Apr 05
Barring any major moves, the Rays opening day payroll will be approximately $65.1 million. That would be an increase of 58.4% over last year’s opening day payroll of $41.1 million. It would also be the second-highest payroll under Stuart Sternberg, behind only 2010 when the payroll was approximately $72.8 million.
Here’s the full breakdown, with notes below…
Notes on the roster and payroll…
- The active roster (players in white) includes 28 players as three (BJ Upton, Robinson Chirinos, Sam Fuld) are on the DL. The entire 40-man roster includes 39 players as Matt Bush was recently removed.
- Salaries for players in their first three seasons will make Read the rest of this entry »
Feb 20
Nothing too fancy here. Just a look at the Rays 59-man Spring Training roster and how it breaks down by age. Players in blue are on the 40-man roster and players in white are non-roster spring training invites.
The average age of the spring roster is 27.7 which is down just a tad from the 2011 spring rosters (27.8). Considering the average big leaguer peaks around age 28, this seems to be optimal. Of the players in camp, 47 are in their 20s and 12 are in their 30s. The oldest is Jose Molina (36). And the youngest is Hak-Ju Lee (21), who is one of three players born in the 90s. Yes, the 90s.
Feb 20
We haven’t done this since Jeff Niemann lost his arbitration case, so let’s take a quick look at the projected 40-man roster.
Barring any major moves, the Rays opening day payroll will be approximately $64.3 million. That would be an increase of 56.4% over last year’s opening day payroll of $41.1 million. It would also be the second-highest payroll under Stuart Sternberg, behind only 2010 when the payroll was approximately $72.8 million.
| (1) Once a player is added to the 40-man roster, the team can ‘option’ the player to the minors 3 times. A team cannot be charged with using more than one option in a given season even if a player is demoted to the minors several times that year. An option is not used if a player is added to the 40-man roster midseason unless he is sent back to the minors at some point. An option is only used if a player spends more than 20 days in the minors while on the 40-man roster. A player with more than 5 years experience can refuse a minor league assignment, so we list those players as having no options. |
| (2) Years remaining under control of franchise before free agency eligibility. A player can become a free agent after 6 years of Major League service time. |
| (3) First, second and third year players will have their salaries determined by the team, but will fall close to the major league minimum which is $480K in ’12. Minor leaguers on the 40-man make $78,250. We are not including signing bonuses or incentives. |
| * Players with at least 3 years since their big league debut. These players must clear optional waivers in order to be demoted to the minors even if they have options remaining. |
Jan 25
We will update the 25-man roster projection tomorrow, but first, let’s take a look at the payroll projection…
With the addition of Carlos Pena, the 2012 payroll projects to be approximately $63.6 million, an increase of 54.7 percent over last season. This is based on raises already built into existing contracts, and projected salaries for arbitration-eligible players and players in their first three seasons.
Here is the breakdown of the projected payroll. Notes on the table, and additional thoughts can be found below…
Notes on the projected 40-man roster and payroll…
- As expected, Justin Ruggiano, who was out of minor league options, was removed from the 40-man roster when Carlos Pena was signed.
- Other key players
out of minor league options who will be fighting for roster spots include Elliot Johnson and Jose Lobaton. However, we project both of those players to make the opening day roster. Read the rest of this entry »
Jan 17
Last year, the Rays payroll went from $71.9 million in 2010 to $41.1 million this past season, a drop of more than 40 percent.
If the season started today, the 2012 payroll would be approximately $56.9 million, an increase of 38.4 percent over last season. This is based on raises already built into existing contracts, and projected salaries for arbitration-eligible players and players in their first three seasons.
Here is the breakdown of the projected payroll. Notes on the table, and additional thoughts can be found below…
Notes on the projected 40-man roster and payroll…
- The Rays currently have 40 players on the 40-man roster. However, Justin Ruggiano is out of minor league options and we don’t see spots for him on the opening day roster unless somebody gets hurt.
- Other key players Read the rest of this entry »
Nov 02
Last year we knew the Rays payroll was going to go down. And with the departure of several high-priced free agents, along with the trade of Matt Garza, the payroll went from $71.9 million in 2010 to $41.1 million this past season, a drop of more than 40 percent.
Stuart Sternberg has not made any public declarations about this year’s payroll, but his recent comments on attendance suggest that the team won’t be in a hurry to add too much money to the 2012 payroll. However, based on the Rays projected payroll for 2012, they may not have a choice.
If the season started today, the Tampa Bay Rays payroll would be approximately $52.1 million. That is an increase of 27 percent over the 2011 season. This is based on raises already built into existing contracts, and projected salaries for arbitration-eligible players and players in their first three seasons.
Here is the breakdown of the projected payroll. Notes on the table, and additional thoughts can be found below…
Notes on the projected 40-man roster and payroll…
Apr 01
Well, we knew the payroll was going to go down. And now that the opening day roster is set, we know just how far the payroll has fallen.
Last year, the Rays opened the season with a $71.9 million payroll. This year, with several high-priced defections, the opening day payroll will be $41.9 million. That is a drop of 41.7% from a year ago. Of course, that is close to the $43.8 million opening day payroll in 2008, the year the Rays went to the World Series.
[Update: Marc Topkin tracked down the actual salaries for the players making close to league minimum]
Read the rest of this entry »
Jan 27
With the recent additions of Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon and Kyle Farnsworth, here is an updated look at how the Rays 40-man roster and 2011 payroll would look if the season started today. We will have more on the opening day roster later today…
Notes on the 40-man projection…
- A legend for the table can be found below.
- Players in white would be on the 25-man roster. Players in grey would be on the 40-man roster but are projected to start the season in the minors.
- Justin Ruggiano, Elliot Johnson and Adam Russell will be out of minor league options.
- Stuart Sternberg said Read the rest of this entry »
Dec 22
[Update 2] With the signing of Kyle Farnsworth ($3.0M in 2011), the projected payroll is now $35.4 million.
[Update] With the trade of Matt Garza, the Rays now have a projected payroll of just $33.3 million. That is quite a step down from $71.9 million a year ago. Of course there is still time left to spend some of the money saved. We’ll see if Andrew Friedman and Co. do pick up a bat and maybe a reliever or two to shore of the roster.
We knew the Rays would be cutting payroll in 2011, and after seeing several members of the 2010 roster sign with new teams and Jason Bartlett traded to the
Padres, we now have a better idea of what the roster and payroll will look like next season. In fact, at this point, the Rays have already cut their payroll in half. Below is the 40-man roster and payroll projection based on players currently in the organization.
Notes on the roster can be found after the table…
Notes on the 40-man projection…
- A legend for the table can be found below.
- There are currently 36 players on the 40-man roster. Players in white would
Read the rest of this entry »
Oct 25
Last week we looked at the 2011 25-man roster, now let’s gander at the 2011 40-man roster and payroll projection. Notes on the projection can be found after the table…
Notes on the 40-man projection…
