Right-hander Jason Adam has won his arbitration hearing with the Rays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter link). Adam was seeking a $1.775MM salary for the 2023 season, while the Rays’ figure was $1.55MM.
2022 was Adam’s first season with the Rays, and the best season of his five-year MLB career. The righty had a 1.56 ERA, 31.6% strikeout rate, and 7.2% walk rate over 63 1/3 innings out of Tampa Bay’s bullpen, and added two more scoreless innings during the Rays’ Wild Card Series with the Guardians. That walk rate (while still above average) was basically the only one of Adam’s Statcast metrics that wasn’t ruby red, as his hard-contact, whiff rate, chase rate, and fastball spin rate were all at or near the top of the league.
It wasn’t entirely a breakout season, since Adam had delivered some quality numbers in his four previous MLB seasons, particularly with the Blue Jays in 2019 and with the Cubs in 2020. However, some control problems limited Adam’s effectiveness, and he also had to make a recovery from a severe injury suffered in fluke fashion during pregame warmups at Triple-A in 2021. Adam suffered a fracture and open dislocation of his left ankle, as well as severe ligament damage, but was able to return to the mound before the season was over. The Cubs non-tendered Adam in the 2021-22 offseason, and he caught on with the Rays on a split contract.
Though Adam has appeared in the last five MLB seasons, he only had enough service time to become arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter — as a Super Two player, Adam has an extra of arb-eligibility and is controlled through the 2026 season. The hearing victory gives the 31-year-old a bit of a higher salary boost as he begins his stint through the arb process, and Adam will certainly be in line for a notable raise next year if he continues his 2022 form, even if a lack of traditional counting stats might limit his overall earnings. Adam actually led the Rays with eight saves last season, but was one of several late-game options in Tampa Bay’s multi-faceted bullpen.
Adam was one of seven players who didn’t reach an agreement with the Rays prior to the filing deadline, though the team cut down on its arbitration caseload by reaching multi-year extensions with Pete Fairbanks, Yandy Diaz, and Jeffrey Springs. Topkin reported last week that Tampa also had some talks with Adam and his representatives about an extension, but obviously nothing was worked out before the two sides had to present their cases to the arbitration panel. Of the three remaining Rays players who also went to hearings, no decisions have yet been released about Colin Poche, Harold Ramirez, or Ryan Thompson.
Crucial money-saving decision that allows them to hire another Jonah Hill.
Good for him. Won’t have the opportunity to be a free agent until he’s 35, which means whatever big paydays he’ll get will be during arbitration. Every couple hundred K extra is important.
Tampa could still get a boat load in return for this guy, which is what inevitably will happen if he keeps pitching this well.
Going to arbitration over $200K? Really? You under paid him last year… make it up this year.
Every time a Rays player goes to arbitration, they should just give him the money.
He still came out better then a working stiff, and maybe it enables the Ray’s to offer 10 dollar value tickets that I was able to purchase to see the Dodgers in May at the trop.
No. They didn’t go to arbitration for $200k. They went because the difference between the 2 parties was $225,000.00 ($1,775,000.00 compared to $1,550,000.00). This was his FIRST of FOUR trips thru the process. He pitched 65 1/3 innings. If he has future success then he’ll be in line for better raises. He’s definitely NOT a sure thing.
Well, yeah, they did go to arbitration over $225K.
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Hate the Drake
State of FL not doing great in these arb hearings. They sending Florida Man to rep them?
Deserve has nothing to do with arbitration. It’s a system based solely on precedent. Everyone’s working with the same data. In other industries the costs of the arbitration panel is usually equally borne by both parties. They are also responsible for paying for their own representation. I’m not sure if players bear the same risk, but if they do then they are paying out of pocket for the panel and their representation if they lose. Since this is a bigger burden for the player than the team, IMO it’s the player agents that generally determine whether or not it goes to arbitration since their clients have more to lose.
I just wondering What Is really saving for Tampa Once you take labor cost to fight the Increase the player wanted. Then having the player been told his short comings.
Then what your fans think about fighting over 200K
Again I know Theo or Billy B or Brian C but I got to think In long run just pay the player 200K.
Some teams have a “file and trial” protocol. No matter what, they go to arbitration if there is a discrepancy. I’m not sure if TB falls into that philosophy. Anyone know?
“file and trial?” What do you base that on? Only 33 (out of 200 eligible) players filed for arbitration. TB had the most at 7 but since came to long term agreements with Diaz, Springs and Fairbanks. I believe every team had at least 1 arb player signed.
What do you mean “what do I base that on”? It’s common knowledge to any baseball fan how file-and-trial teams operate. The article you pulled your info from says it in the next paragraph, if you were to read more than the first paragraph. 😉
mlb.com/news/mlb-arbitration-deadline-wrapup-2023. No where in the article does it suggest that any team has a standing protocol of not negotiating. Teams could certainly have a tendency not to (citation?). I would suggest that the individual circumstances surrounding a player have more weight on the decision to negotiate or not than any suggested standing protocol. I would expect that more 3rd and 4th year cases to be heard simply due to the exponential precedent value and number spreads compared to 1st and second year cases.
I agree Winfield, and I think most teams operate as you detailed.
In the past, a handful of teams (Blue Jays, Braves, Marlins, Rays, White Sox), employed a “file- and-trial” approach. They treated the figure exchange date as a hard deadline after which they refused to negotiate and stood content to go to a hearing.
Historically, TB has been a file-and-trial team. It’s a common tactic to try and work out an extension — or at least buyout arbitration — like TOR did recently with Bichette.
I agree that the tactic is more about leverage in negotiating longer term deals than a “my way or the highway” in any circumstance approach.
Agree Run. And it seems more and more extensions are being reached to buy out those arbitration years. In negotiations, the file-and-trial approach incentivizes both parties to put forth an honest effort since there’s no middle ground once you go to arbitration. You either get the high number or the low number. The minimum salary players are further incentivized to discuss extensions since they don’t have the same level of resources, lawyers, etc. as the teams do.
Players seem to be winning more often than usual this year.
Good.
This gonna bankrupt the Rays.
Trade him. Adam and Margot to the Dodgers for Busch. Who says no?
Busch is okay, though I prefer an ice cold High Life.
I like Busch
It makes me Tingle.
Kyle tucker needs a new agent.
I hear Freddie Freeman’s former agent is available.
Well, he did well for himself with Swanson’s deal — though not sure if he negotiated that one, but that was his agency (Excel). Swanson was steadfast in not changing agents after the Freeman fallout, as they’re close.
Good point on the Swanson deal. I always liked Swanson even as a Braves-hater. Hope he does well in Chicago.
I, too, wish him well, though I’m not a part of much of the fanbase that dotes on him. He’s a great clubhouse presence, but always found his inconsistent bat, and in many cases until the last few years, in the field. He always had a knack for not making some of the routine plays in the field, but making up for it with an immaculate play that makes you forget that error on a routine grounder. This was evidenced by his massive jump in OAA with 20 (outs above average) in 2022 from never having more than 7 (2018) previously.
I wouldn’t doubt him being a steadying force in a new lineup.
We need to get Adam and Eovaldi on the same team. Add Genesis Cabrera to the staff. Too bad Matt Cain is retired.
But Mick Abel is in play!
I still want to see if the Rays stretch him out as a starter like Jeffrey Springs due to his 3 plus offerings. As this article notes, a key difference between Springs and Adam is the walks, which probably keeps Adam as a reliever.
I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Rays move Adam given that they weren’t able to work out an extension and he is at a high point in his value. Rays have a tonne of promising reliever NRIs at ST. Brewers need to rebuild their bullpen, Rowdy Tellez is getting expensive and would be a fit for Rays. Adam stated he was really looking forward to playing with Brooks Raley on team USA (recently traded to Mets). Mets have lots of prospect capital albeit without the Correa signing Vientos/Baty may not be available. Twins have lots of outfielders Rays could trade for. (Nick Gordon, Max Kepler) and seem like a good fit. Diamondbacks have plenty of prospect options in the OF (and at 3B) but aren’t the best fit as they are not in win now mode. San Diego has just enough prospect depth to be an option. Oakland also doesn’t seem like the win now team the Rays would be likely to work out a trade with, but if Oakland thinks they can stretch Adam out to provide SP/LR depth then they might trade for him.