2K24: Tampa Bay Rays

[rhd]

Wander Franco is the process of finalizing an 11-year extension w the Rays worth around $182 million guaranteed and as much as $223 million after a 12th year option. This would be the richest contract ever for a MLB player w less than 1 year service time. I'm surprised that the Rays gave a contract this big to anyone. But if he's as good as most expect, this still would be a bargain.

[Ken]

I'm surprised that the Rays gave a contract this big to anyone. But if he's as good as most expect, this still would be a bargain.

Similar in some ways to the big Longoria contract right

[rhd]

Similar in some ways to the big Longoria contract right

Not as team-friendly as the Longoria K but for a longer period of time. The Rays will get practically all of his best years.

[Sour Masher]

Wander Franco is the process of finalizing an 11-year extension w the Rays worth around $182 million guaranteed and as much as $223 million after a 12th year option. This would be the richest contract ever for a MLB player w less than 1 year service time. I'm surprised that the Rays gave a contract this big to anyone. But if he's as good as most expect, this still would be a bargain.

Yeah, the Rays stepped up big. There is risk in any deal this long, but this has the potential to be a massive win-win, and betting on a very high floor 5 tool player like Franco is as low a risk as a 12 year deal for someone with so little experience can get. If Franco becomes what he seems destined to be, the Rays have locked up the face of the franchise at a huge bargain. Franco, on the other side, should never regret a deal that guaranteed his financial future and that of many generations of his descendants, and importantly gave him earlier access to the life changing sums, even if he ends up out earning it by a good bit.

[harmon]

Franco has never been very much of a SB threat. That element would deliver first round pick value in short order.

He has speed and is a really good baserunner but it hasn't translated into SB so far. Is there a realistic chance he gets 20+ bags in 2022? Just 2 in 70 games with the Rays last year.

[Pauly]

Was reading a piece by Aram Leighton about the Marlins - https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb/big...s-post-lockout - and he pointed out some interesting stuff about the Trop that I hadnt really considered:

An interesting wrinkle to Wendle’s 2021 season is his home/road splits. Several players have complained about hitting at Tropicana Field due to poor visibility in the white roofed and uniquely lit dome. The extreme splits of Willy Adames away from Tampa and especially after his trade to Milwaukee brought the topic of Tropicana visibility back to the forefront again.

Joey Wendle was evidently a victim of Tropicana Field’s “elements”, seeing a near 300 point OPS difference in his home road splits. The hope for the Marlins would be that they get something closer to the road Wendle or the first half Wendle and there’s plenty of reason to believe that they can.

Joey Wendle 2021 at Tropicana Field: .215/.273/.315, 2 HR, 17 XBH
Joey Wendle 2021 On the Road: .311/.361/.519, 9 HR, 29 XBH

Like I said, I hadn't really considered this in the past, but I wonder how widespread these hitter split issues are for TB hitters...could this be a reverse Coors Field sort of thing?

[ThatRogue]

Yeah, the Rays stepped up big. There is risk in any deal this long, but this has the potential to be a massive win-win, and betting on a very high floor 5 tool player like Franco is as low a risk as a 12 year deal for someone with so little experience can get. If Franco becomes what he seems destined to be, the Rays have locked up the face of the franchise at a huge bargain. Franco, on the other side, should never regret a deal that guaranteed his financial future and that of many generations of his descendants, and importantly gave him earlier access to the life changing sums, even if he ends up out earning it by a good bit.

Tatis got 14 years, $340M. If Franco becomes the player many people expect, he got insurance against risk of injury/underperformance…but left a considerable amount of money on the table in a state with no state income tax.

Of course, there’s always the chance that at the end of this deal, he can negotiate a two year, $117M contract to make up the difference. (*sarcasm*)

[Moonlight J]

Was reading a piece by Aram Leighton about the Marlins - https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb/big...s-post-lockout - and he pointed out some interesting stuff about the Trop that I hadnt really considered:



Like I said, I hadn't really considered this in the past, but I wonder how widespread these hitter split issues are for TB hitters...could this be a reverse Coors Field sort of thing?

Absolutely was a factor in Nelson Cruz's performance with TB once they acquired him from what I heard in rumblings from the area

As for Wendle, he has enjoyed some great numbers in Baltimore to help push his numbers up on the road: https://t.co/arvaKmtwJ6

[revo]

Pete Fairbanks out a couple of months with a lat injury, leaving the door wide open for Kittridge to keep the job.

[Ken]

Pete Fairbanks out a couple of months with a lat injury, leaving the door wide open for Kittridge to keep the job.

I'm not sure a TB player ever *has* a closer job, so this doesn't move the needle for me.

[pitbull]

I'm not sure a TB player ever *has* a closer job, so this doesn't move the needle for me.

They had 14 pitchers ranging from 1 to 14 saves.

Castillo 14
Kittridge 8
Fairbanks 5

[Moonlight J]

After 3 consecutive seasons with 10+ pitchers getting saves for this club, nobody has the job.

Pitchers I expect to get saves this season:

1. Andrew Kittredge
2. Brooks Raley
3. Colby White
4. Colin Poche
5. Ryan Thompson
6. Jason Adam
7. J.T. Chargois
8. Tommy Romero
9. Matt Wisler

this is Cash's track record for saves as a manager. Since Colome departed, he hasn't shown loyalty to any one reliever


Season▼ Count Player List
2021 14 Nick Anderson, Diego Castillo, Dietrich Enns, Pete Fairbanks, J.P. Feyereisen, Josh Fleming, Andrew Kittredge, Chris Mazza, Collin McHugh, Evan Phillips, Trevor Richards, Ryan Sherriff, Jeffrey Springs, Matt Wisler
2020 12 Nick Anderson, Anthony Banda, Jalen Beeks, Diego Castillo, John Curtiss, Oliver Drake, Edgar Garcia, Andrew Kittredge, Chaz Roe, Ryan Sherriff, Aaron Slegers, Ryan Thompson
2019 11 Jose Alvarado, Jalen Beeks, Diego Castillo, Oliver Drake, Pete Fairbanks, Adam Kolarek, Emilio Pagan, Colin Poche, Chaz Roe, Aaron Slegers, Hunter Wood
2018 7 Jose Alvarado, Alex Colome, Adam Kolarek, Austin Pruitt, Chaz Roe, Sergio Romo, Jonny Venters
2017 6 Matt Andriese, Alex Colome, Tommy Hunter, Austin Pruitt, Erasmo Ramirez, Chase Whitley
2016 5 Matt Andriese, Alex Colome, Ryan Garton, Erasmo Ramirez, Enny Romero
2015 8 Matt Andriese, Brad Boxberger, Xavier Cedeno, Ernesto Frieri, Steve Geltz, Brandon Gomes, Kevin Jepsen, Jake McGee

[pitbull]

Sounds like to get closer from the Rays spend little money on Kittredge or if you have a reserve draft take the top Rays relievers.

[Ken]

Sounds like to get closer from the Rays spend little money on Kittredge or if you have a reserve draft take the top Rays relievers.

Sounds to me like avoid the Rays pen

[Pauly]

Sounds to me like avoid the Rays pen

As someone who banked on Nick Anderson last year, I concur