The Tampa Bay Rays have a big offseason ahead with a lot of responsibility falling on the front office.
The General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas came and went this week as front offices among the league provided outlines for the offseason.
Naturally, the Tampa Bay Rays were a part of this, and ESPN MLB writer Jorge Castillo gave his take on the club’s future.
“The Rays' offseason began with picking up options for Brandon Lowe and Taylor Walls but declining an $11 million option for Pete Fairbanks, allowing their best reliever to reach free agency,” Castillo wrote. “The decision underlined the franchise's financial reality as a small-market entity with an uncertain future.”
“Fairbanks will find a lucrative deal elsewhere -- he's in line for a three-year deal and has no shortage of suitors -- and the Rays will presumably find cost-efficient ways to replace him in the bullpen. With only $29 million in guaranteed financial commitments for 2026, they will be seeking a catcher and perhaps a utility infielder.”
After Patrick Zalupski — the head of the new ownership group who purchased the Rays in September — made it clear the economics of the team will largely remain the same heading into next season, it is no surprise the Rays are not going big game hunting.
Picking up Lowe’s option after an All-Star season made financial sense, but the front office could not pay Fairbanks $11 million after earning $3.67 million each of the last three seasons. Tampa Bay also claimed its former prospect Jake Fraley off waivers, giving the team another left-handed bat at a reasonable price.
The Rays will be busy moving forward, with important dates such as the Winter Meetings occurring Dec. 7-10. More dates are listed below:
Nov. 18-20: Players have until 3:00 pm Central to decide whether to accept the qualifying offer. If they accept, they'll return to their previous team on a one-year, $22.025MM contract. Players who accept a QO, like all major league free agent signees, cannot be traded without their consent until June 15. Those who decline the QO are tied to draft compensation.
-Rule 5 protection deadline. Teams have until this date to add players who would otherwise be eligible for the Rule 5 draft to their 40-man roster to keep them out of the draft.
-Quarterly owners meetings in New York. Commissioner Rob Manfred typically speaks with reporters at this time.
Nov. 21: Non-tender deadline at 7:00pm Central. Teams must decide whether to offer contracts to the arbitration-eligible and pre-arbitration players on their 40-man roster. They do not need to agree to salaries by this date, but there'll be a flurry of salary agreements as players who might otherwise be non-tender candidates often lock in deals at slightly lesser than projected salaries to avoid being cut loose. Players who are non-tendered immediately become free agents without going through waivers.