Rather, the Pirates plan to place a value on Sano as they do all players, by talent level -- which the team views as special -- and by the market. The Dominican market for 16-year-olds, as they see it, remains below the outlier bonus the Athletics gave Inoa, as the previous range for elite prospects had been mostly between $2 million and $3 million.

-Post Gazette

This probably gives the Rays more of a fighting chance. Assuming Pittsburgh is serious and this isn't a smokescreen, the Rays can top the offer if they so desire. It simply comes down to the evaluation of Sano's ceiling and likelihood of reaching it. Who knows what transpires over this next month, but maybe Sano will be wearing a new Rays uni this time next year after all. He definitely could use an update to his current Rays attire: