Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander recently held his end of season press conference, where he indicated that the club figures to prioritize improving behind the plate after an 80-82 season that saw them stave off elimination from postseason contention until the final week of September despite engaging in a major sell-off prior to the trade deadline. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times relayed some of Neander’s comments from the end of season presser, where he discusses the decision to sell over the summer and the club’s future headed into 2025.
When discussing his decision to sell off key, controllable pieces like outfielder Randy Arozarena and third baseman Isaac Paredes at this summer’s trade deadline, Neander readily acknowledge the possibility that the club may have been able to cobble together enough extra wins to sneak into the postseason had they decided against selling. With that being said, Neander offered a major sign for optimism headed into the coming winter: After cutting more than a third of the club’s expected payroll commitments for 2025 off the books over the summer (with Topkin suggesting that $45MM in 2025 dollars came off the books prior to the deadline), the Rays now have a healthy amount of financial flexibility with which to operate this winter.
It’s a major change from just last offseason, when the club had to part ways with expensive veterans Tyler Glasnow and Manuel Margot in order to get payroll within the club’s small market budget. This winter, not only is a similar cost-cutting sell off not necessary, but Topkin suggests the club will have some room to make additions this winter. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects Tampa’s 12-man arbitration class to make a combined $25.6MM in 2025. Even if Tampa retains each of those players and exercises Brandon Lowe’s $10.5MM club option for next year, RosterResource suggests that would leave them with just under $75MM on the books for next year. That’s $14MM below the club’s 2024 mark, $4MM below where the club ended up in 2023, and $11MM below their 2022 figure.
That should be more than enough payroll flexibility for the Rays to address their stated priority this winter of improving behind the plate. Ben Rortvedt figures to remain in place as a member of the catching tandem after a decent season where he posted a wRC+ of 87 while playing solid but unspectacular defense behind the plate. Finding a right-handed catcher to complement the lefty swinging Rortvedt, though Topkin cautions that the club is likely to focus on short-term solutions behind the plate given their belief in youngster Dom Keegan. The 24-year-old was selected by the Rays in the fourth round of the 2022 draft and since then has made it to Double-A, here he hit an impressive .285/.371/.435 in 104 games this year.
Topkin notes that with Keegan set to begin the 2025 campaign in Triple-A and the possibility of him emerging as an option behind the plate as soon as this season, Neander and his front office seemingly view Keegan as a potential long-term answer behind the plate. A good middle ground for the club could be pursuing an older catcher who might be more open to a one-year deal such as Elias Diaz or Kyle Higashioka. The addition of either player would provide the club with a solid platoon partner for Rortvedt while not blocking Keegan in the longer term.
Aside from upgrading behind the plate, Topkin adds that Neander plans to look for ways to address the club’s lackluster offense. The club’s 95 wRC+ was good for just 23rd in the majors this year, and their offensive flaws were further exposed by the fact that the team scored just 604 runs this year, less than any club except the historically bad White Sox. While that dearth of runs seems to suggest that the club ought to look to make significant changes to the offense, Neander actually suggested that he hopes the club can improve its offense internally.
There’s some logic to that, as offensive stalwart Yandy Diaz got off to a cold start in 2024 before heating up and rebounding with a strong second half, while Christopher Morel struggled badly in his first half-season of work away from Chicago after being dealt by the Cubs in the Paredes trade. More typical seasons from Diaz and Morel, as well as a strong first 162-game campaign from exciting youngster Junior Caminero, could boost the club’s offense in a hurry. Even so, however, it’s easy to imagine the club benefit a great deal from an external upgrade to the lineup at a position such as shortstop, where both Jose Caballero and Taylor Walls clocked in well below league average this year.
FarmBird
Stay Classy TB
YaGottaBelieveAgain
Even with the draconian team salary limits I would REALLY have tried harder to keep Arozarena and Paredes but that ship has sailed.
I realize AL East might be the most competitive division top to bottom. TOR, BOS should be better next year. with BAL and NYY battling for the top.
UncleJesse
To be honest it’s sad that a once proud franchise like the A’s are relocating when it should be that poverty Rays franchise that plays in a dump in front of 8k fans a game and the front office always ships off their best players to horde draft picks/prospects. Not very exciting.
UncleJesse
*HOARD
Sorry for the spelling mistake I was busy rehearsing with my band The Rippers.
Samuel
UncleJesse;
Do you know that they’re building a new state-of-the-art park?
Rsox
Headline: Erik Neander discusses offseason plan, Rays Payroll
Eric Neander on Rays payroll: “we are currently looking through all couch and seating in both clubhouses, luxury boxes and Stu’s office scrounging for loose change”…
DonOsbourne
Like I said yesterday, if they trade Lowe, Contreras would be a fit. It’s a short term term commitment at a position where offense is hard to come by. It’s a bigger salary commitment than they usually make, but they have the financial flexibility to make it work over the next three seasons. They should get some clarification on Wander Franco’s situation in the next 6-8 months as well.
Rays in the Bay
As far as I know the Wander situation is already clear. The Rays don’t have to pay his salary anymore. Whatever happens with that should not affect the Rays cheap pockets … But they might want to trick fans into believing they are still on the hook and that’s why they won’t spend anymore.
DonOsbourne
You probably know better than me. I don’t remember hearing anything official on the subject, but I don’t follow the Rays on a daily basis.
Samuel
The Rays record is acquire veteran catchers that are poor behind the plate and in a rut. They tend to bring them up to speed on handling pitchers, calling a game, and playing decent defense.
The thing is this, Don: If you look at the catchers they’ve brought in the past 5-7 years, they’ve all either had reasonable salaries or weren’t looking for a lot as a free agent.
The Rays are not “cheap”. That’s for baseball morons. Their owner made a fortune on Wall Street. He set up the organization to do the same thing: Seek undervalued commodities that are mismanaged (in this case, ballplayers). They buy low and bring them up to speed with their coaching staff. Use them for a period of time. When the players are pretty much fully valued and can command large salaries, they sell them high and get multiple undervalued young players they can work with.
Unless the Cardinals paid something like 75% of Contreras’ salary I doubt they’d bring him on….and his track record in working with coaches is pretty awful.
DonOsbourne
I 100 percent agree. But I actually think there’s some surplus value that could be unlocked in Contreras. I think the Rays could get their money’s worth and maybe more.
I know it doesn’t fit what they normally do, but they do occasionally make a surprise move.
It’s just an idea. I don’t actually expect them to do it.
westcasey
they should get new owner and move to Nashville. They want to build another stadium on the same site. waste of money.
alwaysgo4two
“Get a new owner”…..just how is that done? Owners aren’t like players. They’re not a commodity. Can’t fire, trade, DFA.
Rays in the Bay
Erik and Stu do what they do best, just talk talk talk. And at the end of the day, they just hope for ‘rebound years’ from half the guys that shouldn’t be on a ML roster. They’ve been playing that tune the last few years and that got then nowhere except two embarrassing WC performances and a historically bad offense. Boy I hope Taylor Walls can reach . 220 this year! I hope Morel can play decent defense enough to use him every night. Time for Dylan Carson and Caballero to hit at least .250! Maybe Siri can also crack .245 this year.
It’s gonna be awful watching them next year if no new moves are made or additions added. I’m joking but the above numbers would actually be rebound years like Erik said.
Karensjer
Hit the nail on the head. $tu is a cheap SOB and doesn’t deserve to own a club. This team could’ve had at least 1 title if he would spend money to help the club and to retain players.
DonOsbourne
I guess the grass is always greener. I would be happy to watch the Cardinals roll out 80 million dollar payrolls if the roster was packed with young, versatile, athletes and high upside arms. I could deal with minimal offense in exchange for exciting defense, great base running, and lights out pitching. The front office has a plan that provides for consistently competitive teams. I’d take that all day over bad management, bloated payrolls, and mediocre results.
SweetBabyRayKingsThickThighs
They’ll dump Siri on some poorly ran team thinking they’ll unlock him only for him to continue to be bootyjuice, while shipping off a controllable reliver who’ll finish with a 33% strikeout rate.
sad tormented neglected mariners fan
Why not let caminero play at SS? He isn’t even that big compared to Gunnar or Elly
Morel at 3rd, caminero at short, Lowe at 2nd, and yandy at 1st would be really good unless I don’t know something regarding juniors defense