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2010 Tampa Bay Rays 40-Man Roster And Payroll
40-man Roster April 24th. 2009, 12:00pm40-Man Roster and Payroll (notes on the roster can be found below the table)…
Notes on the 40-man roster projection
- Ages are as of today.
- Desmond Jennings, Jeremy Hellickson and Aneury Rodriguez need to be added to the 40-man roster after the season to protect them from the Rule 5 draft. Is there anybody else the Rays need to protect? Can you make an argument for Ryan Reid, Eddie Morlan or Matt Fields?
- We know this is not a very realistic projection, because Stuart Sternberg has already made it clear that the payroll will most likely go down next season. And as we can see, if all options are exercised, the Rays are already committed to $75-80 million, depending on how the arbitration-eligible players are handled. And that is after lopping off the contracts of Troy Percival and Chad Bradford, both of whom will be free agents after the season.
- So where can the Rays save money? The obvious answers are Carl Crawford and Aki Iwamura, both of whom have team options for the 2010 season. Trading those players or just declining the options would bring the payroll closer to the number that the Rays opened the 2009 season with (~$63 million).
- The other possibility would be trade Scott Kazmir, who is due $8 million next season. But we find it hard to believe that the Rays would trade a young lefty before his prime, and who is signed to a reasonable deal through 2012.
- So let’s hear it in the comments…your task: How do the Rays bring their payroll down to $55-60 million for the 2010 season?
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I suspect that if Fernando Perez is ready by the trade deadline that Crawford will be traded at that point. It will be interesting to see what happens with Aki. Could it be that Adam Kennedy ends up the starting second baseman and Aki is traded?
I am of the opinion that we should deal Kaz before Carl and only because pitching is an area of strength and outfield is not. Aki is going to have to go regardless, so I guess it will be a Zobrist/Aybar/Brignac showdown for that slot. Then it’s a matter of what we get in return for Kaz or Carl, but I would always lean toward Kaz, because we have replacements. I will say that if Nando looks really good when he comes back, that would make it better. But Nando for Carl doesn’t feel as good as Davis for Kaz. Or Niemann for Kaz, for that matter.
quick note: shaded players are projected to be on the 40-man, but not on the opening day roster.
The players below that are on the 40-man roster now but will either be a free agent or out of minor league options in 2010 and have no room on the 25-man roster.
You already talked about CC, Perez seems like the likely replacement, at least until Desmond Jennings is ready. Seems like at $3.5MM Wheeler has to go, especially when it seems that Thayer is ready for a call up, and Morlan should be ready some time next season.
I could see if the Rays fall of the pace this year or next year Burrell being a trade deadline deal. Having Aybar, Kennedy, and Brignac with the Rays right now, it seems that they Rays have options other then Aki. Maybe if Brignac can prove to be a Major League SS, Bartlett could be on the way out. If Joyce is ML ready does anyone really care if Gross is here next year?
As far as Kaz, I’m with Prof. Young, Lefty, Starting Pitcher, Reasonable for a #2 or 3 starting pitcher. I think Kaz is around next year.
I know this is the 40 Man roster Projection, and not 25 man, but I see Sonny either in the ‘pen or traded by next year, with Price, Davis, Hellickson on the way, Jacob McGee should be getting healthy again by then, and who knows what can be expected out of Wade Townsend in the future, but it sure seems that the Rays are running out of spots in the rotation again next season too, not a bad problem to have. Like I said, I see Kaz still in the rotation.
This is depressing…..
Agreed.
sad rawr
I say with Price in the rotation and Niemann and Davis (or others) in the ‘pen then Dan Wheeler becomes dead weight.
I’ve advocated dealing CC in favor of Mr Perez-ident since last season.
Again with the fire sale talk!! Its still April. I’d suggest the carpetbaggers take less out of the team and re-invest back into the franchise. $60M payroll is not realisitic for any owner. Between revenue sharing and the increased gate, they should be able to support $75M if 2009 is a successful season. Second, it is not CC’s fault they overpaid for Burrell. This team has a window of opportunity through 2011 or so before the payroll goes nuts. They owe it to the fans and the players to keep that together.
Of course, if they are 15 games out in July, I’d be encouraging them to make a move because the players will have failed to hold up their end of the bargain. But we are not there yet. I like Perez, but don’t kid yourself that he’ll be the same player CC is. That’s a big drop for a team that already is short in the OF and on the offensive side. I’d dangle Kazmir back to the Mets before I’d dump CC. I’m still not convinced he is right.
ummm. nobody said firesale. all that is being said here is that the Rays have to find a way to cut payroll before next season.
FACT: The Rays contracts are going to cost almost $80M
FACT: Stuey said the payroll is already too high where it is now ~$63M.
FACT: sometime between now and next April, the Rays WILL cut $15-20M in salaries (unless the Rays win the World Series or suddenly start selling out every game).
And I dont think anybody is saying Perez will be as good as CC, but Perez will cost about $0.4M. Crawford will cost A WHOLE LOT MORE.
And who thinks the Rays overpaid for Burrell? Most think they got a great deal. In fact, Scott Boras was pissed because he thinks Burrell signed too cheap and cost other players a lot of money.
CC staying is the sentimental pick, but he hasn’t shown anything to “wow” the masses in mor than 2 years. Perez is a bit of a drop-off, but not nearly as much of one as you’re venturing to assume.
Burrell was a steal even if he only hovers around .275 all season, because due to his patience and plate presence his OBP is going to be good regardless, and he’s eating up pitches which leads to starters being pulled for relievers which typically has a positive outcome.
Kaz is also signed at a very reasonable price, so dumping him wouldn’t be the wisest financial decision in the longrun because at some point in the near future they’d have to pay his replacement equal or more money anyways.
My scenario:
Trade Gross, Bartlett, and Navarro (shocker I know). That would save the Rays possibly 9 million right there.
Why you trade them:
Bartlett and Gross are mediocre players leaving their prime but not statistically yet. We sell high knowing they will fall off in a couple of years. Hopefully we package them and get a really good prospect, like some teams #1 (preferably a catcher I guess). Now Navarro would be just entering his prime. He’s had a below average year, an abysmal year, and an all star year. Another strong year for Navarro and he would bring back a fools gold. I don’t know how much the Rays brass likes him either. I remember Hunsicker once saying in an interview that he doesn’t think Navarro will ever hit .300.
Aneury=NO. Matt Fields=NO. Desmond Jennings=YES. Jeremy Hellickson=YES. Rhyne Hughes=YES. Eddie Morlan=YES. Heath Rollins=POSSIBLY
–Don’t pick up Aki option, leave Zobrist at 2nd–$4.25 million
–don’t pick up Shouse option ($1.9)
–Don’t offer arb. to Gross, leaving RF to Joyce/Perez–$2 million
–Don’t offer arb. to Navi, go with Hernandez/Riggans/Player X-$4 million
–Don’t offer arb. to Balfour ($2.5)
–Don’t offer arb. to Nelson ($2)
$16.65
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$78 million becomes $61.3 millionish.
You could still have a team of:
LF Crawford/Burrell
CF Upton
RF Joyce/Perez
3B Longoria/Aybar
SS Bartlett
2B Zobrist/Dillon or Brignac
1B Pena
C Hernandez/Riggans or Cheap FA (trade involving Wheeler?)
SP Shields/Kazmir/Garza/Price/Niemann
RP Howell/Wheeler/Bennett/Cormier/Choate/Thayer/Cheap FA
I think the rays would like to see Matt Joyce, Desmond Jennings, Sean Rodriguez and possibly Jeremy Hellickson on the 25 man roster for 2010. If that’s the case, then who’s out?
Obviously, at $5 million Aki is out for Sean Rodriguez at 2B. Matt Joyce will start in right; the Gabe experiment is over! I could see the rays keeping Gross to platoon with Joyce. Desmond Jennings will be in CF for BJ, who may be with Durham, Montgomery or Timbuktu. That leaves only one spot for the breakout player of the year Zoorilla, and that spot is left field. I love CC and would hate to see him gone, but with a $10 million team option ($1.25 M buyout) I don’t see the rays putting that kinda money in one player. Its too bad Burrell is soaking up 15% of the 2010 payroll, and after their recent locker room scuffle, its gonna suck to have to keep Burrell and lose our most devoted player!
With the addition of Wade Davis, Hellickson would be our 6th starter, so I could see an off-season trade to make room for hell boy. Maybe we could get a legit closer for one of our starters, and throw in BJ and a sack of baseballs. That would get the payroll down to the $60 million range, which is probably their budget.
I’d like to see this updated, time permitting.