Desmond Jennings (knee) signed a one-year, $3.1 million contract with the Rays on Friday to avoid arbitration, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Jennings (knee) signed a one-year, $3.1 million contract with the Rays on Friday to avoid arbitration, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Analysis:

The 28-year-old has generally failed to live up to the expectations placed on him after a splashy 2011 debut, but will still have an inside track for the leadoff job in 2015. Jennings slashed .244/.319/.378 while slugging 10 homers and stealing 15 bases last season, before knee soreness sidelined him for all of September.