The Rays appear interested in free-agent Brian Fuentes as they search for a new closer. Fuentes, 35, had 24 saves and a 2.81 ERA in 48 games for the Angels and Twins last season. Nearly a dozen teams are reported to be interested in Fuentes, coming off a two-year, $17.5 million deal that had a $9 million option for 2011.

As many as six teams are interested in right-handed reliever Chad Qualls, according to the Bay Area News Group's Joe Stiglich. Qualls went 3-4 with a 7.32 ERA in just 21 innings with the Rays in 2010.

According to a blog item on the St. Petersburg Times' website on Thursday, the Rays would be looking at Brian Fuentes as a closer to replace departed free agent Rafael Soriano. The Times' Marc Topkin reports that while the Rays might not be the highest bidder, they can offer Fuentes the opportunity to close.

The Blue Jays, Pirates and Rays have all shown interest in reliever Octavio Dotel, according to a major league source. Dotel pitched for three teams -- the Dodgers, Pirates and Rockies -- this past season, making 68 appearances.

Former Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland has joined the Rays as a special assistant. Eiland was New York's pitching coach for the past three seasons and worked in their minor league system for five years before that. He pitched for Tampa Bay during his 10-year career.

Carlos Pena has signed a deal with the Cubs, but he won't forget all the support he received from fans in Tampa Bay. He took out a half-page ad in Monday's St. Petersburg Times in which he poured out his heart to express his feelings. "Now I know more than ever that anything is possible if I believe it to be with all my might. When I first became a Ray we were the worst team in baseball. But what was about to happen next, not even the greatest fiction writer in the world would have been able to come up with it. "I have never in my life seen a team come together in such a way, where everyone humbly but undeniably believed with all their strength that we could make it to the top. This is the story of the little engine that could. The underdog story. The story of a team in oblivion, that went on to become American League East Champs twice, American League Champs once, and made a World Series appearance. "I am so honored to be able to say that I was a part of that. I am so honored to be able to say that I was a RAY. Thanks for cheering for me when I performed well, but most importantly thanks for patting me on the back and encouraging me when it was difficult."

The Padres have acquired Jason Bartlett and a player to be named later from the Rays in exchange for Adam Russell, Cesar Ramos, Brandon Gomes and Cole Figueroa. "We're really happy to get Jason. I watched him play when I was in Boston. He's hard to play against," general manager Jed Hoyer said. "He's a pest. He battles every at-bat. He was a guy you didn't want to see in the batter's box." Bartlett, who is arbitration-eligible and due a raise from the $4 million he made last season, hit .254 with the Rays with four home runs and 47 RBIs.

The Rays have agreed to terms with right-handed reliever Joel Peralta on a one-year deal worth about $900,000, according to sources. Peralta, 34, was 1-0 with a 2.02 ERA in 49 innings for Washington last season.

Rays manager Joe Maddon had an "informative" dinner with Gary Sheffield last week simply to get to know him. "Very informative, but that's it," Maddon said. "I wanted to get to know him better. Down the road it could help us." Maddon said there was no expression of interest in signing Sheffield, who didn't play in 2009.

Gary Sheffield said last week that he wants to play for the Rays. On Friday, the free-agent had dinner with Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon and he expects to hear from the team soon. "I had a meeting with the Rays, and they're going to get back to me, and it's out there now that they're talking to me and hopefully something comes about," Sheffield said on Sirius XM Radio. "I wanted to play last year, and the Nationals made a pitch all off-season. The Giants, the Rangers, all these teams was coming after me, but then all of a sudden, oh and the Diamondbacks, and so when it all came down to it, it was about situations came up where they?d sign another player and then all of a sudden when I was getting ready to sign somewhere else, the player turned down a deal somewhere else and he became an Arizona Diamondback and at the last minute, you know, obviously he's younger, so they went that route."