The Rays had a busy couple of weeks prior to the MLB lockout, but there’s still work to be done when transactions resume. Here’s a look at where things currently stand and what might be next in Tampa Bay.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Wander Franco, SS: $182MM through 2032 (includes $2MM buyout of $25MM club option for 2033)
- Brandon Lowe, 2B/OF: $19MM through 2024 (includes $1MM buyout of $10.5MM club option for 2025; contract also contains $11.5MM club option for 2026)
- Kevin Kiermaier, CF: $14.5MM through 2022 (includes $2.5MM buyout of $13MM club option for 2023)
- Brooks Raley, LHP: $10MM through 2023 (includes $1.25MM buyout of $6.5MM club option for 2024)
- Corey Kluber, RHP: $8MM through 2022
- Mike Zunino, C: $7MM through 2022
- Ji-Man Choi, 1B/DH: $3.2MM through 2022 (arb-eligible through 2023 season)
- Total 2022 guarantees: $41.95MM
- Total long-term commitments: $243.7MM
Arbitration-Eligible Players (projected salaries via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)
- Matt Wisler – $1.8MM
- Manuel Margot – $5.0MM
- Tyler Glasnow – $5.8MM
- Ryan Yarbrough – $4.4MM
- Yonny Chirinos – $1.2MM
- Yandy Diaz – $2.7MM
- Austin Meadows – $4.3MM
- Andrew Kittredge – $1.6MM
- Jalen Beeks – $600K
- Francisco Mejia – $1.5MM
- Jeffrey Springs – $1.0MM
- Brett Phillips – $1.2MM
- Nick Anderson – $900K
The Rays got a huge portion of their offseason lifting done prior to the lockout, extending Wander Franco on a record-setting contract for a player with under a year of service time. By guaranteeing Franco $182MM through the 2032 season, Tampa Bay solidified him as the face of the franchise and locked in a burgeoning star who turned in one of the more memorable rookie performances we’ve seen in recent years.
As is typical with the Rays, their early dealings involved plenty of tinkering with their arbitration class as well as what the team hopes will be some bargain additions on the pitching side. Gone are super-utility man Joey Wendle — traded to the Marlins for outfield prospect Kameron Misner — and lefty masher Jordan Luplow, who was sent to the D-backs for minor league infielder Ronny Simon. The Rays also parted ways with lefties Adam Conley (outrighted), Ryan Sherriff (claimed by the Phillies) and Dietrich Enns (granted his release to sign in Japan). Additionally, pre-arb righties Brent Honeywell (A’s) and Louis Head (Marlins) were swapped for cash.
Incoming arms include former Cy Young reclamation hopeful Corey Kluber, spin-rate standout Brooks Raley, bolstering the rotation and bullpen, respectively. There’s work to be done on both sides of the pitching staff still, however, particularly with ace Tyler Glasnow likely out for the 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery. The Rays will also be without Yonny Chirinos early in the year after he fractured his elbow late in the 2021 season while rehabbing from 2020 Tommy John surgery. Lefty Brendan McKay, too, is a question mark after recently undergoing thoracic outlet surgery.
Among the potential members of the rotation — Kluber, Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, Ryan Yarbrough, Shane Baz and Luis Patino — only Yarbrough and McClanahan topped 110 innings this past season. Kluber managed just 80 innings and didn’t pitch particularly well in six starts upon returning from the IL late in the season. Yarbrough, meanwhile, posted a career-high 155 innings but also a career-worst 5.11 ERA in that time. Baz dazzled at Double-A, Triple-A and in three big league starts late in the season, but the ballyhooed top prospect was also hit hard in his lone postseason outing. He could follow McClanahan’s lead as a late-season debut who carves out a concrete rotation role the following year — but there’s also still some uncertainty surrounding both him and Patino, another touted top pitching prospect.
Suffice it to say, with plenty of talent but just as many questions surrounding the young arms on the staff, the Rays figure to be on the lookout for some further pitching help. They’re not a likely fit for high-priced free agents still sitting on the market (e.g. Carlos Rodon, Clayton Kershaw), but plenty of veterans who may command one-year deals remain unsigned (e.g. Matthew Boyd, Michael Pineda, Garrett Richards and old friend Drew Smyly). Similarly, it’d be a surprise to see the Rays trade for a relatively high-priced starter (e.g. Sean Manaea, Luis Castillo), but president of baseball ops Erik Neander, newly minted GM Peter Bendix and the rest of the Rays staff will be on the lookout for under-the-radar rotation adds (much like they found with Rasmussen during the 2021 season).
Of course, if the Rays were able to cull the current payroll a bit — projected at nearly $84MM, per Roster Resource’s Jason Martinez — perhaps there’d be a bit more room for an additional pitching splash. Tampa Bay reportedly discussed Kevin Kiermaier in trades at the same time Joey Wendle was being shopped, and it stands to reason that Kiermaier will again be made available post-lockout. While the Rays have explored Kiermaier trades for years now, the current market circumstances suggest a trade is now likelier than ever.
Kiermaier is entering the final guaranteed season of his six-year, $53.5MM contract extension and, at $12MM (plus a $2.5MM buyout on a 2023 option) is the team’s most expensive player in 2022. Excellent as Kiermaier is with the glove, Tampa Bay could move him and still boast arguably the best defensive outfield in baseball, with Randy Arozarena, Manuel Margot, Brett Phillips and center field prospect Josh Lowe (already on the 40-man roster) all possessing high-end defensive skills.
Beyond that, there are several teams who could be eyeing center field upgrades, including the Phillies, Marlins, Astros and Cubs, to name a few. The Rays might have to pay down a bit of Kiermaier’s salary in a deal, although speculatively speaking, they could alternatively look to swap him for a comparably priced player who better fits the team’s needs (e.g. Craig Kimbrel, Jake Odorizzi).
While Kiermaier’s salary makes him a more obvious trade candidate, the Rays could also at least entertain interest in Margot instead, given that he’ll be a free agent next winter. A standout defender in his own right, Margot would hold similar or perhaps even broader appeal to teams with outfield vacancies and a preference for defensive upgrades.
Broadly speaking, when looking ahead for potential Rays moves, it’s always best to consider the possibility of them dealing from positions of great organizational depth. At the moment, that means outfield and perhaps middle infielders. Franco’s extension locks him into the lineup for more than a decade, and Brandon Lowe is signed through at least 2024 on a highly reasonably deal that includes a pair of team options. Meanwhile, the Rays still have well-regarded shortstop prospects like Taylor Walls, Vidal Brujan and Xavier Edwards. Both Walls and Brujan have made their big league debuts already. Dealing young prospects of that nature is never easy, and the Rays certainly wouldn’t mind keeping them as bench pieces or upper-level depth options, but they’ll surely receive interest in that perceived surplus. Teams that seek shortstop help in the long run but aren’t willing to pay one of Carlos Correa or Trevor Story, in particular, will be keenly intrigued.
Another general rule when looking for potential Rays moves is to follow the money. In this arbitration class, that means the aforementioned Margot and, perhaps more interestingly, Glasnow. The loss of Glasnow, who had Tommy John surgery Aug. 4, is a major blow to the Rays’ 2022 hopes. The team tendered him a contract knowing he’ll miss most or all of the season, which is only sensible given that he’s controllable through the 2023 campaign. That said, a projected $5.6MM salary for Glasnow amounts largely to dead money for the Rays in ’22, and Glasnow figures to earn that same sum (or a slight bit more, if he makes it back to the mound this year) in 2023 — his final year of team control.
Paying $11-12MM for what’s effectively one season of Glasnow (2023) is hardly burdensome, but for a low-payroll club like the Rays, it’s also not ideal. Tampa Bay surely wouldn’t make a salary-dump deal for a pitcher of this caliber; if the money were an issue he could’ve been non-tendered, so that’s clearly not the case. But, other teams with deeper pockets could also try to opportunistically bolster their 2023 hopes by giving the Rays some immediate help in 2022 at the cost of acquiring Glasnow for the 2023 season. It’s not necessarily a likely outcome, but larger-payroll clubs will undoubtedly inquire at the very least.
An underrated but nonetheless enviable aspect of the Rays is the team’s bench mix. Tampa Bay’s reserves figure to include a blend of versatile defenders (Walls, Brujan, Josh Lowe) and switch-hitters (Walls, Brujan, backup catcher Francisco Mejia) who currently or very recently ranked among the game’s top 100 prospects. There’s room for third baseman Yandy Diaz and/or first baseman Ji-Man Choi to be pushed into a part-time role if either Brujan or Walls forces the team to adjust. And, with Franco able to handle third base, Brujan able to handle three infield spots, Brandon Lowe capable of playing second, first or in the outfield, Diaz capable of playing both corners — there’s a virtually limitless number of lineup permutations that could emerge from this grouping.
Whenever play resumes, the Rays will find themselves in a strong position. They already have a deep and talented MLB roster that’ll be anchored by a premium defense and one of the game’s most exciting young talents, Franco. The rotation has its share of question marks, but that’s true on a semi-regular basis and was perhaps never more true than in 2021, when Tampa Bay still went on to win 100 games.
The Rays could take the current iteration of their roster, as-is, into the 2022 season and likely be competitive in the American League East. The front office, however, could also elect to explore trades from the considerable outfield and middle-infield depth, perhaps dropping payroll a bit and then using that combination of trades and increased resources to further supplement the pitching staff. The Rays always have a fairly broad outlook, and that won’t change after the lockout. Whichever path Neander, Bendix & Co. choose to walk, the result figures to be a roster that may lack in name value but will make up for it in talent. In other words: business as usual for the Rays.
I thought Kiermaier would be hard to move but with all the cf needy teams he could be moved without having to send cash or prospects with.
Kiermaier was a 3.5 bWAR player last yer (2.5 on fWAR). Even at $14m there is some surplus value there. He will most definitely produce a return.
Looks like Kimera Bartee died of a brain tumor but no update by MLBTR on that.
Why don’t you write an article and send it to Tim?
why would they?
I wouldn’t expect an update. This is a trade rumors site.
The Rays pretty much turned Kiermaier into a reduced-playing-time player in 2021, limiting his PAs to 390. He was a good match for the Rays system, as they had other players they could snap into CF, but with a potential $14.6M commitment in 2022, any acquiring team will want and expect him to fill a role he’s only once been able to fill: full-time CFer. Outside of 2015, KK has struggled to appear in even 100 games, playing in 591 games over six seasons for a 98-game average. Even removing the shortened 2020 season only nudges him to 108 games, and frankly, if he was forced into a 162-game season in 2020, injuries and reduced playing time were in the cards. I do expect interest in him as the CF position is weak and there are multiple teams with needs, but I don’t see much return with that $14.6M price. That’s a lot for a 100-game player. We are, however, talking about the Rays, so I won’t underestimate any low-A or A-level lottery ticket they may land. For the Rays, the return will be offloading the salary commitment, something they’ve been trying to do for years, but KK’s regression from his earlier peak prevented that. A team with even moderate resources would not be obsessed with moving KK, but this is the Rays.
An AA move might be to get Kiermaier and Glasnow for some combination of Wright/Muller/Webb/Strider and Contreras or other prospects.
Kevin Kiermaier to philly makes a lot of sense to me.
If the Rays had money they should sign a Clutch and consistent bat like Freeman or Castellanos, and then an ace of a Pitxher like Rodon or Kershaw. But then again Stu sucks so I say they should sign Greinke, Kikuchi, Kim, Boyd. And a bat like Cruz, Soler, maybe even Pederson. And then trade for SP’s like Grays, or someone from the A’s. And if life was perfect they would trade for either Chapman or Ramirez
None of those things are likely.
Stopped after “If the Rays had money.”
So if they had money they should make some really expensive moves, so instead, they should make a bunch of still quite expensive overall moves…. I’m not sure you understand the concept of ‘having vs. not having money’.
I don’t think he understands anything about how the Rays operate. I guarantee if that guy read the article he either disagreed with everything that was wrote or didn’t understand anything. The only thing that probably made sense was when kershaw was mentioned. “Yeah that’s exactly the type of guy the rays should go after” even though out of all the free agents left kershaw is exactly the last guy who would ever signed in Tampa bay.
The fact that he started his post with if the rays had money indicates he doesn’t have a clue what’s going on. If you aren’t suggesting moves that clear payroll and make them better at the same time don’t make yourself look ridiculous in trying then.
The jays could really use kiermaier as their 4th OF if the rays just want a straight salary dump.seems unlikely the rays would do that unless it’s mid season and they aren’t competitive which also seems unlikely
Don’t they get $100,000,000 or so in revenue sharing? Saying they need to drop salary to add is buying the owners bs. I’d trade Margot, maybe KK (not just a giveaway), one of their relievers (Anderson, if he regains some value) and Zunino. Zunino might seem like a stretch but selling at top value is what the Rays have to do. I don’t dislike Lowe but trading him for Chapman and Sean may be the best use of him with Franco, Walls, Brujan, and J Lowe ready they’ll need some ab’s even with a trade of an outfielder.
LOL
The Rays don’t get anywhere near that amount..
I wonder if the Marlins and Rays would do Elieser Hernandez/Monte Harrison swap for Kieramier, or something to that extent
If the Marlins are gonna pay someone new $14m next year, it’s not gonna be Kiermaier. But I can easily see a Marlins-Rays trade for Margot.
They were willing to give Starling Marte 15 million annually in addition to the Avi Garcia money. And kiermaier only has 1 year left so I think they’d be willing to take on his salary…
Starling Marte signed with the Mets.
@seamaholic 2, they signed him last winter then flipped him to Oakland midseason. This current version of the Marlins brass is willing to spend money to try and field a decent team thus far, so it’s possible they could be in on a trade to acquire Kiermaier.
Hernandez is too valuable to trade for a salery dump.
Thanks Steve for coming up with stuff to read in these slow times. It must not be easy.
Hopefully there will be more player chats (current or retired). But don’t stop there! Let’s go behind the scenes!
I would love to ask a current or former clubhouse attendant some questions (half of which he would wisely decline LOL).
But the behind the scenes list of a day at the ball park is endless.
Security guy, coaches (you think the bullpen catcher for the Diamondbacks is too busy fielding media requests to take your call? I thought so!). The guys who run the scoreboard, ushers, scouts, secretaries, traveling secretaries, the same people in spring training, list goes on and on. I’d love to ask questions of a foreign scout.
And don’t send some generic emails into the beta verse. Pick up the phone and honor people with a phone call. That retired scout or agent (retired agents—a gold mine!).
Want to add value for free to my subscription? Send me an email when a “special
someone” chat comes up that day please! Want to be lazy?
A special chat with one of your new employees! I’m sure there would be plenty of questions on breaking into the biz, background experience, heck, questions on how they conceive, plan and execute their projects and how they handle reporting on their idols. If any of these chats flop, then you learn and move on. You never succeed unless you try and you never learn unless you flop. How about the women entering the baseball background arena?
I’m paying good money for a subscription, I’d like to see more than the same old rehash of “what will the Cubs do?” or
“when will the Angels get more pitching/trade prospect whomever.” I don’t read the chats anymore because it’s always the same 78 questions.
In fact the guys running the chats joke about the repeat questions. That’s not funny, it’s sad…..(pauses to sigh).
This site is like my thing with my ex-wife once was. I still it but I don’t like it much anymore. MLB in their stubborn and wrong-headed way is not bringing you stuff anymore so go get it…..
These team articles are a nice Christmas present. I was expecting maybe a minor over seas signing or two on the holiday. Very nice to find articles worth commenting on in my stocking. Well Done, I say! Well Done!
Rays looking for RHB. Obvious trade partner in Detroit d/t complementary depth. Detroit has a surplus of corner RHB. Rays could try to get Isaac Paredes (contact hitter) on the cheap, Ryan Kreidler (slugged + contact in 2021) for a bit more, or Jeimer Candelario (last year of team control)? Detroit could use MIF depth and a CF. Rays have that, and BP depth.
@cold takes
Detroit has CF to spare! They have Riley Greene, their no. 1 prospect about to take the job. They have Hill, Cameron, and Reyes, all solid defensively, and could well be better than KK offensively. Baddoo is capable, but his arm is better suited to LF. You mention they could use MIF depth, and then list Paredes and Kreidler, as the players they should trade. Are you not aware they are the MIF depth? Plus they have 2 Castros, Harold and Ronnie, and did not have room to keep Goodrum on the 40, who two years ago was a finalist for the GG at SS? I will agree they could use more bullpen depth.
I’d love see a KK trade with the Tigers, but I doubt that will happen because of the money
and Avila’s incompetence.
Hill can’t seem to stay healthy, Cameron is a highly overrated fringe player who is a strikeout machine, Baddoo is talented with a weak arm, and Greene is a legit 5 tool prospect, but more suited to play right. I’d move Parades for KK in a heartbeat. As a Tiger fan I wish we could trade Al Avila for Erik Neander.
Well it looks like it will be Paredes & Comp B for Meadows. Buy low on both. Trade makes sense for both. Rays will move Yandy Diaz next (opening up a lane for Paredes and/or Bruján). The lineup keeps getting younger and cheaper as the Rays look to extend their window. I expect Paredes to get playing time in AAA at 1B as well as 2B/3B. Rays must feel comfortable having essentially 4 third round picks in 2022 given their recent drafting experience at the back of the rounds.
Another potential trade partner is the DBacks. They have lots of needs and I could see the Rays having interest in Ryan Ellis (RHB 3B) and Merrill Kelly (vet SP). DBacks are in a tough division so maybe they punt on 2022 and try to time their window around their high end farm in 2023.
No way they’re ready by 2023 after coming off a 52-110 record. 2022 will be about cashing in on the likes of Marte and Kelly on the trade market and building one of baseballs top farm systems while suffering another 100+ loss season. 2023 is too early. 2025 seems more ideal, maybe 2024 if they bank on the free agency and make that early spring towards contention.
Kelly came up with the Rays. Doubt TB will try to re-aquire him.
It doesn’t matter what they do. They’ll still finish with a better record than the Mets with 25 percent of their payroll.
Trading Kiermaier makes the most sense for the Rays. His contract is pricey, but not obnoxiously as such so a team can take on his salary and not have to give back too many pieces. Mariners aren’t necessarily hurting for OF depth since they have multiple top prospects/rookies they’re auditioning, plus Haniger, and possibly Lewis (assuming he’s healthy). However, if they’re truly going for it in 2022 they should kick the tires on Kiermaier since he will save a couple of wins a year on defense, and is just enough of a hitter that you can stick him in the #8-9 hole and not worry too much about it. Big bats are a main priority for them, but Kiermaier’s still an upgrade over much of the players Seattle has used in 2021.
I don’t think the Mariners want Kiermaier. He would be a two year rental. Kelenic was good enough defensively and should be better in his second year. His bat is going to be better, too. For a team that needs offense they cannot really afford another weak bat in the lineup. I think they bring in Seiya Suzuki who will give them more than Kiermaier for less money.
Ah, I mean, Dipoto already basically came out and said Kelenic is a left-fielder with ambitions when it comes to playing him in center, so I don’t think the M’s are exactly looking forward to running him out there in center again.
@galer1 I am sure they are not but he is better than the trade options available. KK is $12M.
In today’s game, that isn’t a horrible contract. Especially since he’s already a 2-3 WAR player just with his defense. Stars make 30M+/yr now.
A run saved is just as good as a run scored, and Kiermaier saves lots of runs. I’m not disagreeing that the Mariners need offense, but defense is just as important. However, they can get that great offense by going big on an infielder. Bryant, Freeman, Story, Correa in free agency. Matts Olson and Chapman from the A’s in a possible trade. Jeff McNeil is rumored to be on the trade block from the Mets apparently. While Seiya Suzuki could be an awesome signing, it’s not a guarantee that he’ll immediately succeed in MLB. At least as often as they do well, NPB players fall apart when they come over. For every Ichiro, Hideki, and Shohei winning awards and making all-star teams, there are Yuseis, Shogos, and Yoshiis getting passed around. Go with the sure thing, like a player with a solid track record in the MLB.
I like Brendon Davis for the Rays, he’s somewhat blocked at the 3B by Anthony Rendon, although Angels badly need a shortstop. May not be enough to make a trade there unless he is the PTBNL from previous Rays trades (ie Slegers, Strickland)
No vacancy at 3B for the Rays either. I anticipate Franco or Walls (hopefully Franco) to be the primary 3B with the other, Walls, at shortstop. You can sprinkle a little Yandy Diaz at third also.
where do they then put Brujan?
Super utility guy, infield and outfield.
I love KK, but I think it’s time to cash in now when there’s so many CF needy teams. Platinum glove, great leader, and has a high enough WAR to net us a good return. After years of sending my favorite players off (Price, Longo, Adames etc.) to other teams and always getting fairly decent returns, I am no longer emotionally attached to any player lol
I don’t think losing KK makes or break our season anyways with the surplus of outfield options we have, and as long as we pick up some good prospects (hopefully pitching prospects) I’d be happy.
We need to get more veteran starting pitching b/c Patino & Baz aren’t quite ready IMO. I say hit up the Phillies for some prospects & nab like a Danny Duffy/Smyly type of rental off of the Market and go win the EAST again!
I wouldn’t rule out the Rockies having interest in KK. Despite everyone else thinking the Rockies are garbage, the Rockies think they can be competitive so as long as the price isn’t huge they could certainly afford to take on his contract and if they’re out of it by July he’s shipped away. You need 3 CF in Colorado OF anyway.
they have 0 right now lol. Blackmon is only a RF for the arm. Tapia has speed but a noodle. And then Garret Hampson who is the best fielder of the three. But more likely a LF. KK would be a great move for COL, thus it will not get done.
You’re not getting any type of good return for kk! He’s a prime example why War is is an over rated stat
That makes so little sense that it’s actually hilarious. WAR isn’t perfect, but its a good way to try and capture how valuable a player is to his team over the course of a season. KK’s defense save his team 2-3 victories a year. Rays aren’t going to eat KK’s salary anyway so of course they won’t get anything shiny back in a trade. But that doesn’t matter to them. They draft and develop their own guys so well. Payroll and roster flexibility are the most important things to TB even when they’re winning.
Patiently waiting for the Red Sox off-season outlook, glad to see MLBTR cranking some of these out during these slow times.
I think they’ll definitely trade Kiermaier. Would not be surprised to see them even move Glasgow as they look for someone to plugin for this year.
I think the blue jays will overtake tampa bay this year. I dont know about the yankees they have done very little to improve a flawed team. Cashman continues to get a pass its unbelievable.
Your Blue Jays fan insecurity is showing.
A realistic look at the Jays reminds us that they had the AL Cy Young Award winner in 2021, had great performances from their young prospects, and had a 7.3 rWAR season from Marcus Semien, and still finished 1 game behind an underperforming Yankee team that was more focused on staying below the luxury tax threshold. That won’t be an issue in 2022.
The Jays have lost 14 WAR with the departure of Ray and Semien. Gausman in 2022 will not approach what Ray gave the Jays in 2021. He’s returning to the DH league and the AL East, where he’s had issues, and he also had a 4.50ish ERA the second half of 2021. There’s a better chance he’ll be closer to serviceable than great. As currently constructed, they are a mid-80s win team. They are not passing the Rays, Yankees or Red Sox unless they make improvements elsewhere.
As a rays fan I’d love to see them trade for Castillo but highly doubt that will happen even tho they have the prospects to do it. I feel like he’s very close to becoming an ace and the rays could turn him into one as they make pitchers better typically. But odds are they sign a couple guys like rich Hill lol
The one glaring difference between the postseason Rays in 2020 vs. 2021 was the absence of Charlie Morton and Blake Snell types to help. They were pretty much all rookies. That development may help them in future years, but not this past postseason. Corey Kluber could be that veteran guy for them in 2022 if they can manage his innings properly. He looked pretty close to vintage Kluber before he hit the IL again, which was not unexpected after missing close to two seasons. His 2021 return may have prepped him for a fuller workload in 2022.
As always thorough and informative, that’s why this place is the best. However, the undertone that the Rays are struggling and victims of a revenue crunch is a false illusion. The “Rays Way” is one of the primary issues being fought that led to the lockout. They’ve already had a grievance filed against them by the MLBPA. I don’t think this site should victimize them – the Rays are arguably the villian in this story, not the damsel in distress that can’t afford to pay an above average CFer a below market salary. They can afford it. They shouldn’t have a problem with it. They’re bad for baseball. Let’s stop giving them a pass and start treating them like any other organization that’s pocketing profits at the expense of harming their on field product.
@Dodgerbleu
The Rays and Marlins have the two worst local TV contracts in baseball. They receive only $20M (2019) from their local broadcaster leaving them $180M behind the Dodgers before tickets and concessions are sold. LAD makes $204M from their regional sports network deal. RSN fees and a few tickets are the many determinants between the rich and poor teams. Generally, it costs $150M per year to run a baseball team not counting the player payroll. Usually the front office has 200 non player employees that have to feed their kids. At 19% the Rays debt/value ration is among the 5 worst in baseball. The accumulated debt tells us they have been borrowing to stay alive. The Rays, Rangers and Marlins are buried in stadium debt. Try looking at something other than baseball statistics.
1. The Rays deal actually pays them 50M a year, per Sportrac and Maury Bron. And it escalated every year.
2. Revenue Sharing money, which the Rays accept in HUGE amounts. doesn’t come from a printing press in Rob Manfred’s basement. It comes (and is a SIGNIFICANT expense) from the Dodgers, Yanks, Red Sox, etc.
3. If their debt ratio is out of whack, tough cookies. Stuie knew what he was getting into, and he paid 1/3 of what John Henry paid for the Red Sox. So at minimum he’s entitled to 1/3 the profits. And if he didn’t realize that you could improve the revenue in Boston geometrically, while at best you could only do the same in Tampa arithmetically. that again is tough cookies.
The Rays have done an amazing job with what they have; no one doubts it. But they operate without any pressure at all and have basically obliterated the Tampa market.
The operation was a sucess, but the patient died.
Yankees should pounce as soon as the Rays put Franco up for sale. It’s a matter of time, obviously. KK is tough because of his injury history. Teams are getting a great glove that can’t hit or stay healthy, and in this epoch, money is everything. It may be tough to move him. Even the Yankees are counting pennies for crying out loud!
I could see him being moved but the Rays will have to incentivize the trade imo.
What number you want , Wander? #11 is available? See you in a few seasons.
What’s the over/under on Franco’s stay in Tampa?
If we are being honest barring a new stadium deal or some kind of massive tv contract I’ll say five years. After the 2026 season his salary jumps from $15 mil to $22 million and then $25 mil for the remaining five years of his deal.
Now whether or no he will be Yankee is another issue entirely…
That depends if they can get a new stadium deal or not. My friend has been to a few Rays games, traffic flow is the biggest reason fans don’t show up.
I’ve been to multiple Rays games and the traffic is not that bad at all compared to other MLB teams and stadium locations. It took about 30 minutes to get there from downtown Tampa. If you try to go to a Red Sox game and park anywhere close to the stadium, it will take you 30-45 minute to drive less than 5 miles in Boston traffic. Try getting to the new Atlanta stadium during a weeknight. The 5 lane highway leading to the stadium is a parking lot, but fans from all over Atlanta suck it up and make the hour+ commute to watch their team play. I keep hearing that the Rays have a ton of local fans but they don’t want to drive to the stadium; I have serious doubts about that. The issue seems to be that Tampa is just not a good baseball town. IMO, the owner should be looking to relocate the franchise to a city that can support them and will actually have fans show up to the games regardless of where the stadium is built or how long it takes to get there.
Agreed! The Rays should move across the bay to Tampa. That would put the team closer to the population center, and it would also allow less confusion for the many that don’t know the difference between St. Petersburg, Tampa, and Tampa Bay.
The issue seems to be that many don’t know much about the Tampa Bay metropolitan area. Going to a few games doesn’t make you an area expert.
Rays should try to get Kershaw on just a 1 year deal 2 years max….This would bridge the rotation until Glassnow is back from TJ surgery. The lack of a veteran presence and lack of a true ace is are the biggest reasons Boston beat them. You need that dude you hand the ball to and say the game is yours to win a world title most years. That should be the aspirations of this team, win and the finances do take care of themselves.
I have to believe if Kershaw were to leave LA it would only be for a chance to play at home in Texas. Plus the Rays are not likely to give Kershaw the bare minimum $15-20 mil per to sign him
On a 1 or 2 year deal with how talented this squad is their World Series window is now. They can always have a fire sale like Miami has done in the past after they win it all…..Right now though ya gotta be all-in if you are serious about winning
I’m not a Rays fan, but I’m a fan of the way they operate. It’s very interesting to see how they stay competitive.
I could see the next target for the Rays being Kwang-Hyun Kim. He’s had back to back great results with the St. Louis Cardinals. His biggest drawback is that he is not a strikeout pitcher and relies heavily on excellent infield defense to be successful. This will keep his asking price low so it should not be an issue for the Rays to meet it. The Cardinals had the best DEF in the NL last year, and Tampa had to be at least Top 5 in the AL, if not Top 3. He’d plug right into Tampa’s rotation and would really benefit from Tampa’s philosophy of only needing 5 innings out their starters. Once again, Tampa is putting together a rotation in 2022 that doesn’t scare many on paper, but they usually end up proving the writers and fans wrong with excellent results. Kim would fit right in seamlessly. Tampa should also be getting Jalen Beeks back this season too, so a couple more shrewd additions via trade or free agency and Tampa should be favorites to take home the AL East title once again.
Note: I hope Tampa considers making trades within the division. Tyler Glasnow to the Red Sox for a couple of Kutter Crawford type prospects would be a dream for Boston and would really help Tampa too because they would be pre-Arb players who could contribute at the major league level this season. Tampa wants no part of paying Glasnow a total of $13M-$14M over the 2022 & 2023 seasons when he will be forced to sit out 2022 to recover from surgery. They also can’t expect to get a top end prospect for him either due to his medical status and uncertainty about his recovery for 2023. Hopefully Chaim still has friends in the Tampa organization and can put together a deal for Glasnow. Boston will have a ton of payroll flexibility in 2023 and Glasnow would be a huge addition to that team!
Take 2 on Glasnow – The one position the Rays could use an upgrade at is first base. Choi & co. have done a decent job over there but they lack the offensive firepower out of that position. While it would weaken the Red Sox for 2022 (until Tristan Casas is ready), a package of Bobby Dalbec & Kutter Crawford (two pre-Arb players with MLB experience) should be attractive to Tampa for Glasnow. While Glasnow is out for the 2022 season, he is a potential ace but he also becomes a free agent after the 2023 season. I don’t see Tampa holding on to him for basically one season, as it’s highly unlikely they would or could sign him to a free agent deal after 2023. Dalbec is a potential 40 HR guy if he can stay consistent for an entire season and Crawford has enough quality pitches to be part of a starting rotation (or a multi-inning bullpen weapon which Tampa covets). Boston can play the waiting game on Glasnow and will have plenty of payroll space after 2023 to lock him up if he performs well. I’m sure a lot of teams will be after Glasnow this offseason, but Boston has the pieces to make it happen.
It seems like the Rays can’t keep being competitive with that payroll against the Red Sox and Yankees, but somehow they keep figuring it out. Very impressive. I hope they win a title soon!