Rays avoided arbitration with INF Ryan Roberts by agreeing to a one-year, $2.95 million contract.
Roberts was in the second of four arbitration years as a Super 2 player. “TatMan” batted just .235/.296/.360 in 2012 but is expected to see plenty of at-bats in 2013 at a variety of positions.
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Rays avoided arbitration with OF Matt Joyce by agreeing to a one-year, $2.45 million contract.
It’s a nice bump in salary for the first-time arbitration-eligible player. Joyce put up a disappointing .241/.341/.429 batting line with 17 homers in 2012 but will return as the regular right fielder against right-handed pitching in 2013.
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Rays avoided arbitration with OF Sam Fuld by agreeing to a one-year, $725,000 contract.
Fuld was arbitration-eligible for the first time as a Super 2 player. He batted just .255/.318/.327 in 2012 while being limited to 44 games due to injury but will return in a reserve role in 2013.
Rays avoided arbitration with RHP Jeff Niemann by agreeing to a one-year, $3 million contract.
Niemann was arbitration-eligible for the second time this winter after making $2.75 million in 2012. The big right-hander missed most of 2012 with a broken fibula and had to be shut down in September with a shoulder issue, but he’s healthy now and is expected to be part of the Rays’ 2013 rotation.
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Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the Rays are “definitely in the mix” for free agent reliever Kyle Farnsworth.
FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported Monday that Farnsworth had narrowed his choices from six teams to three and it appears the Rays are one of the finalists. According to Topkin, Farnsworth will make a decision within the next couple of days. The 36-year-old right-hander posted a 4.00 ERA and 25/14 K/BB ratio over 34 appearances with the Rays in 2012.
Source: twitter.com
Tagged as: Kyle Farnsworth, news, Rays
FOX Sports’ Jon Paul Morosi reports that David Price’s new one-year, $10.1125 million contract with the Rays includes $4 million in deferred salary payable in 2014.
The two sides agreed to the deal on New Year’s Eve. Motivated by the top federal income tax rate increasing on January 1, Price received an immediate $5 million signing bonus while his base salary for 2013 checks in at just $1 million. If Price is traded next winter, the Rays have set themselves up for the acquiring team to potentially be responsible for the $4 million deferred payment. The 27-year-old left-hander is currently under team control through 2015, but as his salary continues to rise through the arbitration process, a trade might become a serious consideration.
Source: foxsports.com
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FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that interest in Kyle Farnsworth is “intensifying” following the Rafael Soriano signing.
Rosenthal writes that Soriano has “multiple offers” and has “narrowed his choices from six teams to three.” It’s not clear who the finalists are, but Rosenthal notes that the Rays, Tigers, Blue Jays, Mariners, Marlins and Mets are looking for late-inning relievers. Farnsworth posted a 4.00 ERA and 25/14 K/BB ratio over 34 appearances for the Rays in 2012.
Source: twitter.com
Tagged as: Kyle Farnsworth, news, Rays
Rays minor league catcher David Wendt was suspended 50 games for testing positive for the stimulant Methylhexaneamine.
Wendt, 26, owns a .235/.284/.314 batting line over four seasons in the minors. He’s basically a non-prospect at this point and the suspension likely won’t help his standing in the organization.
Source: twitter.com
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Rays signed RHP J.D. Martin to a minor league contract.
Martin posted a 5.95 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 130 innings last season at Triple-A New Orleans — an affiliate of the Marlins. He will act as depth for Tampa Bay.
Source: twitter.com
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Ben Francisco’s agent, John Boggs, told Mark Hale of the New York Post that the Yankees and Mets are among the teams who have expressed interest in his client.
Boggs says three other teams are interested and that he and is client are looking for the “best opportunity” and “who will offer the most at-bats.” While Francisco is a right-handed hitting outfielder, he has been marginally better against right-handed pitchers during his career. The 31-year-old batted just .240/.285/.385 with four homers and a .670 OPS last season between the Blue Jays, Astros and Rays.
Source: twitter.com
Tagged as: Ben Francisco, news, Rays