Manuel Margot Is In His Final Month As A Tampa Bay Ray

For each nan value teams they person put together complete the past 16 seasons, thoroughly rewriting nan franchise's estimation aft their turgid first decade, nan Tampa Bay Rays person ever operated nether different position to their peers. Be it basal aliases self-inflicted, they do not walk nan magnitude of subordinate payroll usually seen successful those amid pennant races. And they never person done.

Notwithstanding nan truth that nan three-decade agelong saga of nan viability of Tropicana Field seems yet to beryllium being resolved - with, it is hoped, expanded revenues down nan roadworthy coming arsenic a nonstop use of that - location is nary grounds that this spendthrift quality will alteration immoderate clip soon. The Rays are astatine aliases adjacent nan very bottommost of nan MLB's payroll charts, year on year on year. 2024 will beryllium nary different.

Spending tin only travel done cuts. Inevitably, then, their offseason plans will first attraction connected nan fewer veterans connected nan roster who are earning much than what would beryllium paid done minimum salaries based connected work time, aliases received successful their arbitration years. And pinch nan Rays being 1 of nan youngest teams successful shot arsenic good arsenic 1 of nan best, it is surely nary astonishment that location are only eight - Tyler Glasnow, Zach Eflin, Manuel Margot, Brandon Lowe, Yandy Diaz, Jeffrey Springs, Pete Fairbanks and Wander Franco.

Diaz and Fairbanks are 2 of nan game's very champion astatine what they do, and they some besides correspond bargains, having signed extensions nan aforesaid play arsenic each different backmost successful January. Fairbanks signed a three year, $12 cardinal extension pinch a $7 cardinal action for a 4th play and incentives connected top, while Diaz signed for three twelvemonth and $24 million pinch a $12 cardinal action successful 2026, meaning that nan Rays sewage MVP-calibre play from him for a specified $8 cardinal successful 2023. These deals are some steals, and while that is not to opportunity that nan brace are immune from being traded, it is to opportunity that, should they beryllium moved, nan deals will not beryllium chiefly financially motivated.

Springs and Eflin, nan different big-money recipients earlier past play began, should besides beryllium fine. While the second-place vote that he received successful nan Cy Young Award voting was possibly ambitious, Eflin nevertheless returned a coagulated play arsenic advertised successful his first twelvemonth pinch nan squad aft signing for 3 years and $40 cardinal (the biggest free agency deal successful franchise history), demonstrating immaculate power connected his measurement to a 1.02 WHIP across 177.2 innings. Springs meantime sewage wounded early, but erstwhile healthy, his exceptional unheralded talent is simply a bargain astatine nan three years and $27 million he is group to gain complete nan adjacent 2 seasons.

Spring's wounded will spot him miss astir if not each of adjacent season, and nan precedent for nan Rays moving injured pitchers nary matter really elite they are to prevention money was group past play pinch the dump of J.P. Feyereisen. Additionally, Franco's business remains wholly up successful nan aerial arsenic nan investigations continue, and his early pinch nan franchise - if immoderate - is not successful immoderate measurement clear. Perhaps those 2 contracts will still beryllium removed from nan books successful immoderate way. But Eflin's, surely, will not.

This, then, leaves Glasnow, Lowe and Margot. At a $25 cardinal value tag adjacent play and pinch a agelong wounded history, it is each but already confirmed that Glasnow will beryllium dealt. At $8.25 cardinal and pinch wounded history of his own, Lowe is not immune either - however, his powerfulness bat erstwhile patient is hugely important and difficult to replace, and to waste and acquisition him now would beryllium to waste and acquisition him erstwhile his worth is somewhat low.

The aforesaid debased value, of course, will besides beryllium existent of Margot. But location is not nan aforesaid chance that he will ever now get beyond nan furniture of what he already is; outfield depth. And outfield extent for $10 cardinal is not thing nan Rays tin afford.

Acquired on pinch catching imaginable Logan Driscoll earlier nan commencement of nan 2020 play successful speech only for Emilio Pagan, Margot has been a coagulated subordinate for nan Rays, contributing thing successful each areas of nan game. Acquired to backmost up Kevin Kiermaier successful centre field, he has alternatively played a batch of area outfield, has immoderate velocity connected nan bases, and hits for a decent average, pinch a bequest of clutch hits connected nan way. Across his 320 games pinch nan Rays, Margot has deed for a .264 average, to spell pinch 19 location runs and 41 stolen bases, pinch a 96 OPS+ complete that span that measures him retired to beryllium as-near-as-is mean each around.

However, playing nan area outfield diminishes his protect value and puts adds attraction connected Margot's abilities astatine nan plate, wherever he is successful threat of not ageing well. He has ne'er been a powerfulness hitter, pinch only 4 location runs past season, while nan locomotion complaint has not grown to offset that. Also slowed by injury, he is simply a decent alternatively than a awesome baserunner, which further affects his protect range, itself inhibited by a anemic limb for nan position. Compared to nan cannons of Jose Siri and Josh Lowe, Margot is recovered wanting successful that department, and if he is conscionable a extent area outfielder and occasional DH going forward, his accrued costs becomes further problematic.

Imperfections aside, Margot remains a useful player. A singles hitter he whitethorn be, but he hits a bully number of them, makes fewer errors connected nan bases and successful nan field, steals nan occasional base, and brings nary characteristic concerns. His clip pinch nan Rays will extremity done circumstances and nan transition of clip alternatively than done thing he did. Such is nan measurement of nan contender connected nan shoestring.

Everything, bully and bad, ends eventually. Margot's tenure pinch nan Rays will spell down arsenic a bully 1 for each concerned. He is simply a decent Major League subordinate who will person a waste and acquisition market, reflecting his usefulness. But nan levels of play and salary are not commensurate immoderate longer. And nan Rays person decided they cannot spend that.