Rays are playing a Snell game

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA.— Do not be shocked. And please, do not be fooled. The money committed by the Rays to Blake Snell and Brandon Lowe — potentially as much as $99.5 million (U.S.) — is certainly significant. And, yes, it’s somewhat unusual.

But it’s not a change in philosophy or direction. It’s simply smart business. And when aren’t the Rays smart?

There is a huge difference between chasing a free agent and locking up your own assets. Tampa Bay rarely enters the free-agent market because the cost can be grossly inflated by competing bids.

On the other hand, the Rays have been selectively aggressive in tying up their own players to long-term contracts when they have leverage on their side. And that’s exactly what they’ve done the past two days. In some ways, it is what the Rays do best. They put their trust in numbers instead of bowing to outside pressures.

Look beyond the actual money involved and consider what the Snell deal accomplishes. While the contract has advantages for both sides, it won’t drastically change Snell’s future in Tampa Bay.

The way baseball’s labour laws work, he was already tied to the Rays through 2022. So, in that sense, this contract offers only one additional season in 2023. What makes the contract valuable is that it locks in Snell’s salary. And that works both ways. Snell is potentially leaving money on the table during three seasons of arbitration and one free-agency year, but he’s getting a Powerball-sized guarantee that will protect him if he blows out a shoulder or elbow.

The Rays, meanwhile, have agreed to take on the injury risk in exchange for potentially getting Snell at what could be a bargain-level salary for several seasons.

There is risk and compromise for both the team and the player. It may eventually favour one side over the other, but for now it is the textbook definition of a win-win deal.

And that’s nothing new for Tampa Bay. The notoriously frugal Rays have often gone down this road. Once they find a deal that makes sense for the long term, they’re not shy about busting open the wallet.

And once that deal starts looking less-than-advantageous, they’re equally quick to get out from under it.

Since 2008, pitchers Scott Kazmir, James Shield, Matt Moore and Chris Archer have been traded before the end of their deals.

And let’s not forget Evan Longoria only spent one season in Tampa Bay under the six-year, $100 million contract extension he once signed.

There’s not a single one of those trades that the Rays — or most fans — would want to undo. By the time those players were dealt, their contracts no longer made sense for Tampa Bay. In some cases, the trade was simply about finances. In some cases, it was also about the prospects gained in return.

Does that mean Snell and Lowe are bound to be traded?

Not necessarily. It will depend, obviously, on how Snell and Lowe are performing. It will also depend on whether the window of opportunity to contend remains open.

So while it looks like the Rays have taken on the burden of future salaries this week, what they’ve actually done is provided themselves with options for the future. They didn’t just spend money. They spent smart money.