While their offer wasn’t enough to get a deal done, the Rays evidently made a real effort to secure the services of veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel. Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the typically tight-fisted Tampa Bay organization was the runner-up in the bidding. (Subscription link.)
Kimbrel’s deal with the Cubs, which still isn’t official, goes for a reported three years and $43MM. He could instead have taken down $39MM from the Rays on a similar structure or instead gone for a two-year, $31MM offer from the Tampa Bay outfit.
Even though the ship has sailed on Kimbrel, this is certainly an interesting bit of information. The Rays obviously feel they can take on a rather significant additional salary this year and in the near future. Perhaps the star closer was something of a unique case, but it stands to reason that the club will also consider other opportunities at or approaching this price point.
Whether or not it takes money to make a move, it also seems the Rays can be counted on as a buyer of relief pitching at the deadline. That’s hardly a surprise, generally; the Rays are right in the thick of things in the AL East. Their relief unit has been good but could certainly stand to be improved. Plus, only one member of the current staff has more than three years of MLB service. In light of the aggressive stance on Kimbrel, the Rays now seem a favorite to put their well-stocked farm system to use in trade talks this summer.
nice to see a “small market” team realize for once that no matter their market size, they still have money to spend.
Just goes to show how much of a bargain Kimbrel was. The Rays likely would have signed and traded him if he performed well and were comfortable enough with what little risk they saw .
There is ZERO chance that would have happened. Kimbrel would have been a Ray for this season at the bare MINIMUM. The ONLY way he would have been traded, would have been NEXT year if the team was under-performing.
In reality, their offer likely only upped what the Cubs are paying.
How much does a team like the Rays net at the end of a fiscal year? I can’t imagine, with their attendance, 15+ mil a year for multiple players is very inviting.
A lot after revenue sharing
If the Marlins are worth a billion bucks, how much are the Rays worth in the open market? To assess the value of a team based on annual revenues is silly
Rays recently got a new contract from fox sports south. TV contracts are the real money makers and rays have from Orlando to Naples a top 20 tv market and growing.
Winning can only help them try and rape the city of Hillsboro county on a new stadium deal. They laughed at 60/40 where city was responsible for bigger share.
Twins probably offered 1 year at league minimum. That’s how you make a potential future HoF’er a “priority” LOL
And they have the richest ownership in baseball!
…….and that’s how they stay rich. They us the poor attendance as their excuse….and I’ve been a fan since the beginning.
What’s your source for that? Seems the Giants and Nationals have the richest owners excluding the Blue Jays.
Rays owners are richest! They own the collective baseball hearts of all south west Florida. Current market value of 3.7 billion dollars!
..Where in the hell did you come up with that nonsense..?? Rays can’t draw 10,000 to a game ..!! There are no ownerS..just Sternberg..!!Your tin foil hat is on toooo tight.!!!
link to moneyinc.com
You were way off.
Will add that the new tv contract really helps. Went from 30 million to 87 million. So the Rays do have some extra money to spend.
..That TV contract was dead in the water months ago..!!! There is new one but the government has to OK it and is not worth any where near that amount..Look up Sinclair Broadcasting and get up to date instead of things that are months old.!!!
So the Rays can afford to make a real run at Kimbrel but he was too expensive for the Braves. Good to know
This just shows we can all finally realize that the Braves are not and will not be aggressive with any “Financial Flexibility” they claim to have until new ownership truly happens. AA has just signed up to be the stooge to deal with the public side blowing smoke for years to come
AA isn’t innocent in this either. The money he did have he gave to his best friend Josh instead of fixing an obviously broken bullpen.
Cheap ownership + incompetent GM = Major holes on Braves
AA isn’t incompetent. But I’m miffed too by this… three years $43 mill wasn’t in the budget for a closer??? I’m guessing other concerns are at play here.
How is he an incompetent GM? They need starters, if they sign Keuchel you’ll know why they weren’t in on Kimbrel.
However yes, AA is use to corporate ownership’s cheapness as he was the GM of the Jays in Toronto under Rogers. Basically how corporate ownerships work is they have a set budget for the year and there’s little to no wiggle room unlike under a singular owner who can adjust payroll restrictions on the fly.
Josh Donaldson is good, he’s got a .815OPS with 1.6bWAR. He’s on pace for a 3-4 win season. He could always get hot too, his hot streaks are him destroying the ball for 2-3 weeks. He’s a good signing even if the Braves overpaid for a single season of him.
The Braves don’t need to add that type of salary for a relief pitcher. Idk why were supposedly the front runner for Kuechel now but I’m hoping he goes elsewhere. Mad Bum has already acknowledged that he wants to be a Brave either this year via trade or next year thru free agency. I say we wait until next year so we don’t lose prospects. I’m all in on Mad Bum
Having a lock-down closer would represent a definite improvement of their once- or twice-a-week opener strategy.
Do you realize that they have above a .600 record when deploying this strategy? Or is it just that you don’t like it?
It’s a regular season maneuver and the staff will be worn out by October when they will have to win multiple series against the best MLB has to offer.
My comment above depends on health. Snell, Glasgow if he comes back and Morton are a solid big three. I just worry that come October, none of them will be pitching at their top form.
I’m sure CK would have included some offset language in any potential deal with the Rays that would have excluded using him in any type of “opener” strategy. The guy wants HOF, and he ain’t gettin’ there as anything but a closer.
But ya, that would have put them into a bit more serious consideration for a playoff spot. Since they so much payroll room this year, it would have been smart to front load the deal as much as palatable for Kimbrell, which would also make his trading value increase next year, if things so warrant.
I wonder if the Rays will look to Ken Giles next. An intra-division trade might cost a little more.
My thought too. Tampa has some prospects that fit the Jays needs (SP, OF, SS).
Also wondering about Shane Greene? From Florida…and on a 1 year contract with the Tigers.
Shane Greene is under contract through 2020.
1 year contract…Arb 3 next season.
Also, any of you rays fans remember the horrible contract of Troy Percival?
Rays got guys at Bowling Green that can flat out rake…they on the all-star team in low A.
Franco (the wunderkid), Brujan, Hernandez, Gomez, Libertore, Baz…they really ARE stacked down there…..and they had a pretty good draft.
In 2021, the Montreal Creppe-Suzetts are going to be a heck of a team…..
That team wouldn’t finish last in at least three divisions…
Franco is 100% untouchable
More than 100% if that’s possible
I’m don’t believe you the Rays were runner up. Where did you get that from? Is this Rays hype for a hopeful Rays fan to really try to win it this year. This offer is not the FO Rays way. Rays management has been excellent at acquiring talent at the minimum,, Kimbrel is not a guarantee to be lights out anymore, 3 year terms are a long time for RP when the Rays have very good Young RP that are learning the ropes and more coming up. 43 mill is a lot for the Rays when they can trade talent for better,cheaper and younger relief than Kimbrel. Why are they not trading redundant talent for Relief?
Ken Rosenthal doesn’t typically write full stories about something that’s not true
Although Rosenthal is usually reliable, I believe the Rays F/O want publicity whenever they can get it. and for free! Coming in 2nd on offers cost your team nothing with headlines the next day.
Who says the Rays FO released it?
After the income taxes (5% in Chicago, 0% in Tampa) the take home income is really about $1 million apart.
The endorsement opportunities are much greater with the Cubs, and they are the big dog in the division, though.
As the saying goes, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
I didn’t know this, but that quote is attributed to HOFer Frank Robinson! “Close don’t count in baseball. Close only counts in horseshoes and grenades.”
Funny thing is after taxes in Illinois vs Florida he comes out ahead in Tampa so it wasn’t about the money. He chose Chicago
Don’t say runners up, that’s mean. They were the second winners.
He didn’t want to play in a crap venue in the AAAA Florida league.
One team (Tampa) isn’t “AAAA”, venue tho, yes.
Really? Dead last in salary and almost $20mil behind the true AAAA organization in Little Havana. Going into a season praying for 3rd in the division and thanking the gods for Toronto and Baltimore being horrible is not the mark of a major league franchise.
What? “Going into the season playing for 3rd”–why would they be playing for 3rd? Idiotic comment. They won 90 games last season and are a better team this year.
Wow, with the difference between Florida and Illinois/Chicago taxes, I’d have taken the 2-year deal from the Rays easily. Also gets you back to FA quicker.
He’s older and family considerations probably played a role. Wonder if his daughter’s health also played a role. Good doctors everywhere but usually best in big markets. If the Rays offered a bit more, I think it would have been used to get extra from the Cubs. Once it came down to those two teams, no way I see the Rays getting him. They were simply used as negotiation leverage.
Really wouldn’t doubt if the Rays are turning up offers for Dallas now. With Glasnow on the IL it gives them an additional arm…and once Glas is back they could move Stanek to closer. Not a bad rotation…Snell, Morton, Glas, Dallas and Yarbrough. And then maybe pick up a veteran hitter like Encarnacion for the summer run.
Meh. We’ll get along fine without him.
Hey wait. Didn’t I hear that the Mets were talking to Kimbrell? Oh ok they were asking him if he knew of any minor leaguers that they could sign that they could “trust the process” with.
What happened Jeff? Did you forget about the chat today?
What’s their payroll this year?
$17? Time for the Wall Street tight butts to put up or go home!