Hot-Stove: The non-tender deadline has come and gone

Is Ryan Roberts the Rays primary second baseman in 2013?
Is Ryan Roberts the Rays primary second baseman in 2013?

The non-tender deadline passed late last night, and Tampa Bay chose to tender the contracts of seven arbitration eligible players (David Price, Jeff Niemann, Sam Fuld, Burke Badenhop, Matt Joyce, Sean Rodriguez, and Ryan Roberts) while opting to leave outfielder Ben Francisco out of the mix. The above mentioned players will now move on to arbitration. It should be mentioned that the Rays under Andrew Friedman have never lost an arbitration case.

Opting to tender the contract of Ryan Roberts came as a bit of a surprise. Roberts hit .214 in 60 games after being acquired July 24, just prior to the 2012 trade deadline. He made $2.01 million and is in line for an increase of around $3 million. Though the Rays haven’t made their plans for the middle infield known, keeping Roberts in the mix of things could find a team with Ben Zobrist at shortstop and Roberts at second.

Tendering Roberts’ contract does start to sure up the Rays infield, however the outfield seems to still be in a state of flux. Andrew Friedman was quoted as saying,

“I would have no issues saying that we’re trying to figure out what we’re going to do at DH and first base, potentially [seeking] an outfielder,” “There are different ways we can go because of versatility. We can look at different things.”

Choosing to non-tender Ben Francisco’s contract is a sure sign that the Rays are still in the market for another outfielder. But who they may be targeting is unknown. Are they potentially putting together some sort of package for Justin Upton? That fails to be seen at the moment. Also in question is who will be the Rays DH next season. Alfonso Soriano is still an intriguing prospect, but what would the Rays have to give for him? Then there’s the question of whether they’d be able to afford Soriano, even with the Cubs eating a chunk of his $18 MM per year contract. I think it is safe to say that if Tampa Bay makes a move in this direction, they will have to err toward either Soriano or Upton, not both.

usp-mlb_-boston-red-sox-at-baltimore-orioles-3_4_r560
Mark Reynolds, a potential candidate to anchor down the right side for the Rays?

A potential first baseman has entered the market, and he could be an intriguing option to anchor down the right corner. The Orioles chose to non-tender 1B/3B Mark Reynolds yesterday. Reynolds has some pop in his bat, something that the Rays are in need of. Reynolds started the 2012 season slowly, but hit 15 home runs after August 1st. He finished the 2012 season with 23 homers and 69 RBI, ultimately posting a .221 BA/.335 OBP/.429 SLG/.764 OPS batting line. Bill James projects that Reynolds could be a .231 BA/.336 OBP/.463 SLG/.799 OPS hitter in 2013, potentially bashing out 32 homers, and driving in 90 RBI. You may be asking what the downside to Mark Reynolds might be? Strikeouts…and a lot of them.

The 29-year-old struck out 159 times in 2012, posting a 29.6% strikeout percentage. He also has a career 11.9% to 32.6% BB/K ratio, however he didn’t lead the league in strikeouts for the first time since 2007. With all of this said, the question begs: Is he worth the risk? I think he might be.

Hot-Stove: BJ Upton to sign with the Braves, Jeff Keppinger rumors, and the Rays sign Mike Fontenot and re-sign Rich Thompson to minor league deals (updated)

20121128-183328.jpg
Thanks, BJ! Perhaps another Upton in the outfield is in the Rays future?

FYI, this piece has been updated below.

Thanks for everything BJ, you’ll be missed! Upton’s tenure with the Rays officially came to an end today, as news broke that he’s signed a 5-year, $75.25 MM contract with the Atlanta Braves. His windfall (of sorts) does not include any options for 2018 or beyond.

With news that (technically speaking) former Rays and current free agent Jeff Keppinger recently broke his leg, rumors have spread like wildfire, perhaps the other six teams linked to Kepp may now have waning interest in the 32 year-old utility infielder…at least until he heals fully. Questions, whether he could he be going for a cheaper price, have also been heard. Could this be a lucky break, no pun intended, for the Rays who may be interested in re-signing Kepp?

In other news, word broke late Wednesday night that Tampa Bay has inked a pair of minor league contracts with infielder Mike Fontenot and outfielder Rich Thompson. These moves seem intriguing and rather perplexing, depending on who you’re taling about.

Fontenot with the Giants in 2011

Fontenot, 32, hit .289 BA/.343 OBP/.340 SLG/.683 OPS  in 105 plate appearances for the Phillies this year, while also hitting .308 BA/.368 OBP/.481 SLG/.849 OPS in 58 plate appearances with their Triple-A squad. He also had a .951 fielding percentage, committing three errors last season. He’s not a terrible infielder by any stretch of the imagination, (especially when you consider that he’s a career .980 FP infielder) though he did perform just under league average in the field in 2012. The question begs, with the deadline to tender contracts looming on the horizon, (Friday, November 30 to be exact) could this acquisition be indicative of anything beyond the norm? That is to say, is it indicative that the Rays may choose not to tender either Sean Rodriguez or Ryan Roberts contracts? As with Roberts and Rodriguez, Fontenot is a utility infielder that’s spent most of his time either up the middle, or at third. With Zobrist presumably getting the nod at short, one would assume that if Fontenot were to make the roster out of spring training, the Rays would have to cut someone. Food for thought.

Why the Rays chose to re-sign Thompson is beyond me. MLB Trade Rumors said it best, “Thompson, 33, had two hits in 22 plate appearances for Tampa last year, doing most of his work as a pinch-runner. It was his first appearance in the big leagues since 2004.” I’m not certain if they intended to imply that Thompson’s resume may be less than…ahem. However, It’s fairly obvious to me at least, that Tampa Bay may have been better off in not re-signing Thompson. Then again, Maddon and company have more insight into these sorts of things and are much better judges than I, so…

Update: In addition to the acquisition and re-signings of Mike Fontenot and Rich Thompson, the Rays have also announced the recent acquisitions and re-signings of RHP Will Inman,1B Nick Weglarz, RHP Matt Buschmann and INF Shawn O’Malley to minor-league deals. The aforementioned players all have invitations to major-league spring training.

Longo gets a huge contract extension

For the first time in franchise history, we might see a player stick around with the Rays from the beginning to the end of his career.

We’ve all heard the news by now, Evan Longoria has received a sizable extension which will net him $136 million between now and 2022. Marc Topkin called the move “surprising and significant,” and well, we’d have to concur.

This move is indicative of a few things. First, it shows that the Rays, as an organization, are committed to building a team around a player. We haven’t really seen the Rays focus on someone who could be considered a franchise player, at least not in recent history. This extension is an acknowledgement of how valuable Longoria is to the Rays in the short-term, while also giving nods to a team that is constantly working toward building a fan base and a legacy.

This could also be viewed as a not so blatant message to other players that may be considering a move to Tampa Bay, that the Rays are more than just a 4A breeding ground for the likes of the Yankees or the Red Sox. Suffice to say, the Rays have garnered a reputation for signing players to shorter (or team friendly) contracts. One could argue that we could have had the opportunity to watch Buster Posey play on a daily basis, hadn’t he been steered away by extenuating circumstances predicated on the Rays keen ability to finagle a deal.

A deal like this speaks volumes. Stu Sternberg’s comments during the press conference seem to support the thoughts above. Sternburg was quoted as saying, “We can afford to sign any player,” and “This deal helps us for future, (though it) doesn’t impact what we do short-term.” The question then begs, though the attendance has shown no signs of improvement, could we see the Rays sign players (both present or future) to bigger and/or longer contracts? I think it could, at least within reason. If the conclusion drawn by DRaysBay is holds water, the Rays will have the means to spend more money in the very near future, even without an increase in attendance.

Starting in 2014, Tampa Bay stands to net approximately $25 million more per season thanks to the new national television contracts with Fox, ESPN and TBS. Consider also that the Rays local television contract is up in 2016, and they’ll be looking to renegotiate a deal. If their ever-increasing television ratings an indication of things, the Rays stand to make bank from a new local television contract. Extra revenue streams equal more money, and more money could find a Rays with the ability to spend more.

Whatever the case, Longoria’s new contract will incorporate the salaries for 2013 through 2016 from his original contract, while extending his contract six more years through 2022 for an additional $100 million. The extension is worth $100-million, for an annual average value $16.6-million, with an option for 2023. Longoria’s salaries in the new deal step up from $13-million in 2017 to around $20-million in 2022, and includes a club option for 2013. You can see the terms for the deal below.

Let’s hope he, ahem…practices better stretching techniques so he isn’t shelved for half a season any time soon.

Terms of Longoria’s Contract Extension (as per the Tampa Bay Times)

Previous deal, now guaranteed:

2013: $6-million
2014: $7.5-million
2015: $11-million
2016: $12.1-million (increased from $11.5-million)

New deal (guaranteed)

$1-million signing bonus

2017: $13-million
2018: $13.5-million
2019: $14.5-million
2020: $15-million
2021: $18.5-million
2022: $19.5-million
2023: Team option – $5-million buyout or $13-million plus incentives.

If Longoria is traded, there is a $2-million assignment bonus (presumably paid by acquiring team).

Rays Add Four to the 40-Man Roster and Jonny Gomes

With a deadline to finalize the 40-man roster prior to the December 6th Rule Five Draft looming, the Rays added four players to their roster yesterday; shortstops Hak-Ju Lee and Tim Beckham, as well as LHP Felipe Rivero and Enny Romero. This move follows the re-signing of RHP reliever Joel Peralta Wednesday. Adding Lee, Beckham, Rivero, and Romero protects them from the Rule 5 draft which will take place on December 6th at the end of the winter meetings. The four of them would have been eligible for the Rule Five Draft for the first time.

Tim Beckham most notably sticks out. As you may recall, Beckham was suspended for 50 games last season due to testing positive for drugs for the second time. Beckham, the first overall pick in 2008, posted a .256 BA/.325 OBP/.361 SLG/.686 OPS line with six homers, six steals in 323 plate appearances with AAA Durham in 2012. Overall, Beckham has a .709 career OPS in 2187 career plate appearances in the minors. Beckham was heralded as one of Baseball America’s top 100 prospects list in 2010, but seems to have been stuck in a rut of sorts since. You can see the current Rays roster by clicking on the photo below.

Roster courtesy of 40-Man Rosters
I wonder if the Red Sox forgave Gomes for this prior to signing him?

In other news, former Ray Jonny Gomes is back in the AL East. Whoop whoop. MLB Trade Rumors reported yesterday that Gomes has been offered two-year contract worth $10MM by the Boston Red Sox. You know, the same Red Sox that dumped a fair portion of their roster last year…the same team that hasn’t seemed to learn from prior transgressions, offering Gomes twice the amount he was making in Oakland in 2012. Gomes posted a posted a .262 BA/.377 OBP/.491 SLG batting line with 18 home runs and 44 walks in 333 plate appearances. Gomes is a career .284 BA/.382 OBP/.512 SLG hitter against left-handed pitching, hitting southpaws well in 2012. As Dustin, a good friend of the blog, so eloquently put it,

I wish I felt reassured about the fact that Gomes is gonna play a lousy LF, but you can field a statue in left at Fenway and do just fine. It is nice to hear that the Sox sank $10 million into a guy who can’t hit RHP. I’m still gonna try to remember fondly the post-game interview with a smiling and breathless Jonny Gomes right after he scored a game-winning run against the Yankees back in 2008, when he was asked how it felt to be a Ray. “I tell you what. It doesn’t suck.”