:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52729451/usa_today_8598845.0.jpg)
This afternoon at precisely 1 PM Eastern, the cutoff for teams to settle with their arbitration eligible players. The Rays currently have 10 players on their roster who are eligible for arbitration so the front office has their work cut for them over the next couple of hours.
Rays eligible for arbitration
| Player | Service Time | Arb Yr | MLBTR Projections | Settled Amount | Difference | 2016 fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Service Time | Arb Yr | MLBTR Projections | Settled Amount | Difference | 2016 fWAR |
| Alex Cobb | 5.061 | 3 | $4.000 | 4.200 | 0.200 | -0.1 |
| Kevin Kiermaier | 2.131 | 1 (S2) | $2.100 | 2.975 | 0.875 | 3.8 |
| Erasmo Ramirez | 3.158 | 1 | $3.500 | 3.125 | -0.375 | -0.4 |
| Brad Boxberger | 3.109 | 1 | $1.500 | -0.3 | ||
| Corey Dickerson | 3.101 | 1 | $3.400 | 3.025 | -0.375 | 1.5 |
| Brad Miller | 3.094 | 1 | $3.800 | 3.575 | -0.225 | 2.0 |
| Xavier Cedeno | 3.060 | 1 | $1.200 | 1.300 | 0.100 | 0.9 |
| Jake Odorizzi | 3.042 | 1 | $4.600 | 2.0 | ||
| Danny Faquhar | 2.170 | 1 | $1.100 | 0.900 | -0.200 | -0.4 |
| Tim Beckham | 2.134 | 1 | NA | 0.855 | NA | 1.1 |
| TOTAL PAYROLL FOR 2017 | $55.045 |
The Rays did have one more player that was eligible for arbitration in Drew Smyly, but after being dealt to the Seattle Mariners during Wednesday’s trade the Rays are no longer on the hook for his raise, which was projected to be just under $5M.
Once the deadline passes, the Rays and the arb-eligible player will each submit the number they believe the player should make and head to an arbitration hearing sometime in February. The Rays have only been ruled against once in seven hearings and that was last year to Drew Smyly. The players the Rays were able to succeed against were Esteban Yan, Josh Paul, Dioner Navarro, Melvin Upton Jr, and Jeff Niemann.
As the deadline nears and eventually passes, we’ll continuously update this thread with all of the available info. Something else to watch for is the impending news that the Colby Rasmus signing has become official, thus meaning the Rays would need to remove a player from their 40-man roster.
UPDATE
10:00
Xavier Cedeno settles
Xavier Cedeno, Rays settle at $1.3M
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 13, 2017
11:00
Kevin Kiermaier and Tim Beckham have agreed to terms, seven players left
Kevin kiermaier, rays settle at $2.975M
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 13, 2017
Tim Beckham, Rays settle at 885K
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 13, 2017
12:15
With 45 minutes to go, still six left unsigned
Corey Dickerson, Rays settle at $3.025M
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 13, 2017
1:00
The Rays still have six unsettled players, but deals could be announced shortly
1:35
9 OF 10 settled, Jake Odorizzi heading to a hearing. The specifics of the agreements are not yet known
#Rays have settled nine of 10 cases, with only Jake Odorizzi to go to a hearing.
— Neil Solondz (@neilsolondz) January 13, 2017