PORT CHARLOTTE — The exact opening day total will depend on the final roster moves and decisions, but the Rays seem certain to go where they’ve never been payroll-wise: surpassing $80 million, and likely $90 million, for the first time.
There are different accounting methods, but using the most basic — adding the salaries of the players on the roster and injured list to start the season — their previous high was $78,245,400 for the 2022 team. Last year’s total was $71,455,266.
The increased total — albeit less than one-third of the top teams and just over half of the league average — is the product of several elements, including general cost-of-doing-business inflation.
But several key Rays also are graduating from being younger, near minimum salary, breakout players to higher-paid stars, such as Randy Arozarena (now making $8.1 million) and Isaac Paredes ($3.4 million). They did trade Tyler Glasnow and Manuel Margot to save about $33 million.
Principal owner Stuart Sternberg said the hike doesn’t come easily. “I’m swallowing more than hard because it’s going to lead to real losses this year,” he said.
But he said he is willing to do so for what, ultimately, is a good reason.
“I’d like to keep this rolling at this point,” he said. “Certainly, if we can.”
The Rays have made the playoffs the last five seasons, which only three other teams have done, and want to extend that streak while avoiding being eliminated in their first round like the last three years.
“We think this is, like, our sort of time, and we don’t know if we’re going to have this opportunity in a year or two,” said Sternberg, noting If they don’t win this year, they could “pull back” for 2025, which adds to the stakes.
Plus there are other signs of progress.
Attendance last year was up nearly 30% from 2022, “the first time it moved up a nice amount” since 2007-08, he said, with the 1,440,301 total their highest since 2014.
Sternberg said they’ve gotten “a really great response” from sponsors, both in adding newcomers and increasing existing arrangements.
And he feels recent changes to the Tropicana Field concession processes, such as going cashless and investing in technology to expedite lines (such as ordering kiosks), have “really squared away” the experience for fans.
Sternberg has another good reason to want to keep things going in the right direction:
Good vibes about the team should help in the push to get their planned new stadium — adjacent to the Trop as part of a massive area redevelopment, with the St. Petersburg City Council and Pinellas County Commission expected to vote in May — and then the transition to the targeted 2028 opening.
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Explore all your options“The arrows are pointing up across the board right now,” he said. “So I wanted to make sure we gave it a chance to continue to grow, and see if we can get things up to a point. And I’ll feel even better when we get the stadium deal done, and we just roll right into that.”
Whither Wander
There may be a change in paperwork status in the coming week for Wander Franco, who remains away from the team and under investigation in his native Dominican Republic for an alleged relationship with a minor. Starting Monday — within 10 days of the season opener — Franco could be taken off the 40-man roster and placed on either the restricted list (where he won’t be paid) or administrative leave (and get his $2 million salary during the season). The Rays, MLB and the union are expected to discuss.
Rays rumblings
Cover of #Rays media guide, which was released today and should be available for fans to purchase in team store during season: pic.twitter.com/0dNMCvy7AW
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) March 15, 2024
The Rays sent 20-year-old top prospect Junior Caminero to Triple A because they didn’t feel he was ready to play regularly in the majors and a part-time role would stunt development. That conceivably could save them money in terms of arbitration and/or free agency eligibility. But, unless they change their mind within two weeks, it also could cost them as Caminero won’t get the full year of service time that could earn them an extra draft pick for him winning Rookie of the Year or being a top-three MVP finisher in the next three years. … Infielder Taylor Walls had his contract renewed, the only one of the 22 players with zero to three years of service time to not agree to terms. Walls got a salary of $757,300 ($17,300 above the new minimum). He made $727,600 last year, which was $7,600 above the then minimum. The others go from the minimum $740,000 (five players) to Jose Siri’s $757,800. … ESPN’s ranking of the game’s top 100 players didn’t think much of the Rays, pegging Arozarena No. 54 (and saying his “unparalleled swag likely helped his ranking more than his numbers”) and Yandy Diaz 74th. Franco was not considered, as he ended last season on administrative leave. … The Rays’ “injured list rotation” would stack up pretty well league-wide when healthy: Shane McClanahan, Jeffrey Springs, Drew Rasmussen, Shane Baz, Taj Bradley. … USA Today’s latest MLB stadium rankings had Tropicana Field 29th, ahead of just Oakland. NorthJersey.com’s Pete Caldera had the Trop last, saying “Just not a baseball park, with zero atmosphere and inconveniently located in St. Petersburg.” … Though Cash just got a contract extension through at least 2029, he was grouped with the Phillies’ Rob Thomson and new Angels boss Ron Washington as the 18th most likely manager to be fired, per betonling.ag, with 40-1 odds. The Yankees’ Aaron Boone is a 5-1 favorite. … All-Star Diaz, Zach Eflin and Pete Fairbanks are on the cover of the Rays media guide; Arozarena, who was also an All-Star (as was Franco), is not. … There’s a new T-shirt from 1771designs.com honoring late radio broadcaster Dave Wills, with proceeds going to the Buddy Baseball program, which Saturday renamed its field for him.… Our Colleen Wright reports there are split opinions among the eight St. Petersburg City Council members, and that passage of the stadium deal (which needs five votes) is no sure thing. ... Rotowire.com lists the Rays among 10 pro sports franchises in need of a rebrand.
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