Doyle to Tampa

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays made their first official move of the offseason on Thursday when they claimed outfielder Chris Snelling off waivers from the Oakland Athletics.

In a corresponding move, the club released right-hander Jay Witasick to make room for Snelling on the 40-man roster.

Snelling, 25, began the 2007 season as the Nationals' Opening Day left fielder, but he was traded to the A's for outfielder Ryan Langerhans on May 2 after hitting .204 in 24 games. Snelling finished the season with a combined .246 average with one home run and seven RBIs in 30 games. He underwent season-ending surgery on July 3 after suffering a left knee injury.

Snelling's first eight professional seasons were spent in the Mariners organization. He first played in the Major Leagues in 2002 at age 20, but injuries have limited him to 582 professional games over nine seasons, including 89 at the Major League level, where he holds a career average of .240 with six home runs, 19 RBIs and a .357 on-base percentage.

Snelling owns a career .311 average in the Minor Leagues, where he hit .300 or better in each of his first seven seasons. He is familiar with Tropicana Field, where he has a .375 career mark (6-for-16) with a home run.

Snelling is the third Australian national to play for the Rays, joining current right-hander Grant Balfour and former Rays left-hander Damian Moss (2004). He represented Australia in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.