The Tampa Bay Rays keep reminding us that all MLB franchises are capable of affording their best players: whether or not they end up doing it will depend entirely on preference.
On Friday, they announced a one-year, $25 million extension with one of their best pitchers, right-hander Tyler Glasnow.
The deal may not seem like a lot in the big picture, but it represents a historic commitment for the franchise.
“#Rays will play Glasnow a team record $25M in 2024. He will get $5.35M in 2023,” Mark Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweeted on Friday afternoon.
#Rays will play Glasnow a team record $25M in 2024. He will get $5.35M in 2023
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) August 26, 2022
That’s the price for one of the most talented righties in the game in his prime.
Glasnow Could Inject Some Much-Needed Life To The Rays’ Staff
Glasnow, 29, was incredible in 88 innings last year, with a 2.66 ERA and 123 strikeouts against just 27 bases on balls.
The problem is that he blew up his elbow in the summer and ended up needing Tommy John surgery.
He missed the rest of 2021 and a big portion of 2022.
Actually, he still hasn’t returned.
However, he is targeting late September to come back: if he manages to do that, he could be of great help for the Rays in the postseason.
The team still doesn’t know whether he will be deployed as a starter or as a reliever for the remainder of 2022, when he returns.
In any case, he will inject some much-needed punch to a pitching staff that has remained competent, but has lacked an ace-type this year besides Shane McClanahan.
That one-two punch in the playoffs could be something else for Tampa, but the more likely scenario has Glasnow returning as a multi-inning reliever.
NEXT: MLB Insider Reveals A Big Tyler Glasnow Update