ST. PETERSBURG — In picking reliever Chris Mazza to complete their 28-man roster for Friday’s season opener, the Rays ended up with 15 pitchers, 13 position players, six on the injured list and a $78,245,400 total payroll that is the largest in franchise history.
The opening day payroll, based on player salaries and not counting prorated signing bonuses, incentives or buyouts, is an increase of more than $11 million from last season and slightly more than they started with in 2014 and 2018.
Part of the increase is attributed to the league-wide hike in the minimum salary from $570,500 to $700,000, plus having rosters expanded from 26 to 28 for the first month. But more so, general manager Peter Bendix said, it is a sign of the Rays’ efforts under principal owner Stuart Sternberg to build a team capable of winning the World Series after making the playoffs three straight years.
Related: Last year’s early playoff exit is fueling Rays entering opener
“Honestly, it’s a sign of Stu’s commitment to getting over that hump,” Bendix said. “It’s because we have a lot of talent. We have as much talent now as I think we’ve ever had since I’ve been here.
“When we have that team that’s on the cusp, he wants to win as much as anybody and he authorizes ‘Yeah, go trade for Nelson Cruz (last July).’ These things where we might not have done it if we were an 85-win team. It’s that once you’re so close you really want to get over that hump, and balancing that with the future. A lot of teams take that feeling and just pour everything into right now and then regret it in two years. If we can balance that, that’s what we’re trying to do.”
For openers: A sellout
The Rays announced that Friday’s opener is a sellout, the 16th straight season they did so for their first home game. With the upper deck at Tropicana Field closed, capacity is around 25,025.
Seven Rays players are participating in their first opening day in the majors: Josh Fleming, Wander Franco, Josh Lowe, Mazza, Shane McClanahan, Luis Patino, Taylor Walls. Also, new assistant hitting coaches Dan DeMent and Brady North, a product, like manager Kevin Cash, of Tampa’s Gaither High. “That opportunity is always going to be special,” North said, “but to happen with your hometown team, it means the world.”
Seminole High product Joey Krehbiel will be in the O’s bullpen, having made his first opening day roster.
Roster set with final moves
Mazza was the only candidate remaining in camp for the final bullpen spot, but the Rays waited until Thursday’s roster deadline to make it official. Mazza, 32, re-signed on a minor-league deal after pitching in 14 games for the Rays in 2021. He will fill what Cash called a “very valuable” role as a right-handed reliever capable of working multiple innings and bouncing back quickly, and is pitching as well as he ever has.
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Explore all your options“His ball moves everywhere,” Cash said. “It’s darting, sinking, cutting, doing everything. So he can really manipulate the shape to the breaking balls. And we like that.”
As expected, the Rays placed pitchers Shane Baz (right elbow surgery) on the 10-day injured list and Pete Fairbanks (lat strain) on the 60-day list, which opened a spot for Mazza to be added to the 40-man roster. Unexpectedly, they recalled lefty Brendan McKay (thoracic outlet syndrome surgery) from the minors and placed him on the 60-day IL. That means he gets major-league pay and service time, and the Rays get an open spot on the 40-man roster, which they used that to claim right-handed reliever Ralph Garza Jr. off waivers from Boston. Garza, who saw time with the Astros and Twins last year, will go to Triple-A Durham.
Rays lineup: 3B Yandy Diaz, SS Wander Franco, 1B Harold Ramirez, LF Randy Arozarena, 2B Brandon Lowe, C Mike Zunino, DH Josh Lowe, RF Manual Margot, CF Kevin Kiermaier, P Shane McClanahan
Orioles lineup: CF Cedric Mullins, DH Trey Mancini, 1B Ryan Mountcastle, LF Austin Hays, RF Anthony Santander, 3B Kelvin Gutierrez, SS Ramon Urias, C Robinson Chirinos, 2B Jorge Mateo, P John Means
Miscellany
Rookie Josh Lowe is expected to be in Friday’s lineup, likely at DH against O’s lefty John Means. … The Rays had a slight scare during Thursday’s optional workout when Harold Ramirez was hit in the nose by a ball during fielding drills at first base. He was taken off the field bleeding, but returned fewer than 15 minutes later and is good to start Friday. … Bally Sports Sun, which starts coverage at 2 p.m., returns its full broadcast crew with the addition of former big-leaguer Xavier Scruggs as a pre- and post-game analyst.
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