Rays boss says team has ‘ability’ to increase payroll, even as Tyler Glasnow trade rumors swirl

The Tampa Bay Rays had been eradicated from the playoffs final week, falling in a two-game sweep within the American League Wild Card Series in opposition to the Texas Rangers. The Rays, winners of 99 regular-season contests, will now start formulating their offseason plans. Oftentimes in St. Petersburg, that suggests figuring out which veterans will probably be heading out the door, both thru trade or unfastened company, as a result of possession’s strict self-imposed monetary restraints. 

The Rays’ most blatant applicants to exchange groups this wintry weather come with righty ace Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot. Glasnow is scheduled to make a franchise-record $25 million subsequent season, whilst Margot is at the books for $10 million — a heftier quantity than the Rays would probably like to dish out given his efficiency lately. If you had been a team having a look to upload a starter or an outfielder this wintry weather, then you could almost certainly really feel lovely excellent about your possibilities of the ones two being made to be had. 

Nevertheless, Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander stressed out all the way through the team’s wrap-up press convention on Monday that Tampa Bay has the monetary flexibility to keep the route in the event that they so want.

“If we think that’s what’s best, not just for next year, but the years ahead, to figure out a way to not be up here [on the podium doing a season postmortem] after two postseason games, I think the option will be on the table to run that back,” Neander told reporters, including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Running it again would contain an important payroll bump thru arbitration raises and different contracts, like Glasnow and Margot discussed above.

“We have the ability to do that,” Neander stated. “And that’s a nice starting point to have — 99 wins with contributions from as many players as we did this year, players that established themselves, young players getting their first opportunities. It puts us at a really strong position.”

Not that executives’ press convention solutions are legally binding or anything else, however you’ve gotten to tip your cap right here: that is a well-designed resolution by means of Neander. He says the Rays can stay the crowd in combination, however he lets in for the chance that they are going to resolve any other plan of action is highest for his or her probabilities. He leaves the door ajar for a imaginable Glasnow (or whomever) trade with out making it so evident that the Rays cede leverage in trade talks.

That final section is essential. Neander’s craftsmanship does no longer ensure different groups will purchase that retaining Glasnow is a practical choice for the Rays, thereby gaining Tampa Bay a bonus in negotiations, but it surely beats the opposite. Will it if truth be told paintings? That’s tricky to say. It’s onerous to envision the Rays willingly paying any unmarried participant $25 million — no longer when their Opening Day payroll this 12 months was once $73 million, or $1 million greater than what they trotted out in 2010. (The franchise-high in payroll is $83 million.) Would the Rays in point of fact commit round a 3rd in their to be had bucks to anybody participant, let on my own a tumbler who has skilled his percentage of harm woes lately? 

Again, we are skeptical. But, even if the Rays are set on buying and selling Glasnow this offseason, planting a seed of doubt in others’ minds can best end up to be recommended when it comes time to communicate turkey.