Former Thunder Bay Border Cats infielder Matt Mangini has a new home.
The 26-year-old on Tuesday inked minor-league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, who have also extended a spring training invite to the Springfield, Mass. native. He'll be looking to join former Northwoods Leaguer Ben Zobrist on the Rays big league roster.
Mangini, who played for the Cats in 2005, their first Northwoods League championship season, in 2010 became the first former Cat to make the jump to the major leagues, He hit .211 in 11 games with the M's that year, driving in one run on eight hits, all singles.
He was hitting .336 for Seattle's minor league AAA affiliate in Tacoma, Wash. this past summer when he was granted his release after five years in the organization.
