Rays shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria has won his arbitration case against his club, Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports tweets. He’ll earn a $5.9MM salary for the 2018 campaign, which is considerably more than both the $5.35MM that Tampa Bay had filed for and the $5.0MM figure that MLBTR’s Matt Swartz had projected. His arbitration salary comes as a $1.55MM raise in his third trip through the process.
Hechavarria’s raise comes on the heels of a 2017 campaign in which he hit .261/.289/.406 with eight homers and 30 RBI across 348 plate appearances for the Marlins and Rays. Following a month-long stint on the DL due to an oblique strain, the Rays acquired Hechavarria for a pair of minor-leaguers.
The 29-year-old Cuban native is known far more for his glove than he is for his bat. He owns a career wRC+ of just 72, and has gotten on base at just a .291 clip across six major-league seasons. He’s currently seated atop the team’s depth chart at shortstop, though the club will likely give the newly-acquired Christian Arroyo a fair chance to compete for the starting job this spring.
Pay the man!
With an avg stick but a top 3 glove at premium defensive position Adeiny will have a contract in mlb for years to come. Who knows with time he even improve his power numbers a bit but really it’s all about that glove, range and rocket arm!
His bat is well below average. If it was average, he’d be very valuable. But a .290 on base is barely worth carrying his glove imo
you must not have ever seen him play d…not to mention when he got consistent playing time with tb he hit better…the last month he hit .298/.348/.512…or something very close to that – I’m too lazy to look. he is well worth the 5.9 mil he’s earning. he could strike out every time and managers would march him out there…keeping runs off the board is just the same as getting them.
With Chavarría and kiermier up the middle, i really enjoy the Rays games. Maybe other fans rather watch home runs but the best game is a pitchers duel with sick defense behind them. A nail bitter!!!
You are still living in the 1960s ,wake up the new fan wants to see offensive games not 1-0,2-1 games,only in the playoffs
Just watch someone like Kluber pitch. His games often become masterpieces.
Not everyone wants HRs with lots of strikeouts.
speak for yourself…I think the thinking / discerning fan appreciates the 1-0 cg so with 2 – 5 amazing catches by the outlaw
Pitchers duels all the way for me. Love a pitcher who can strike out 10 a game. Which sucks as a blue jays fan because we are only ever on the other end of the equation!!
Beast at SS.
He deserves it but too much for cheap ass Rays
My god!!! The Rays will not be giving Arroyo a chance at SS out of ST. The Rays are calling up Adames this year – you know, their #1 or #2 prospect each of the past three years. And for Super Two concerns, not even Adames will “challenge” Hech out of ST.
I think either Christian arroyo or brad Miller will be playing 3rd.
Brad Miller can’t field. No idea why they tendered him.
Miller can’t throw from 2b to 1b
Now way he can make throws across the diamond even if the ball makes into his glove and that not guaranteed
Arbitrators obviously looking at defensive stats now
This panel doesn’t understand that defense is only 1/2 of the equation. Offensively, a .289 OBP is basically unplayable. And his defense isn’t THAT great to overcome such a horrid inability to get on base. I mean, Andrelton Simmons with a similar slash line MIGHT be worth it. Might. But he ain’t Simmons.
ugh…read more about the whole game…lots of great books out there
Heck of a last name