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TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Rays couldnt resist adding Grant Balfour to solidify the back end of their bullpen, giving the closer a $12 million, two-year contract Thursday about a month after his $15 million agreement with Baltimore fell through. The Orioles said they had concerns with his physical. Balfour proclaimed hes healthy and looking forward to helping Tampa Bay get back to the playoffs. "Im 100 per cent healthy," Balfour said, adding he had more lucrative offers from other teams but was eager to play for a perennial contender and return to the Tampa Bay area, where he still resides after spending time with the Rays from 2007-10. "Ive had an eventful off-season to say the least," he said. "Its always been a place on my radar. Ill be honest, I never wanted to leave here." Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg made the announcement at a news conference held following a team sponsorship event at the Tampa Museum of Art. He called it a significant move for the budget-minded Rays, who have made the playoffs four times in the past six seasons despite one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. Sternberg noted the team did not enter the off-season expecting to be in a position to pursue the 36-year-old, who was 62 for 67 in save opportunities the past two seasons with the Oakland Athletics. "Weve have had some exceptional teams," Sternberg said, explaining the decision to spend above the teams projected payroll. "We want to give this organization the best chance to win, and we know its going to cost us more than we can afford to pay." In his first stint with the Rays, Balfour was part of an improbable run to the 2008 World Series, where Tampa Bay lost to Philadelphia in six games. Sternberg called him a "known quantity" for the Rays. Manager Joe Maddon added the signing will make an already impressive bullpen even more formidable. "He wants to go back to the World Series," Maddon said. "So do we, so do I." Balfour was a first-time All-Star in 2013, when he had a 1.63 ERA while going 25 for 25 in save opportunities the first half of the season. The right-handers 383 appearances, 380 1-3 innings and 410 strikeouts over the past six years are the second-most among AL relievers. Hes first Australian-born pitcher to make an All-Star team and has been a part of five teams that made the playoffs, including two with Tampa Bay. "I want to win a World Series," he said. "We got really close here in 2008, and Im really hoping here in the next two years, or whatever it is I get to play here, that I can win one it would be awesome." Loic Mbe Soh Jersey . A 19-game winner with the New York Yankees in both 2006 and 2007, Wang spent most of this year at Triple-A for the Yankees and Blue Jays. The 33-year-old right-hander was 1-2 with a 7. Thiago Silva Paris Saint-Germain Jersey . The move will give Hentgen the "time needed to support his family and his fathers current health issues," the Blue Jays said in a release. Hentgen spent 10 of his 14 big-league seasons with the Blue Jays, winning a Cy Young Award in 1996. http://www.parissaintgermainfcstore.com/Women-Thiago-Silva-Paris-Saint-Germain-Jersey/ . Spieth again showed game well beyond his 20 years with a 9-under 63 on the North Course, giving him a one-shot lead over Stewart Cink going into the weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open. Kevin Rimane Jersey . The Braves optioned outfielder Jose Constanza to Triple-A Gwinnett. As expected, the Braves also called up right-hander Julio Teheran from Gwinnett to start Sundays game and optioned backup catcher J. Christopher Nkunku Paris Saint-Germain Jersey ." Argos general manager Jim Barker uttered those words during an interview with TSN 1050 radio just prior to the CFLs annual free agent frenzy.Manchester City showed no mercy on beleaguered West Ham by romping to a 3-0 victory in the second leg of their League Cup semifinal on Tuesday, completing a 9-0 aggregate thrashing. Alvaro Negredo scored twice and Sergio Aguero added the other goal to ensure City will contest its first League Cup final since 1976, against either Sunderland or fierce rival Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on March 2. Having grabbed a hat trick in Citys 6-0 win in the first leg two weeks ago, Negredo ensured there would be no miracle turnaround by heading in the opening goal at Upton Park after less than three minutes. Aguero clipped home a deft finish in the 24th for his third goal in as many matches since returning from a calf injury and Negredo powered through some weak defending to wrap up the scoring in the 59th. It took Citys goal tally for the season in all competitions to 106 in 35 games. Most neutrals will likely be hoping for an all-Manchester final, but Sunderland leads the other semifinal 2-1 after the first leg. The return match is at Old Trafford on Wednesday. British bookmakers were offering odds of 500-1 that West Ham would complete an inconceivable turnaround. Many in the media dubbed it "Mission Impossible." And even though City fielded a weakened lineup, the visitors maintained a professional, positive attitude to the second leg and had far too much class for West Ham, which has endured a miserable season and iis marooned in the Premier Leagues relegation zone.dddddddddddd. Its the biggest aggregate margin of victory in a League Cup semifinal. "It was important the way we reached the final, winning all our games," Pellegrini said. Pellegrini started with his first-choice strikeforce and Negredo opened the scoring after just three minutes, emphatically heading in a cross from 18-year-old Portuguese winger Marcos Lopes. Aguero, who was making his first start since returning from injury, ran onto a pass from the impressive Lopes, beat his marker and chipped the goalkeeper. Negredo then moved onto 23 goals for the season -- one more than the entire West Ham team has managed in 22 games in the league -- by muscling his way through the home defence and applying a deft finish on the slide. "We didnt want to lose," City defender Joleon Lescott said. "We wanted to keep our winning streak going." The 60-year-old Pellegrini is now the brink of winning his first piece of major European silverware, having left Spanish football empty-handed after spells with Villarreal, Real Madrid and Malaga across nine years. City is also in the running for three other trophies -- it is second in the Premier League, through to the last 16 of the Champions League and in the fourth round of the FA Cup. To make matters worse for West Ham, midfielders Joe Cole and Mohamed Diame went off injured in the second half. ' ' '