After declining his $4.5 million club option for the 2021 season earlier this fall, the Tampa Bay Rays reached an agreement with catcher Mike Zunino on a one-year deal with a club option for 2022 to bring the catcher back to the Trop.
Zunino’s new contract is said to be valued at $2 million for the 2021 season. If the club declines his club option for the next season, he will be owed a $1 million buyout.
If they exercise the option, the value on the contract depends on his performance and playing time in 2021, but the value of the deal could reach up to $7 million.
The Rays are bringing back Zunino at a position where they desperately need players for the upcoming season. A part-time starter last season, his former backstop partner Michael Perez left Tampa after being claimed by the Pirates off waivers earlier this fall.
Zunino should be valuable for the Rays once again thanks largely to his defensive acumen behind the plate. The Florida native has batted under .200 for the Rays the past two seasons and has never been able to recreate the magic of his breakout 2015 season in Seattle.
Expect the Rays to ink or trade for another catcher before the offseason ends, but they can at least be assured that they have half of the solution settled.
