Outfielder Jonny Gomes wasn't happy when he heard that the Rays were letting him go, but he was more than grateful for his time in Tampa Bay. "If it wasn't for the Rays, I'd probably be in Iraq right now," Gomes said Saturday. "Back in '01, I had two contracts in front of me, one to go play for the Rays as an 18th-round draft pick and one to go into the Marines. "So I may owe the Rays my life. I'm one of the few people who leaves the Rays with a smile."