Interesting. Carlson was acquired from the Cardinals in a deadline deal for right-hander Shawn Armstrong. He then went on to hit .219/.299/.316 with three homers, 14 RBI, two swipes and a 38/10 K/BB ratio over 127 plate appearances down the stretch for the Rays, which is apparently all that they needed to see to decide that he wasn't a part of their future plans. The 26-year-old former top prospect will now hit the open market looking for another team to give him an opportunity to blossom.