The Tampa Bay Rays announced this afternoon that they have signed right-handed reliever Michael Kohn to a one-year, major league deal. This is the first move the Rays have made in the post-Andrew Freidman Era. The signing of Kohn brings Tampa Bay's 40-man roster total to its maximum of 40 players. With that being said, the Rays will need to make a couple of moves to make more room of the 40-man roster if they want to make any roster additions during the offseason.

Michael Kohn, 28, was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels in early September. A few days later, Kohn elected costless agency over an outright assignment to Triple-A Salt Lake. Kohn pitched pretty decently during the 2014 season. He compiled a career-best 3.04 ERA and a 9.9 K/9 in 23.2 innings pitched over 25 appearances out of the bullpen.

During the months of April and May, Kohn pitched in seventeen consecutive outings in where he did not allow a single run. However, this streak was snapped on May 16th at Angel Stadium, coincidentally, against the Rays. Less than a month after his steak was snapped, he was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake by the Angels on June 3rd. Although he was called up to the majors for one more stint from June 28th-to-July 1st, he did not pitch in the majors again this season.

In his last five years in the major leagues, excluding the 2012 season when he recovered from Tommy John surgery, he has been quite viable for the Angels. In parts of four seasons for Los Angeles, Kohn has a 5-6 record, along with a 3.67 ERA, 4.93 FIP, 104 ERA+, 1.0 WAR, 8.7 K/9 and a 6.0 BB/9 in 110 and 1/3 innings pitched in the big leagues. Actually, Kohn's first career victory occurred at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg against the Rays on September 17th, 2010.

Despite not being seen as an impactful addition to the Tampa Bay' bullpen, Kohn will join a stacked right-handed bullpen filled with Grant Balfour, Kirby Yates, Steve Geltz, Joel Peralta, Brad Boxberger and Brandon Gomes. He could very well be used as a 11th or 12th man in the Rays' bullpen next year. The Rays really need all the help they can get for the upcoming 2015 campaign, as they ranked 20th in ERA and 18th in FIP among bullpens in the major leagues.