The Rays’ primary focus early in the virtual Winter Meetings is to upgrade their catching corps, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The team has only one catcher on its 40-man roster at the moment — prospect Ronaldo Hernandez, who is not yet MLB-ready — and will need to add multiple options, be it via free agency or trade.
Since the season ended, the Rays have lost three catchers from their 40-man roster — albeit by their own choice. Mike Zunino’s 2021 option was declined, while Michael Perez was claimed off waivers by the Pirates. Kevan Smith, meanwhile, elected free agency after going unclaimed on waivers. Per Topkin, the Rays have considered reunions with both Zunino and Smith.
As is always the case with the Rays, the payroll is a vital consideration in any free-agent negotiations. They owe a combined $31.5MM to the quartet of Blake Snell, Kevin Kiermaier, Yoshi Tsutsugo and Brandon Lowe in 2021, and their arbitration class could check in around another $18MM or so. Adding in pre-arbitration players to round out the roster would add another $9MM, give or take a few hundred thousand dollars.
For most clubs, a payroll shy of $60MM would mean that even in a pandemic-impacted offseason there was some considerable maneuverability, but the Rays over the past five seasons have averaged about a $70.35MM Opening Day payroll. Absent gate revenue and, as importantly, revenue sharing in 2020, it’s not clear to what extent owner Stu Sternberg is willing to invest in the roster.
It’s little wonder, then, that Snell’s name has already come up in trade rumors. As Topkin points out, it won’t be a surprise if Kiermaier’s name is floated as well. Snell and Kiermaier are the team’s only two players making in excess of $10MM in 2021. Presumably, the Rays will be open to moving or even motivated to move Tsutsugo’s $7MM salary as well.
Whether the Rays move any salary or not, it’s unlikely that they’d add a particularly expensive option behind the dish. Tampa Bay isn’t going to land J.T. Realmuto, of course, and while second-tier options like James McCann would be more logical fits, it sounds as though McCann’s market is rather robust — which makes it hard to see the Rays as a primary player. Affordable options beyond the aforementioned Zunino would include Jason Castro, Alex Avila and recently non-tendered old friend Curt Casali.
The trade market ought to feature several other intriguing options. Willson Contreras’ name could emerge as a trade candidate with the Cubs looking to cut costs. The Indians are looking to slash payroll as well and have multiple veteran catchers. Francisco Mejia has slid down the depth chart in San Diego. The Blue Jays have a glut of young backstops on the 40-man roster. If the Rays were to move Snell, they could push for a young catcher to be a focal point of any return.
Suffice it to say, there are myriad approaches for the club to take, the extent of which will be somewhat dictated by moves made (or not made) elsewhere on the roster. Topkin adds that they’ll also be on the lookout for rotation depth with Charlie Morton now in Atlanta and the trio of Yonny Chirinos (Tommy John surgery), Jalen Beeks (Tommy John surgery) and Brendan McKay (shoulder surgery) all on the mend from major injuries. With presumably limited payroll flexibility and numerous needs to address, the Rays are in a tight spot, although that’s nothing new for GM Erik Neander and his front office.
It would be unorthodox, but I wonder if Tampa would take on Gary Sanchez if NY paid some of his contract. TB seems like the kind of team that would try an experiment like that, if the price was right.
Rays are trying to IMPROVE their catching. Sanchez is not an improvement behind the dish for ANY team. Lots of pop in the bat for sure, but a disaster behind the plate.
They traded for Zunino so it’s not a far stretch. But yanks aren’t dealing interdivision.
Zunino has the pop, but ye was also a defensive marvel for the Rays, Sanchez…Well, not so much..lol
Yeh, Zunino’s .200 BA and a big .147 last year sure showed a lot of POP! And please no marginalizing his BA based on metrics……the eyes don’t lie….albeit he surely is miles above Sanchez as far as defensive ability…got to give him credit there and realizing that the only thing Sanchez brings is the occasional HR much more consistently albeit than Zunino!
And they got to the WS with Zunino.
Ironically, it’s easy to see Tampa interested in Tom Murphy or Luis Torrens. If Seattle feels that Cal Raleigh is exceptionally close, perhaps one of the two are expendable.
Tampa certainly has the middle-infield depth that Seattle should desire.
Im sure if the yanks got a good enough offer sanchez would go anywhere
I see Wolters as a typical Rays signing
Gary Sanchez to the Rays doesn’t work for many reasons. First, I think it’s highly unlikely Yankees want to move him to a division rival. Two, Sanchez is currently a mess. He is really struggling on both offense and defense. The Rays (wisely I think) look for steady players. Sanchez’s ceiling is as high as his floor is low.
Since when do the Rays only go after steady players? When they acquired Avi Garcia, Zunino and Renfroe they were all coming off bad seasons and volatile careers. Given our payroll constraints, I think the Rays prioritize opportunities more than reliability.
Rays go glove-first behind the plate. As bad as Zunino was offensively–and really was before he arrived–his glove has always been solid. I still think there a higher chance they go after Zunino again, though that would not excite me.
As an outside-the-box thinking Giants fan, how about Bart and maybe a low level prospect for Snell? Giants could even afford to take KK if the Rays insisted. Posey’s glove is still solid and they could bypass his option for ‘22 and give him a sunset 2 year extension while Bailey matures and gets some mentoring from Posey. Giants offense didn’t need Bart’s bat last year (which is likely to improve with a little time) so they may not care if Posey’s bat is truly gone. And the Giants rotation severely needs a starter like Snell. Just a thought.
Ok bud. I’m a Giants fan too, and Bart is a no-trade kind of a guy. It would have to be for a Barry Bonds or Willie Mays that they make that trade. Why would Bart be moved, even for snell? Bailey won’t be up for a while, and still needs some improvement behind the plate(defensively, I mean), from what I have heard. Snell will never be a Giant, and I will be the first to tell you that, as diehard a Giants fan as I am
Might work only if the deal involves Kiermaier. Even then it’s a stretch.
Oakland receives: P B.Snell
Tampa receives: C S.Murphy, IF S.Neuse, SS L.Davidson
Oakland wouldn’t trade Murphy
Not even for Snell? Admittedly, Murphy is a huge piece for Oakland, but Snell is relatively affordable and controllable in a way that most high-end pitchers are not.
I don’t think Oakland would take on Snell’s salary. They have to replace their middle infield and at least 1 OF spot, as well as finding a replacement for Hendriks. Getting Snell would leave them only $10MM shy of last years payroll.
I proposed a Snell for Meija + Patino swap (with a couple other depth pieces thrown in on both sides) a couple of weeks ago, but I have to admit that I haven’t seen Meija play that much and some people say his catching is atrocious. Still, this would fill needs for both the Rays and Padres with both having the payroll to fill the remaining needs after the trade.
Snell is out of our price range and we wouldn’t trade Murphy. Not just because he’s pretty much our only catcher, but also because of his potential. Would love Snell, but that’s not a good trade for us. Billy Beane made a similar trade once before at the deadline for Lester, and that did not work out at all. Dont think theyd make that same mistake again.
Because the Rays need more young infielders.
Stop. At least have an idea of what a team wants/needs before throwing out these trade scenarios.
Francisco Mejia could probably be had for a song, but someone in TB would literally have to teach him how to catch. The reason he has slid down the depth chart in SD is the same reason CLE dealt him there in the first place – his defensive skills just aren’t there.
The Rays amaze us almost every year, punching well above their weight. But how disappointing that a team going to the World Series contemplates cutting one of the lowest payrolls in MLB!
I don’t know how this is disappointing…this is what the Rays do every year, and this is *why* they have become successful. Keep up.
How many times have they been to the World Series? Twice. They aren’t “successful,” whiner. They have lost twice. They have no fans. Having come close to the winner’s circle and with a very modest payroll, one might think they would stretch a bit and try to get back to the Series. “Successful” means winning championships, and they have NONE. I guess whiner defines success differently than most people, and then he wonders why others don’t understand his admiration of failure!
I think he is talking wins per value. No one is better at it than the Rays. The scary part people don’t think about is that Wander Franco will be up sometime in this upcoming season and will make a splash. They don’t necessarily need a league avg bat at Catch. They need a player who will guide and work with the young pitchers.
I would expect the Rays to get back a catcher & some down the road SP prospects. They already have enough young middle INFs & would only receive another back if that prospect has a higher ceiling that what is already in house
They should sign Tony Wolters as a backup. He can also play 2B, and other IF spots in a pinch, and the Rays like players they can move around.
Blue Jays get Snell and Kiermaier, Rays get Danny Jansen, Anthony Kay and Jordan Grisham’s
Rays should get one more person. Maybe Sean Reid Foley
KK is a salary dump. Wouldn’t require that much.
Who is this Grisham’s you speak of?
Sorry Groshan.
I think McGuire is a more likely option for the Jays to trade along with one of their minors catchers, SRF would be a more likely pitcher to be offered than Kay along with another one of their minor league starters
Yes, yes, yes
No, no, no
Rays would probably need Simeon Woods- Richardson added to that group
As many players as the Jays go after, they get none
I would take Joey Bart and a ML pitcher for Snell.
Bobby Evans would do that. Don’t think Zaidi will, given that the Giants are not full fledged contenders right now
The Giants aren’t trading their top prospects.
As old as Posey is I dont see the Giants trading their top replacement, and the Giants dont have any ML pitcher options the Rays would want.
Problem is, that won’t be offered
I don’t know much about Kevan Smith but his numbers look at least good enough as a backup. What am I missing?
He only played 17 games and most of them it was him just catching.
Trade KK to the Jays for Jensen. it’s a trade that helps both teams. The Jays have a crazy amount of depth at catcher and have also been connected to realmuto
I agree… that’s a good one on one trade for both teams
Is Kurt Suzuki available because he’s an upgrade from Zunino
Interesting idea. Suzuki is a FA I believe
Do the Rays typically depend on gate revenue in any season?
They depend on revenue sharing from the big markets.
its interesting that no one has even considered the name of Yadier Molina.
Too costly. Molina has already said he’s seeking a 2-year deal, and he’s likely looking for roughly $10M+ per season.
They will probably sign Wilson Ramos for under $5M so they DH him too
Jacob Stallings is a name that pops out. Extremely solid defensively, well within the Rays’ price range (1-1.5M in arbitration), hits a bit. Pirates need everything, so…..
Can’t see the Jays taking on KK”s salary and giving up anything but a bag of oranges…
Padres match up perfectly in a trade with the Padres for Snell with a deal of either Mejia or Campusano and prospects.
Mejia is a disaster behind the plate. Did you notice his fall in the Padres depth chart?
Maybe the Dodgers include Austin Barnes in a deal for Blake Snell? Tampa could demand some combo of Gavin Lux, Tony Gonsolin, Keibert Ruiz, et al, but getting Barnes included would give TB a solid ML catcher
Dodgers won’t afford him
Maybe a Blake Snell for Willson Contreras type trade coming. 2021 Snell will make double what Contreras will make in 2nd arb year, but in their positional contexts, they’re both relative bargains. Snell a better bargain, but both have proven track records, remaining upside, controllability, all while filling needs for both. If Cubs’ Amaya is 2 years from MLB, Caratini can play passable starting catcher for a season or two, so no major holes created for either team with a trade like that. I’m not a follower of either team, so any Cubs/Rays fans care to chime in?
Cubs might have to add prospects, someone like Roederer or Strumpf and a lottery pick? Not sure if the Cubs would be willing to do that if they don’t want to add to payroll. Rays might be looking for more years of control and a lesser cost, too.
I think the Cubs should do that, especially if they keep Darvish. That’s a great 1-2 punch. If they really want to cut salary, trading Bryant is the way to go. It would be selling low, but that’s more relief and he’d be gone after next year anyway. Cubs fans might not want to hear this, but this is near the end of the title window because the core that won it all in 2016 is getting expensive and will start leaving via FA. This is when you package prospects for a chance to win it all one more time. If the Rays are willing to accept a package built around Contreras, I think that’s great for the Cubs.
I think it would take a good bit more than Contreras. Possibly another major league ready and affordable player like Horner. I would think a Snell/Contreras headliner trade would consist of several other parts to balance things out to the satisfaction of both teams. I don’t believe the Cubs would only trade Contreras in a salary dumping scenario as they will have a lot of money coming off the books in the next couple seasons one way or the other. If the opportunity to add a Cy Young front line starter on a good contract presents itself, they would be foolish not to really try and seal that deal.
IF the Cubs were going to trade Contreras it would be to cut cost. Trading Contreras for Snell would add salary. So, this trade will not happen.
Yes, I do not see the Rays sending cash (money, not manager) in a deal and I don’t see Cubs taking a 1 for 1 that doubles salary commitment. Therefore, is there a enticing-but-not-top-top Rays prospect OR an expendable Cubs regular who will be making $5 or 6 mil in the next year or two, to make such a deal work? I think there is the exoskeleton of a win-win here if they can line it up.
I think it’s interesting thinking what the Cubs could get from Tampa Bay if they were willing to trade Contreras while taking on the contract of Yoshitomo Tsutsugo ($7 million). I could see a return of RHP Joe Ryan (or RHP Shane Baz) and SS / 2B Xavier Edwards. As a Cub’s fan, I would love that deal!!!
Dodgers get Snell and Meadows for K. Ruiz, Gonsolin, C. Beeter and DJ Peters.
Friedman would never do that.
And then the Rays also have Franco…… That’s a phone call the Rays hang up on so quickly
The Rays would laugh the Dodgers off the phone.
Joey bart?
No! Joey Bart is going nowhere unless you offer prime Barry Bonds or prime Willie Mays.
Jake Rogers and Al Avila for Erik Neander?
Russel Martin didn’t play in 2020 and he’s a good catcher not much of a hitter anymore.
Have to believe that the Cubs will be all talk, no action again this winter.
Dodgers 5 or 6 good catchers in minors blocked by smith and Barnes. Barnes is probably available and will only make about 1 million in 2021. Trade Snell for catcher and pitchers.
Contreras or Mejia might be good fits. McCann is too much if they’re looking to cut costs by dealing Snell. It’s too bad they’re so cheap. That level of management with the Dodgers level of money would be an absolute dynasty.
You can have any catcher you want, except McCann. I would save him for the White Sox, who should sign him to a 2-3 year deal and trade Grandal for a starting pitcher. How about Snell for Grandal?
Why Casali is not back on the roster yet (as a backup) is beyond me. Perfect fit.
The Rays won’t trade for a young guy like Mejia–they want defense behind the plate, which is why Zunino coming back may still happen.
Austin Hedges!
I think a Curt Casali reunion may be in order.
What about Knizner and Alex Reyes for Snell? There would be others involved, of course, but this could be the meat of the trade between StL and TB