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.

The post Rays Bring Back C Mike Zunino on 1-Year Deal with Club Option for 2022 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ general manager Erik Neander confirmed on Friday that the organization declined to exercise the options for the 2021 MLB season on All-Star pitcher Charlie Morton and veteran catcher Mike Zunino’s contracts.

Morton, who is one year removed from an All-MLB Second Team selection, was set to make $15 million according to the option. Zunino, on the other hand, missed out on $4.5 million.

Despite the Rays’ decision to pass on the duo’s options, Neander said that the team remains open to keeping both Morton and Zunino.

“With both of them, the door is staying open. We’re going to continue talking,” said Neander.

The finances of holding out on Morton and Zunino under their current contracts probably didn’t make sense for Tampa, which led to this outcome. However, considering that both players played a significant role in the team’s run to World Series appearance this season, it makes sense for the organization to try and bring them back under more affordable deals.

Charlie Morton played nine games in the 2020 regular season, going 2-2 with 4.74 ERA and 42 strikeouts. He went on to show up in the postseason, going on a run that saw him obtain a 3-1 record with 2.70 ERA and 22 strikeouts.

Morton, who has two All-Star nods and World Series ring from 2017 with Houston Astros, joined Tampa as a free agent in 2019.

Mike Zunino, on the other hand, landed with the Rays in a trade with Seattle Mariners in 2018. He also had a great showing in this year’s playoffs, starting 18 out of 20 games and delivering .170 to go with four postseason home runs and eight RBIs.

The post Rays Pass on Morton and Zunino’s Options But Remain Open to Keeping the, appeared first on SportzBonanza.

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.

The post Rays Bring Back C Mike Zunino on 1-Year Deal with Club Option for 2022 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ general manager Erik Neander confirmed on Friday that the organization declined to exercise the options for the 2021 MLB season on All-Star pitcher Charlie Morton and veteran catcher Mike Zunino’s contracts.

Morton, who is one year removed from an All-MLB Second Team selection, was set to make $15 million according to the option. Zunino, on the other hand, missed out on $4.5 million.

Despite the Rays’ decision to pass on the duo’s options, Neander said that the team remains open to keeping both Morton and Zunino.

“With both of them, the door is staying open. We’re going to continue talking,” said Neander.

The finances of holding out on Morton and Zunino under their current contracts probably didn’t make sense for Tampa, which led to this outcome. However, considering that both players played a significant role in the team’s run to World Series appearance this season, it makes sense for the organization to try and bring them back under more affordable deals.

Charlie Morton played nine games in the 2020 regular season, going 2-2 with 4.74 ERA and 42 strikeouts. He went on to show up in the postseason, going on a run that saw him obtain a 3-1 record with 2.70 ERA and 22 strikeouts.

Morton, who has two All-Star nods and World Series ring from 2017 with Houston Astros, joined Tampa as a free agent in 2019.

Mike Zunino, on the other hand, landed with the Rays in a trade with Seattle Mariners in 2018. He also had a great showing in this year’s playoffs, starting 18 out of 20 games and delivering .170 to go with four postseason home runs and eight RBIs.

The post Rays Pass on Morton and Zunino’s Options But Remain Open to Keeping the, appeared first on SportzBonanza.