Headlines

  • Giants Exercise 2026 Option On Manager Bob Melvin
  • Yordan Alvarez Shut Down Due To Setback With Hand Injury
  • Astros Place Jeremy Peña On Injured List With Fractured Rib
  • Tucker Barnhart To Retire
  • Tyler Mahle To Be Sidelined Beyond Trade Deadline
  • Reds Release Jeimer Candelario
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025 Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

2012 Contract Issues: Tampa Bay Rays

By Tim Dierkes | April 25, 2011 at 12:44pm CDT

The Rays are next in our 2012 Contract Issues series.  Here's what the team faces after the 2011 season:

Eligible For Free Agency (4)

  • The Rays might be able to extract a draft pick for Johnny Damon, if he's a Type B and he agrees to decline an arbitration offer.
  • Felipe Lopez, Juan Cruz, and Casey Kotchman are also eligible for free agency.

Contract Options (3)

  • James Shields: $7MM club option with a $2MM buyout.  Otherwise arbitration eligible.  This seems like it will be an easy choice to exercise.  Shields is under control through 2014, and if he becomes available this summer or winter the Rays could get a nice bounty.  We're getting ahead of ourselves, though – the team is only three games back in the AL East.
  • Kelly Shoppach: $3.2MM club option with a $300K buyout.  Shoppach hasn't done much hitting in his Rays career, so this is a tough call.  One factor to consider is the progress of catching prospect Robinson Chirinos.
  • Kyle Farnsworth: $3.3MM club option with a $650K buyout.  He's gotten the job done so far, and this option will merit consideration.

Arbitration Eligible (7)

  • First time: David Price, Jeff Niemann
  • Second time: Dan Johnson, Andy Sonnanstine
  • Third time: B.J. Upton, J.P. Howell, Joel Peralta

Price is primed for a record-setting salary for a first-time arbitration eligible starting pitcher, say around $5.5MM.  Niemann could get $3MM, though the Rays could trade him as early as this summer even if they are contending.  Upton's price will be held down by his unspectacular offense, but he could get $7MM or more and is also a trade candidate.  There is some uncertainty with the other pitchers but for the sake of argument if everyone besides Johnson is retained the total bill could be around $21MM.

2012 Payroll Obligation

The Rays' 2012 payroll obligation, according to Cot's, is $13MM excluding buyouts.  However we could tack on as much as $35MM if the three options are exercised and the arbitration eligibles are retained.  That'd have the club $6MM over this year's payroll, which was reduced drastically from years prior.  There are many moving parts here, and given their current big league talent and highly-regarded farm system, the Rays should find a way to compete next year even if payroll stays under $50MM.  That is no small feat.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

2012 Contract Issues Tampa Bay Rays

Center Field Options For The Nationals
Main
Rosenthal On Fielder, Putz, Reyes
View Comments (12)
Post a Comment

12 Comments

  1. Kyle Buttermore

    14 years ago

    This is how an organization should be run.

    Reply
    • Robert A

      14 years ago

      I think they do a great job, but you have to wonder how long they can sustain this success picking higher up in the draft the last few seasons.

      Reply
      • Lunchbox45

        14 years ago

        Thats true I mean they only have like 10 of the first 70 picks

        probably arent going to get anything good

        Reply
        • Robert A

          14 years ago

          Yeah this year they have a good number of them, but they aren’t going to have a mass exodus of Type A’s every season like they did this past off season. Considering what they have for free agents at the end of this season, they will be lucky to get one additional pick out of departing players. And then if they play to their potential this season they’ll be picking high once again.

          Reply
          • Lunchbox45

            14 years ago

            Doesn’t have to be every year.. They already have a top 2 farm system.. After this draft, barring any big depletions, they will have a top 5 farm for atleast a few more years.

            Reply
            • rzepczynski

              14 years ago

              exactly, plus then they trade shields and get prospect package, and upton, its a continuous cycle because they can develop talent

              Reply
  2. Robert A

    14 years ago

    They have a top 2 farm system right now, yes. But if their financial resources remain what it is and they continue to have success you are going to see some regression because they aren’t going to keep all of that talent locked up with Longoria-esque extensions. They’ll need to pick more talent, which comes with some uncertainty. Things aren’t going to line up for them perfectly every 3-4 years for their roster to turn over efficiently every time. I think they are looking very strong for the next few seasons. I just wonder how long that can be sustained with such limited financial resources, as I questioned in my original post. Didn’t say they won’t be successful.

    Reply
    • FrankTheFunkasaurusRex

      14 years ago

      It seems you have not yet seen the Tree That Keeps On Giving aka Delmon Young

      Reply
      • Robert

        14 years ago

        it’s a bountiful tree.

        Reply
    • Robert

      14 years ago

      Factoring in injuries and attrition, the Rays still have so much quality pitching in the pipeline they can basically trade a quality starting pitcher every season to keep adding to their system. I’m optimistic because this franchise handles it’s pitchers so well. They come to the majors ready to pitch and healthy. Kazmir was overworked before the new GM came on board, so he doesn’t count, but otherwise Tampa starters are able to avoid l/t injuries. That includes the minors were they have had very few injuries it seems – McGee?

      Torres and Cobb could easily replace Niemann this offseason. Then the next year, Moore and Archer will compete for Shields or Davis or Torres/Cobb spot. Thompson and Colome the year after that could push someone else out. When you can trade assets like that for the best package available, year after year, combined with decent drafting and improving international scouting makes Top 10 picks much less important.

      And draft picks might become tradable in the future.

      Reply
  3. Robert A

    14 years ago

    lol The Giving Tree? I love that book.

    Reply
  4. Richard Janvrin

    14 years ago

    I love my Rays. I say we trade Shoppach, Johnson, Upton, Niemann, Lopez and Sonnanstine even if we are competing. I like Shields, he’s an innings eater. Hopefully he can sustain and ERA in the 4’s or high 3’s. Lock Price and Longo up. Price – $5.5MM-$6MM a year and Longo up to $9MM a year.

    We should be competing but I wouldn’t mind see the above posted gone at the deadline.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Giants Exercise 2026 Option On Manager Bob Melvin

    Yordan Alvarez Shut Down Due To Setback With Hand Injury

    Astros Place Jeremy Peña On Injured List With Fractured Rib

    Tucker Barnhart To Retire

    Tyler Mahle To Be Sidelined Beyond Trade Deadline

    Reds Release Jeimer Candelario

    Dave Parker Passes Away

    Griffin Canning Diagnosed With Ruptured Achilles

    Pirates Reportedly Have Very Few Untouchable Players At Trade Deadline

    Griffin Canning Believed To Have Suffered Achilles Injury

    Mariners Looking For Corner Infield Bats; Ownership Willing To Bump Payroll

    Wander Franco Found Guilty Of Sexual Abuse

    Mariners Place Rowdy Tellez On Release Waivers

    Max Meyer To Undergo Season-Ending Hip Surgery

    Whit Merrifield Announces Retirement

    White Sox Sign Noah Syndergaard To Minor League Deal

    Corbin Carroll Placed On IL With Wrist Fracture

    Hoops Rumors Has The Latest On NBA Draft, Free Agency

    Mets Option Francisco Alvarez

    Reds To Promote Chase Burns For MLB Debut

    Recent

    Giants Exercise 2026 Option On Manager Bob Melvin

    Mets Trade Donovan Walton To Phillies

    Colin Poche Elects Free Agency

    Trey Mancini Opts Out Of D-Backs Deal

    Padres To Select Eduarniel Nunez

    Brewers’ Connor Thomas To Undergo Elbow Surgery

    Yordan Alvarez Shut Down Due To Setback With Hand Injury

    Jorge Mateo To Miss 8 To 12 Weeks With Hamstring Strain

    Reds To Sign Buck Farmer To Minor League Deal

    Pirates Trade Hunter Stratton To Braves

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Sandy Alcantara Rumors
    • Luis Robert Rumors
    • Alex Bregman Rumors

     

    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version