Rays to enter into contracts with 4 eligible players

With Friday at 8:00 pm The deadline for submitting contracts to eligible players for arbitration is fast approaching, MLB.com examines in detail the immediate financial decisions that weigh on each club. For players' contracts, players will have until January 11 to enter into a new contract with their team, after which they will be able to trade arbitration figures, reach an agreement or go to a hearing.

In this arena, the Rays are among the least busy baseball teams this week. While clubs like Arizona and Milwaukee have 14 eligible players at the refereeing, Tampa Bay only counts four.

With Friday at 8:00 pm The deadline for submitting contracts to eligible players for arbitration is fast approaching, MLB.com examines in detail the immediate financial decisions that weigh on each club. For players' contracts, players will have until January 11 to enter into a new contract with their team, after which they will be able to trade arbitration figures, reach an agreement or go to a hearing.

In this arena, the Rays are among the least busy baseball teams this week. While clubs like Arizona and Milwaukee have 14 eligible players at the refereeing, Tampa Bay only counts four.

What remains to be done?
Not much after the designated club C.J. Cron for an assignment before the deadline to protect prospects from draft Rule 5 of November 20. After a year in his career and in his second year of officiating, Cron was on the verge of winning the biggest increase of any player in the Rays lineup. This makes him the most likely bidder without offers from Tampa Bay, given his financial constraints.

Video: MLB Now on Cron Get Claimed by Twins

Cron will earn $ 2.6 million in 2018, but that's not the problem of the Rays since it was claimed by the Twins on November 26th. The question remains, but the question of how the Rays plan to replace the production of Cron. The slugger led the club in a series of major offensive categories in 18, including circuits (30), races (68), produced points (74), total goals (247), black strikes (.493) and OPS (.816). .

In the energy sector, no player in the Rays' lineup hit more than 21 home runs last season; Tommy Pham hit 14 with St. Louis and seven in 39 games with Tampa Bay.

Who else is eligible for arbitration?
In the absence of Cron, the Rays only have four players eligible for arbitration and should enter into contracts with each of them: catcher Mike Zunino, Pham, field player Matt Duffy and right-handed Chaz Roe. All feature prominently in the Tampa Bay plans for 2019.

Zunino, 27, was acquired with the player Guillermo Heredia and prospect Michael Plassmeyer for Mallex Smith and left-handed minor league Jake Fraley On November 8, Pham was the centerpiece of an agreement with the Cardinals on July 31. Duffy rebounded after a 2017 season lost due to an injury to register a .294 / .361 / .366 slash line, and he can play against the four infield positions. Roe has proven to be reliable in repair, and it should be affordable since it is eligible for arbitration for the first time.

Video: TOR @ TB: Pham Smith plate with a triple to center

Who is the most likely candidate without a call for tenders?
It would be Roe, who had an average of 3.58 points in 61 appearances for the Rays last season. This represented the league's biggest workload for the 32-year-old Companion, purchased by Tampa Bay in 2017 after stints with the Braves, Orioles, Yankees, Marlins, D-backs, Mariners and Rockies. .

Video: TB @ CLE: Roe prompts to take off

Roe's projected salary for 2019 should be reasonable for a reliever who has withdrawn more than one batter per run and managed 31 catches. That said, anything is possible for a small market club that considers launchers roles as fluid as the Rays do. Tampa Bay has 18 pitchers on its 40-man roster that could ostensibly work in relief.