The Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to terms with the following players on Minor League contracts with an invitation to Major League spring training: infielder Emilio Bonifacio, right-handed pitcher Ricardo Pinto, right-handed pitcher Casey Sadler, right-handed pitcher Luis Santos and right-handed pitcher Cole Sulser.
Bonifacio, 33, is a career .256/.313/.333 (669-for-2,610) hitter with 13 home runs, 165 RBI and 166 stolen bases over parts of 11 seasons in the Majors with the Arizona Diamondbacks (2007-08), Washington Nationals (2008), Florida/Miami Marlins (2009-12), Toronto Blue Jays (2013), Kansas City Royals (2013), Chicago Cubs (2014), Atlanta Braves (2014, 2016-17) and Chicago White Sox (2015). He has started games at second base (201 starts), center field (170), third base (135), shortstop (100), left field (75), right field (31) and designated hitter (five). He spent the majority of the 2018 season with Long Island in the independent Atlantic League, but played five games for Triple-A Colorado Springs in the Milwaukee Brewers organization after signing in August. His best season came with the Marlins in 2011, when he hit .296 (167-for-565) and stole a career-high 40 bases in 152 games. From 2011-14, his 96 stolen bases ranked seventh in the National League, and he was successful on 81.4 pct. of his attempts over that span. This offseason, Bonifacio played for the Tigres del Licey in the Dominican Winter League, batting .241/.299/.471 (21-for-87) with two home runs and 11 RBI in 26 games. He was originally signed by the Diamondbacks as a free agent in December 2001.
Pinto, 25, made his Major League debut with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2017, going 1-2 with a 7.89 ERA (29.2-IP, 26-ER) in 25 apps, his only career Major League action. He spent last season in the White Sox organization, going 3-2 with a 5.95 ERA (65.0-IP, 26-ER) in 30 apps (six starts) between Class-A Winston-Salem and Triple-A Charlotte. Following the season, Pinto pitched for the Tiburones de La Guaira in the Venezuelan Winter League, going 0-1 with a 3.98 ERA (20.1-IP, 9-ER) in five apps (four starts). He was originally signed by the Phillies as a free agent in December 2011 and is 41-28 with a 3.56 ERA (606.0-IP, 240-ER) over seven Minor League seasons.
Sadler, 28, has spent his entire career in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, going 1-1 with a 6.86 ERA (19.2-IP, 15-ER) in nine apps (one start) over parts of three seasons (2014-15, 2018) in the Majors. Aside from a two-day stint in the Majors last August, he pitched last season for Triple-A Indianapolis, going 6-5 with a 3.39 ERA (77.0-IP, 29-ER) in 27 apps (eight starts). Following the season, Sadler pitched for the Tigres del Licey in the Dominican Winter League, going 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA (11.1-IP, 4-ER) in three starts. He was selected by the Pirates in the 25th round of the 2010 June Draft out of Western Oklahoma State College and is 51-36 with a 3.44 ERA (718.2-IP, 275-ER) over eight Minor League seasons.
Santos, 27, has spent parts of the last two seasons in the Majors with the Blue Jays, going 1-2 with a 5.15 ERA (36.2-IP, 21-ER) in 25 apps. Last season, he made 15 apps (one start) over three stints with the Blue Jays, going 1-1 with a 7.20 ERA (20.0-IP, 16-ER) and 20 strikeouts. He spent the remainder of the season with Triple-A Buffalo, going 2-3 with a 2.74 ERA (42.2-IP, 13-ER) and 40 strikeouts in 20 apps (two starts). For a fifth consecutive offseason, Santos played for the Toros del Este in the Dominican Winter League, pitching to a 2.08 ERA (13-IP, 1-ER) in 15 apps. He was originally signed by the Pirates as a free agent in August 2011 and is 43-36 with a 4.09 ERA (640.2-IP, 255-ER) in 154 apps (100 starts) over eight Minor League seasons.
Sulser, 28, has spent his entire career in the Cleveland Indians organization, going 20-26 with a 4.02 ERA (378.1-IP, 169-ER) in 176 apps (37 starts) over five Minor League seasons. He split the 2018 season between Triple-A Columbus and Double-A Akron, going 8-4 with a 3.86 ERA (60.2-IP, 26-ER) and 14.1 strikeouts per nine innings in 47 apps between the two levels. He was selected by the Indians in the 25th round of the 2013 June Draft out of Dartmouth College.