Ken Davidoff of New York Newsday reports that left-hander Randy Choate has avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract with the Rays.
Choate, 33, posted a 3.47 ERA and 1.07 WHIP over 61 appearances with Tampa Bay in 2009. He was especially effective against left-handed hitters, holding them to a miniscule .141 batting average.
The secret to his success in 2009? Choate managed an excellent 65.3% groundball rate, and in turn, a .244 BABIP (batting average on balls in play), thanks to one of the best defenses in the majors. He was pretty fortunate, it turns out. He’ll hope to duplicate his success as a situational left-hander again next season, but he’ll compete with R.J. Swindle for the role during spring training.