Even as rumors regarding the possibility of Freddie Freeman leaving the Braves have increased since the beginning of the offseason, big-market clubs with deep pockets — Yankees, Dodgers, Blue Jays — have been viewed as the primary threats to lure him away. However, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports that the Rays not only showed interest in Freeman but made him an offer prior to commissioner Rob Manfred’s implementation of the current lockout.
It’s surprising to hear of the Rays even making any degree of play for a free agent of Freeman’s caliber, and many fans will surely poke fun and suggest comically small numbers from Tampa Bay. However, it’s at least worth breaking down the possibility, because when looking ahead at the Rays’ long-term payroll ledger, a massive commitment to Freeman might not be as far-fetched as it sounds.
The 2022 Rays are currently projected by Roster Resource’s Jason Martinez for an $83MM payroll. They’re also expected to field offers for veterans like Kevin Kiermaier, Manuel Margot, Austin Meadows and Tyler Glasnow, among others, following the lockout, which could drop that number back below the team’s $77MM Opening Day record. The mere mention of “franchise record payrolls” in the $77-83MM range serves to underscore just why fans would mock the notion of a Rays/Freeman match, but look ahead to the following season and it becomes easier to envision.
Beginning in 2023, the Rays only have three contracts on the books. Second baseman/outfielder Brandon Lowe will earn $5.25MM, lefty Brooks Raley is guaranteed $4.5MM, and burgeoning star Wander Franco is owed $2MM. The combined $11.75MM does not account for arbitration-eligible players, and the Rays do have their fair share of names who could elevate the total payroll.
Glasnow, projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $5.8MM in 2021, will repeat that salary in 2022 if he doesn’t pitch this year while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Southpaw Ryan Yarbrough will be in line for a decent raise on top of this year’s $4.4MM projection. If he struggles in 2022, he’ll be a non-tender candidate. If he rebounds from an ugly 2021, he could emerge as a trade candidate, given the subsequent raise and the Rays’ considerable pitching depth. Meadows will be due a solid pay bump over this year’s $4.3MM projection, but again, he’s already seen as a trade candidate. Margot is a free agent after the 2022 season.
Beyond that group, the Rays’ arbitration commitments should generally be modest. Yonny Chirinos is projected at $1.2MM this season and will earn a raise depending on how well he rebounds from 2020 Tommy John surgery. Backup catcher Francisco Mejia will be owed a raise, but he’s only projected at $1.5MM himself this year. Ji-Man Choi will be in line for one final bump over this coming year’s $3.2MM salary, but he could very well be moved if the Rays pulled off a shocker and signed Freeman.
In other words: the Rays may have an enormous arbitration class in 2022, but that’s not likely to be the case in 2023. Trades, non-tenders and free agency will subtract from the current group, and the only players set to reach arbitration in ’23 are relievers Pete Fairbanks, Colin Poche, Ryan Thompson and JT Chargois. Notable names like Randy Arozarena, Drew Rasmussen and Luis Patino are on track to hit arbitration in 2024, but at that point the top end of the arb class will have thinned out.
The conventional wisdom behind a small-market club like Tampa Bay being unable to “afford” a mega-deal for someone of Freeman’s caliber is that it’d restrict them from making further additions. Tying up such a large percentage of team payroll in a single player can obviously be hazardous. However, the Rays’ next nucleus already appears more or less in place and isn’t likely to be expensive anytime soon. Franco signed an 11-year, $182MM contract extension and won’t see his salary reach peak levels until 2028 — seven years from now (and, one year shorter than the six years reportedly sought by Freeman).
The Rays’ rotation was something of a patchwork group in 2021, but looking ahead they’re hopeful that a combination of Shane McClanahan, Shane Baz and Patino can lead the charge. McClanahan and Baz won’t reach arbitration until 2025. Tampa Bay has several other high-end pitching prospects coming: Taj Bradley, Seth Johnson and Cole Wilcox among them. The organization likely still has high hopes for oft-injured former top pick Brendan McKay as well.
Looking up and down the lineup, Franco has shortstop locked down, and Brandon Lowe is on a team-friendly deal of his own at second base. Lowe is earning $4MM in 2022, $5.25MM in 2023 and $8.75MM in 2024. The Rays hold club options of $10.5MM and $11.5MM thereafter. If at any point the team believes Lowe’s contract to be unwieldy, he could be flipped in a trade, with top prospect Vidal Brujan stepping up at second base. Brujan could factor into the infield or outfield mix at other positions before then, and Taylor Walls gives Tampa Bay another solid, MLB-ready infield prospect to consider. Top outfield prospect Josh Lowe, meanwhile, seems likely to step into center field before long — perhaps even on Opening Day, if Kiermaier’s contract is moved post-lockout.
Obviously, not all of these players will turn into stars or even regulars, but for the next several seasons, the Rays can build their roster around the likes of McClanahan, Baz, Patino and Rasmussen on the pitching side and around Franco, Arozarena, both Lowes and perhaps Brujan on the position-player side. No one from that group will reach arbitration until at least 2024 (most not until 2025), and the Rays will probably succeed when it comes to persuading at least one or two of their pre-arbitration stars to sign a club-friendly extension. Tampa Bay doesn’t even have $15MM in guaranteed contracts on the books in any individual season from 2023-25 right now — a three-year span that would represent years two, three and four of a theoretical Freeman deal.
None of this is to say that a Freeman-to-the-Rays scenario is likely. Calling it a “long shot” possibility might be charitable, in fact. Tampa Bay will face steep competition from the incumbent Braves as well as a host of large-market teams looking to add a marquee bat to the lineup, and the Rays’ margin for error on a contract of this magnitude is infinitesimal compared to that of a team like the Dodgers, Yankees or even the Braves. But, when considering the Rays’ minimal long-term commitments and the wealth of MLB-ready, pre-arbitration talent they already have in the fold, it’s at least possible to squint and see how they could fit Freeman into the mix — even if he’s earning upwards of $30MM annually.
The offer was probably $75 million for one season. They planned to spend $10 million combined on the rest of the roster.
Yes something like two years 70 million would be the only thing that would make any sense.
Maybe they knew he wanted 6 years and offered him 6 years/60 million just to see if they could trick him with the old Jason Kendall special.
applause….He did it!
April Fool came early this year.
I still believe Freddie Freeman stays with the Braves.
@FredMcGriff for the HOF I fully agree, Zero has changed.
I made an offer to Freddie Freeman to wash my car.
I think my offer is just as likely to be accepted than the any offer the Rays make.
@Halo that goes against the lock out rules, your offer might be considered contractual interference
Was it for six washes and $200M?
they offered 5 million per over a 50 year term
The ole Bobby Bonilla special! Works only one way. Haha
And I thought they filed for bankruptcy before they made that offer to Freeman?
Keep talking Judge. Remind me – when was the last time your Bombers won the world series?
@rememberthecoop-2009
This is what I’ve missed – real, live baseball team animosity.
“It’s surprising to hear of the Rays even making any degree of play for a free agent of Freeman’s caliber, and many fans will surely poke fun and suggest comically small numbers from Tampa Bay.”
And the “I have to post on every article even if it’s nonsense” crowd is filing into the room.
I somewhat resemble that remark.
Let’s just say for arguments sake they in fact made a huge offer to him. Why the hell would he accept it knowing the rest of the roster would resemble the pirates or marlins. The rays annually just take the share of the revenue sharing money and stick it in their own pockets. Only a fool would accept a large offer from a small market team.
bostonbob
Why the hell would he accept it knowing the rest of the roster would resemble the pirates or marlins.
==================================
Just for the record, the Rays had the best record in the league last year.
Crazy to think about the Rays signing Freeman. They have a great farm so why not try to trade for Olson? He earns much less and yes would only be controllable for a much shorter time but he’d give them a better chance to win in 22 (if we have a season).
@rememberthecoop- the Rays will never trade for Matt Olson. They have the best farm system in baseball. Why trade for a star when you can just bring up a top prospect from the farm system? Then they can trade them when they become a star so they never have to pay them. Smh
Exactly sustainable success is far smarter than going all in one year to not win but fans are fans and not smart. Not anywhere near as smart as Ivy League gms who have figured out the playoffs are a complete crapshoot.
Is it “success “ though, when you fail to win a championship? I’m not saying their model isn’t good but, it sure could use an adjustment or two.
The more chances you get, the better odds you will have.
Yes. Yes it is. The idea that you need to win the WS or it’s a failure is a pretty bad take. If it was as easy as making an adjustment or two to guarantee winning a WS…teams would have figured that out by now.
@ poop tell that to their 358 fans. Heck , tell that to the majority of players on any team. They all want to WIN a championship, not just get close all the time.
Your odds would also get better if you add a veteran star or two to mentor the younger players.
What is your theory here? The Rays can’t win it all because they lack a mentor? That’s a pretty weak take that I really don’t think you could back up.
They need to supplement throng younger players with more experienced successful players
You just gotta get in the tournament from there it’s anyone’s title to win.
@flamingbag
I don’t think you need to win a World Series every but if you have a four or five-year run then I think you need at least one title to call it a true success.
Isn’t going for a big chip like Freeman already an adjustment to their usual script? They’re going for it. They have a really well balanced roster, and now want that big player. Good for them.
I got a better one. The Rays haven’t won it all because the way the run a team doesn’t work as well in the Fall as it does in the Spring. All those cheap arms they are shuttling back and forth from the minors all year and tired and a little more known than they were in June and July. Manufacturing runs is harder in the fall as well because you are facing the best of the best. They need stars to carry them when the big analytics department isn’t working as it should. That’s only a theory, of course, and the more times they make the playoff the better their chances get. But teams like Tampa always have a hard time winning it all – that is why teams go all in a trade deadlines.
Then why are they going after Freeman?
Keep in nind that I only suggested a trade as an alternative to signing Freddie. If they were satisfied with internal candidates, then they wouldn’t be making an offer to Freeman. The fact that they are looking at him tells me they want an upgrade at the position. And Olson would be just as good an update, except instead of committing 35MM per year over 6 years, they would be moving prospects and/or cheap major league talent.
Signing a free agent lets them keep the farm talent, which is the only reason they can afford that free agent. Keep the talent!
They can’t buy themselves out of a bad deal, that’s why. If they pay Freeman, they can get out of a bad deal by playing their younger stars later in the contract. If Olsen falters, it’ll take longer for the team to rebound because they’ve wiped out their prospect pool
That makes them smart…right Cap?
In the last twenty years, the Yankees have one more championship than the Rays, they’ve spent gobs and gobs more money, provided huge contracts to cheaters, grabbed every star they can get their mitts on, and yet the Rays are the failure.
POLL: Will there be a Braves/Rays World Series this decade?
A) Atlanta and Tampa will not meet in the WS
B) There will be one Atlanta/Tampa WS matchup
C) There will be multiple Atlanta/Tampa WS matchups
D) Get used to seeing the Rays continue to be competitive and perhaps even winning the World Series.
Get used to seeing the Rays being a bridesmaid of the AL, only making it to the series when it’s weak like they did once before and getting thumped terribly bad then.
Nobody doubts they have great mindsets at the top to draft and develop, just lack any resources to fine tune and fill holes in the roster to reach that final step.
Playoffs are a crapshoot so everything you said is nonsense.
Thanks…..you beat me to it. Nonsensical comment.
Exactly my point john. If they spent just a bit more or even splurged on someone of Freeman’s caliber then they could go on a run of championships which might fill their stadium a bit more…
“That final step” is a myth. No such thing as a team that can win 100 games but has some fixable flaw that won’t allow them to ever win a WS. No such thing. A myth.
I mean Betts made that seem false
Just trying to jack up the price.
After many, many years of never commenting, reading all the time, and reading comments. I made a profile to leave one?
Why?
A major major props to Steve for writing – “commissioner Rob Manfred’s implementation of the current lockout.”
supersandlegend
A major major props to Steve for writing – “commissioner Rob Manfred’s implementation of the current lockout.”
============================
I’m not sure Steve wrote that. I think that is an automatic header for every article.
This sounds like Heyman just making stuff up. Ya know; again.
Which city do you prefer if the Rays relocate?
Charlotte
Memphis
Nashville
New Orleans
Raleigh
I choose F) Please stop interjecting your expansion ideas into every single comment section on articles that have nothing to do with expansion
@Monkey’s Uncle
Relocation is not expansion and it has been rumored for YEARS that the Rays will relocate. Also, that franchise would probably have a higher payroll if they move to a city with better fan support.
Personally, @Unc, I would much rather read a post in re expansion than the constant “players vs owners” argument that shows up constantly. Many of which exhibit poor argumentation.
They will move. To Tampa.
Tampa is the most likey
@StPeteStingRays
How would you feel about Orlando if they offered a better stadium deal? It’s the same general part of the state as Tampa Bay so you could still go to games and get the TV broadcast.
I hate the idea of the Rays moving to ANY other town not named Tampa. The sooner they get out of St.Petersburg, the better!
@StPeteStingRays- You must mean the Montreal Rays not the Tampa Bay Rays?
A yankee fan would be appropriate calling them Daddy.
I don’t know anything about that part of Florida – am a Boston boy – I just like the Rays ever since I saw David Price throw that left-handed lightning to beat the Red Sox in the playoffs.
mom always told me that my daddy was Santa Claus. I only see him around Christmas time at the mall…
New Orleans.
Tampa would be my guess. You know they’re in St Pete now.
Charlotte
Boise, ID
Are we sure that there isn’t another Freddie Freeman? Or like a minor league deal for Freida Freeman?
No one knows…but don’t forget that the Braves had Freddie and Jason a decade ago.
If true, this is very, very interesting. And also exciting: I’m no Rays fan but I like seeing them possibly dipping their toes in the deeper free agent waters.
That would be awesome if we got Freeman, however unlikely, but we really need a big RH bat. I could see a fit if Meadows and or Kiermaier are moved, and that almost has to happen in order for TB to get Freeman. I wouldn’t be overly surprised if they made a big splash like that, but I’m not counting on it either.
It would be a foolish move for them. Never pay big $$ for 1B only players and I don’t care who it is.
Who is surprised they made an offer? They make many offers every off-season
The Rays should be forced to pay Freeman or sell or move. Teams like the Pirates, Athletics, Marlins, Guardians, Reds, and the Rays are all destroying baseball because they refuse to spend their money. No doubt these teams all want a salary cap in baseball when there is no need for one. This is unfair to their fans. These teams need to sell or be relocated.
While I agree in theory, I wouldn’t want to see ALL of those cities lose their teams. I do think that Florida and Ohio would both be just fine with one team instead of two though.
Destroying baseball by beating big market teams while paying peanuts in comparison. Gotcha!
@StPeteStingRays- You better enjoy it for now, it will be short lived. Did you pay for your season tickets yet? Enjoying the swimming pool in right field ? So much to look forward to, and you’re ZERO championships.
The yankees are surely counting on the Rays success to be short lived.
@StPeteStingRays- Yes the Rays will be short lived in Tampa Bay for sure. Maybe their success can continue in another state or country?
It’ll be short-lived? They’ve been doing it for 15 years now. One of these years luck will be on their side and they’ll win it. They were pretty close just a couple years ago.
It’s not like they won every year… from 2014-17 they weren’t good and their model didn’t look so smart… then snell had an otherworldly 2018 to help them… since then they’ve been very good… let’s not make it like they’ve been dominant every year
Curious that their success comes as soon as they were able to “teach” their pitchers to generate higher spin rates
Without that, they don’t have this new success they’ve had
@myaccount2- they’ll be lucky one of these years(15 years) let me know when that finally happens. The wait continues…
The Rays didn’t have a winning record until 2008 and that was preceded by 10 years of being at the bottom of the East and having at least 91 losses every season. Then they had another 4 year stretch of losing from 2014-2017.
Their stretch of winning is 4 seasons currently. Where you get 15 years is a mystery.
and then there’s this dude named Wander Franco came along and was the best player the last 50 years
Trout Kershaw Verlander Betts Scherzer beg to differ
LMAO, how many small market teams including your Rays, who I like btw, have rings on their fingers???
Kansas City, Miami, Arizona in the past 21 years. Another 4 small market teams have pennants for winning the NLCS or ALCS including the Rays twice.
Moronic comment
The Rays and Guardians are destroying baseball because they keep making the Playoffs with their evil tiny budgets? Please explain!
@mick4488- the Guardians made the playoffs last season? Do your homework. The Rays could even be better if they spent more money. They should be forced to. They should sell or be relocated. I find it sad that these teams can’t keep their stars. It’s ruined baseball.
I don’t see how the Rays or even the Guardians have ruined baseball. Both teams have had good success with their small budgets. If you want to talk about teams ruining baseball, look at teams like the Orioles and Pirates.
CaptainJudge99, as an Angels fan, I can confirm that spending more money does not guarantee success. I would be happy to see the Angels spend less, if it meant they were in the playoff hunt every year.
Feel free to unleash the Artie Moreno sucks, Angels are trash, Shohei is over-rated, Trout is always injured, etc punchlines.
Look at the last decade, a-hole. No, they won”t make the playoffs every year but they will be there more often than the Mets.
@Angels & NL West- the Halo’s have been doing it so wrong. Nothing was wrong with keeping Trout long term. But instead of spending all their $ on their offense they should of concentrated more on starting pitching. The Yankees haven’t concentrated on starting pitching also. Both teams have to draft better and use their money more wisely. Luis Castillo is a starting pitcher both the Angels and the Yankees should concentrate on if there is a 2022 season.
Well, the MLBPA would certainly say so.
Rays should be forced to buy 32 year old free agents, preventing the Yankees from owning all of them.
@brucenewton- the Corey Kluber signing was a good signing for them. They should have kept Charlie Morton last season. Maybe their learning?
Yeah – makes me sick – the Yankees can’t win it every year – once they get that in their craw, maybe they can show some patience and assemble more than one good young player – the Orioles are poised for a nice run after this year
How did the Reds make this list? They are a great example of how a mid to small market team cannot just spend-their-way into contention.. they extended Votto, signed Castellanos/Moustakas, and traded for Bauer/Gray.
@CkinSTL- if Luis Castillo has a great year this season assuming there is one, do you really like the Cincinnati Reds chances of re-signing him? That’s my point. They won’t pay him coming off a good year.
The Reds are ruining baseball because Luis Castillo might have a good year and they might not re-sign him? It is unreasonable to expect a team to never lose a player to FA.. It is just part of the business.
@CKinSTL- is Castillo your best player or the face of the Reds Franchise? If so he should be re-signed by the Reds. Yes teams are going to lose players to free agency, your absolutely right. Luis Castillo shouldn’t be one of the Reds players lost to free agency. He should be re-signed long term.
Dude – your opinion sucks – if you’re a judge, I hope I never appear before you in Court – I’d gladly take a few days in the slammer for the contempt to tell you to your face
Lol, he’s only judgy and definitely not a judge. Lawyers know the difference between your/you’re & there/their/they’re
@StPeteStingRays- StPete you ain’t! How bout the St.Croix Rays for you’re favorite team?
Yeah, I’m sure their fans want them to leave because they don’t spend, only win.
How are the Rays destroying baseball by not spending as much as you think they should if their plan is working.? I’ll say it again, the Rays plan is WORKING. Where’s the destruction in that?
@Cosmo- the Rays plan is working? How many championships have they won? Please explain.
@judge99
So since these markets are too small to spend to your liking, they should move to smaller markets? That’s a brilliant plan.
@stymeedone- then again with all this low budget success that the Montreal/Tampa Bay Rays have had, how many championships do they have? If they kept Charlie Morton, Blake Snell, and Wily Adames last season would they’ve had a better chance? Absolutely. They obviously need to move to a bigger market so they can spend more. They owe that to their fans.
it’s just to show that the rays were willing to spend money on players.
I hope the season is canceled. The Union is trash. The league is trash. Put them all in a garbage pail.
Probably a lot of garbage pails not being used I. Houston right now.
I couldn’t have asked for a better response
So many attempts at comedy in these comments. All of them complete failure. You guys keep trying to poke fun at the Rays’ payroll. While your teams win 80 games with a $180M+ payroll, we will keep contending for championships right where we are.
Makes you wonder what the offer was….
@Cohn Joppolella- probably $20 dollars for 11 years. Freeman would have to be a fool to play for the Tampa Bay/Montreal Rays.
they only make the playoffs year after year
You would know about fools.
@SCarton12- only a fool would believe that Freddie Freeman would be signing with the Montreal/ Tampa BayRays. Good luck with all that. It’s not happening. Stop being delusional.
Teams put in offers all the time. It means nothing for the most part
lol
It would be interesting to find out what they offered him. I’d be surprised if it was higher than 5/$125M.
I hope the sign him very unlikely but I have hopes
If the Rays are spending money, the financial state of baseball must not be so dire.
I don’t think the owners are necessarily saying they are in dire straights (great band name btw). They like the current agreement & want to keep thebstatus quo, while the players want more. It’s the same old story, same old song and dance…my friend.
Several of the owners have painted a very bleak financial picture. Also, if you think this is about the owners wanting the status quo and the players wanting more, I question whether you haven’t been paying attention or are just blindly pro-owner.
Rays don’t generally give a player a big raise, who’ve already had their best year. There are a couple teams that will. Zero chance Tampa makes a serious play obviously.
@brucenewton- doesn’t seem like the Montreal/Tampa Bays have ever given a player a big raise. They usually trade that player before it ever gets to that point.
Wander was making the minimum before his deal. Around $18M/year is a pretty big raise.
@PitcherMeRolling- wow there’s a lst time for everything. Like giving a deserving player a big raise. If the Rays we’re a lst class organization they’ll let Wander Franco retire as a life long Ray. I bet that doesn’t happen.
He probably won’t retire with the Rays. But, I’m not really interested in where you moved the goalposts to, I just pointed out the one example of the Rays paying somebody.
To be fair, Heyman doesn’t leak anything about the offer. It was probably like 1/30.
I just don’t see the Rays paying freeman the 30-40% of their expected payroll his contract would dictate. So unless they up their payroll to the 120ish range, I don’t see them signing him.
Rays offer: You want to hang out with us sometime and play X-Box or whatever? You can still play for the Braves.
@VonPurpleHayes- That’s truly the only way for Freddie Freeman to play for the Montreal/Tampa Bay Rays would be to trade for him on X-Box. I’m sure all their fans have already tried to. All this Rays success with no championship.
I love this move for one easy reason – Wander Franco – what better teammate to have around for the long term to mentor a kid like him? If the money is close, why wouldn’t a class act like Freddy want to hang out with a bunch of young dudes who bring so much energy to the game?
Don’t worry the money won’t be even close….Freddy isn’t going to play kindergarten cop for the Rays!
One more article meant to pretend that a player is getting interest from other teams. The chances of TB signing him are really low, maybe even -0-.
It would be interesting to see if the Rays offered anything Freeman would even condider accepting or if they just threw out a low number to say they made an offer
Rays don’t seem that interested in playing BS marketing games. Don’t know what the terms are, but I don’t hear of many lowball offers coming from them just so they can say they tried. I don’t think their fans care too much, either, so long as they’re perennial contenders.
I am probably in the minority, but I could actually see them making a legit offer with a higher AAV over a shorter term. I doubt they go 6/180, but maybe something like 4/135. They have Franco, Lowe, their ever-solid pitching staff, and all their prospects coming up. Elsewhere in the division, the Yankees have some real question marks, Boston just lost one of its better pitchers, and Toronto is close but just lost its second-best player and best pitcher from last year. If there’s ever a time to go all-in, it’s now.
I have seen Freeman pretty busy during the lockdown working on South Park
There’s little doubt that the Union has no use for the Rays (despite their sucess; who cares?). Next some “source” will tell Heyman the O’s made a serious offer for Correa, and the Pirates made one to Story (two other teams that make the Union vomit).
Freeman really doesn’t make any sense for the Rays. Just about all of their prospects are LH, and if the shift is altered, you’ll see how terrible Lowe, Wander et al are on the dirt. And that’s not even accounting for the dollars. Lowe and Meadows belong at 1B.
Your last point is an interesting one I hadn’t considered. Eliminating the shift may mean the more offensive, but defensively challenged players that are now at 2B may no longer fit the position. With shifts limited, we may even see more defenses in motion once the ball is release, requiring an even higher level of defensive athleticism.
You can’t just put someone at 1B and expect them to thrive there. Lowe is much more likely to be traded, and soon. Meadows is an OF only.
Perhaps a purposeful media leak by ownership to claim that the current system works. Was the offer even real, meaning the Rays knew what they put out wouldn’t be accepted but it would make for a nice story in the middle of the lockout?
The small-market, owner-created lockout continues, three months in and counting.
They’ll come to an agreement eventually, but there will be lots of annoyance along the way.
Rays can easily afford Freeman. I don’t believe they will outspend richer teams who spend money more freely.
It’s not crazy at all. They can dump Kiermaier and Glasnow for nothing (or at least no payroll). That saves $18m. Offer FF $28m/yr and you’re only adding $10m to the payroll, which they could handle pretty easily. 1B is literally their only hole and they don’t need KK or Glasnow at all. I think you all will be surprised how few teams are willing to bid that high for a first-baseman-only, even Freddie Freeman. Certainly the Braves aren’t.
if they made an offer to him (big if) and it wasn’t 1 or 2 years at big money, was either heavily backloaded, didn’t come with a no trade clause or both.
could easily see a 6/150 deal being like 5,5, 10, 30, 50, 50 and them trying to flip him after year 2 or 3.
Freeman would probably laugh at the notion of a Rays offer before even hearing the actual dollar amount…as would anyone else.
Rays probably did this when they were confident a salary cap would be forthcoming, knowing it would neuter Freeman’s asking price.
Surprise! No cap….. As Rays fans always say, “You can’t buy championships.” Right on, time to release the CBT!
Not buying this at all. It’s not how the Rays operate and they know they’d never be able to afford him. This is just more smoke blowing to drum up interest in a dying sport.
nice article. reminds me of the Rays’ 2-year offer to Marcell Ozuna last year.
Freeman is too old. He’s already on the decline and not worth more than $5.00 and a bag of chips.
Outrageous lie!
Yeah right!! What was it, $1 million per year for 180 years?
Tomahawk needs to stay across his chest. Freeman too old and in decline? Put his numbers up against other 1B in the league. Dude will still be better than 90 % of other clubs 1B.
Stop treating the talent. Just trade Kiermier and Margot for some pitching and keep the rest.
1.Meadows DH
2.Brujan 2B
3.Freeman 1B
4.Franco 3B
5.Lowe RF
6.Arozarena LF
7.Lowe CF
8.Zunino C
9.Edwards SS
1.McClanahan
2.Kluber
3.Baz
4.Patiño
5.Rasmussen
Trading !
Taylor Walls will play SS before Edwards, as he’s the organization’s best defender at the position. I doubt you’ll see B.Lowe at RF either.
the offer from the rays was almost definitely an extreme lowball that they hoped he might sign out of fear from the lockout
the rays are truly disgusting, even if they are good at putting together a competitive team with a low budget