The Rays have signed 1B Casey Kotchman to minor-league deal with an invite to camp, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.

Kotchman, who attended Seminole High, is going home. He has to be disappointed in having to settle for a minor league deal, but at least he landed in an advantageous position with a contending team on which he can compete for at-bats. The 27-year-old posted a poor .217/.280/.336 batting line with nine home runs and 51 RBI last season for the Mariners and surprisingly had a poor season defensively, according to Ultimate Zone Rating on Fangraphs. As a potential part-time first baseman in 2011, the Rays made a solid no-risk signing here.

The Indians have interest in signing Casey Kotchman to a minor league contract, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.

Kotchman was probably hoping for something better and probably hoping to land on a more competitive team, but he may just have to settle for the Tribe's offer. The 27-year-old posted a rough .217/.280/.336 batting line last season for the Mariners. He also had a poor showing defensively. Cleveland would probably use him merely as a part-time first baseman in 2011.

Casey Kotchman has elected to become a free agent.

He refused an outright assignment from the club, though he was likely to be non-tendered in December, anyway. Kotchman, who turns 28 in February, batted just .217/.280/.336 with nine home runs and 51 RBI with the Mariners this season. He even took a pronounced step back defensively, according to Ultimate Zone Rating on Fangraphs. It's difficult to see him securing a starting first base job.

Casey Kotchman went 3-for-4 with a solo homer on Sunday.

Kotchman homered off Yankees reliever Dustin Moseley while also doubling and singling in the contest. The long ball was Kotchman's fourth in seven days, so despite his overall performance looking quite awful he should remain a fixture in the club's lineup against right-handers. We're still skeptical he'll provide any real value even while 'hot'.

Casey Kotchman hit a pair of homers to drive in all three Mariners runs in Wednesday's loss to the Royals.

Kotchman disappeared for three weeks, but since being returned to Seattle's lineup on July 3, he's gone 9-for-18 with three homers, six RBI and four walks in five games. The Mariners will surely stick with him against righties until he cools off and maybe beyond. They're at their best defensively when they have him at first base, Russell Branyan at DH and Michael Saunders in left field.

Casey Kotchman belted a three-run homer and reached base all five times he stepped to the plate against the Tigers today.

Kotchman singled twice and walked twice in addition to his homer, though managed to score just the one time. The long ball was Kotchman's first since April 19 and just his fourth of the season. The Mariners will stick with Kotchman due to lack of better options, but he remains a non-entity in fantasy.

Casey Kotchman went 0-for-4 on Tuesday, sending his average back down to .190.

Kotchman has had just one extra-base hit and four RBI all month. He did have a solid April, so the Mariners figure to remain patient with him. They don't have much choice, since Mike Carp is hitting just .228/.302/.450 in Triple-A.

Casey Kotchman returned to action on Wednesday May 12.

Casey Kotchman did not start Sunday due to a sore right ankle.

Kotchman was hit in the ankle by a pitch late in Saturday's game, but the benching probably had more to do with the rut he's been in at the plate. Kotchman went just 1-for-31 on the Mariners' homestand and is batting a mere .194/.276/.379 in 103 at-bats this season.

Casey Kotchman went 0-for-4 on Friday, lowering his average to .202.

Kotchman is 1-for-27 in his last seven games and 3-for-38 in his last 10. He also hasn't driven in a run since April 24. His hot start and the Mariners' lack of alternatives will keep him in the lineup, but he shouldn't be batting third right now.

Casey Kotchman was bumped to the No. 5 spot in the Mariners' lineup Wednesday.

Kotchman is being rewarded for his hot start, and rightly so. He boasts an 865 OPS, three home runs and 12 RBI through 47 at-bats this season and is one of the few sources of power available to the Mariners. It's not clear if the change is permanent, but it probably should be.

Casey Kotchman had a two-run homer and an RBI double versus the Orioles on Monday.

That Kotchman has been dropped from third to seventh in the order against right-handers has nothing to do with his performance. He leads the Mariners with three homers and 12 RBI.

Casey Kotchman homered and drove in two runs in a loss to the Rangers on Friday night.

Offense could be a problem in Seattle. Kotchman was the lone bright spot on Friday, with an RBI groundout in the first and a solo home run in the eighth. He leads the team with six RBI. Besides Kotchman, Milton Bradley is the only other player with more than one RBI, and he's 1-for-17 (.059) to begin the year.

Casey Kotchman will take a seat against the Athletics on Thursday afternoon.

Matt Tuiasosopo will start at first base for the first time in his professional career. In other news, Mike Sweeney is in the lineup as the designated hitter for the first time this season, while rookie Adam Moore is behind the dish.

No. 3 hitter Casey Kotchman drove in four of the Mariners' five runs Monday in a victory over the Athletics.

Kotchman doubled in Chone Figgins in the first, plated Figgins again with a sac fly in the third and then broke a 3-3 tie with a two-RBI flare to center in the ninth. It was exactly what the Mariners wanted from him when they put him behind Ichiro Suzuki and Figgins in the order. Maybe he can be the first player since Paul Molitor in 1996 to drive in 100 runs with fewer than 10 homers.

Casey Kotchman will bat No. 3 against Ben Sheets and the Athletics on Monday night.

We're not crazy about it from a baseball perspective, given his propensity for the ground ball, but expect this arrangement to continue against right-handers. At the very least, it should amount to plenty of RBI opportunities. On the flip side, Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu plans to bat Franklin Gutierrez third against lefties this season. The 27-year-old outfielder posted a 963 OPS against southpaws in 2009.