Rays bring back Kapler for one more year

Sports Network | October 27, 2009

St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Rays have brought back outfielder Gabe Kapler, signing him to a one-year contract on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old veteran hit .239 with eight homers and 32 RBI in 99 games for the Rays in 2009.

Kapler came out of a one-year retirement and spent the 2008 season with Milwaukee, batting .301 with eight homers, 38 runs batted in and a career-best .498 slugging percentage in 96 games.

A southern California native, Kapler is a career .270 hitter with 80 homers and 372 RBI in 11 seasons with Detroit, Texas, Colorado, Boston, Milwaukee and Tampa Bay. He was a member of Boston's World Series championship team in 2004 and played parts of four seasons with the Red Sox before taking on a job as manager of their Class-A affiliate in 2007.