Contract Details Emerge

Thursday, the Tampa Bay Rays finalized and officially announced their one-year contract with Luke Scott. Scott was signed to serve primarily as the Rays' new DH. Last season, Scott posted a .703 OPS. What a terrible idea! What has become of the Rays' once-brilliant front office??

Scott, of course, is supposed to be better than that, and was hampered in 2011 by a shoulder injury that he had repaired by a team of medical professionals. The Rays are banking on a rebound.

Oh, and that contract? Buster Olney has details:

Luke Scott's deal: $5 million, with $1m buyout on a $6m option for 2013. And there are bonuses based on plate appearances built in.

I'd call those the contract "deets" if I were horrible. Scott earned $6.4 million with the Orioles last season, so he's taking a pay cut, at least in terms of guaranteed money. But he's not going to go broke.

Something to think about: as an Oriole, between 2008-2011, Scott posted a 119 OPS+. Over that span, he hit .291/.377/.566 at home, and .229/.305/.403 on the road. Meaningful? Not meaningful? Scott's adjustment to Tropicana Field could be even rougher than we thought.

FanGraphs: Welcome To The Trop, Luke Scott

The Tampa Bay Rays are a good physical exam away from officially adding Luke Scott to the active roster. The Tampa Bay Rays are a bad physical exam away from narrowly avoiding a controversial loudmouth. It's win-win!

Scott will probably pass his physical. Then he will be a Ray, for 2012, and possibly for 2013. As such, the former Oriole will move from playing half his games at Camden Yards to playing half his games at Tropicana Field. What could that mean for him? We turn to Steve Slowinski at FanGraphs:

Camden Yards may not get much publicity as a hitter’s park, but it is a dreamhouse for left-handed hitters. Last season, Camden Yards boosted overall offensive performance for left-handed hitters by around 4%; even with its short right-field porch, Yankee Stadium only clocked in at 3%. The majority of this boost came in the power department, as Camden increased homeruns for left-handed hitters by 18%. That right field wall may be high, but that doesn’t appear to be slowing anyone down.

Meanwhile, Tropicana Field is the most difficult park in the AL East for left-handed hitters…and it’s particularly difficult for left-handed power hitters. The Trop suppresses homeruns from lefties at around an 11% clip, as the right-field wall is at a sharp angle and reaches 380-390 feet in right-center.

There's more to read. I think, generally, a lot of people are familiar with the idea that Camden Yards is a hitter-friendly environment. But the Trop doesn't get nearly so much attention as a pitcher-friendly environment, possibly because the Trop only ever gets attention for being empty and gross. Scott's adjustment to Tampa Bay will not be an easy one, and that's if he's healthy. If he's not what he was, it'll be even harder.

Park adjustments! They're important for players, and they're important for statistical considerations. Always remember that.

Luke Scott Signing With Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays are signing free agent OF/DH Luke Scott to a one-year contract with a 2013 option.