President of baseball ops: Erik Neander · partial season
Ranks vs the 30 teams in 2026, or a custom range (defaults to every team-season since 1985, when our data starts).
Each position shows its top 3 by games (top = starter) — click "+more" for the rest. The letter is bats/throws; ⇄ marks a player traded mid-season. Starters are ranked by WAR, bullpen by holds; ★ marks the closer (most save chances). MLB Stats API.
| Player | fWAR |
|---|---|
| Nick Martinez | 2.5 |
| Shane McClanahan | 2.5 |
| Victor Mesa Jr. | 1.2 |
| Cedric Mullins | 1.1 |
| Ryan Vilade | 0.9 |
| Liam Hicks | 0.9 |
| Player | 2025 fWAR |
|---|---|
| Shane Baz | 1.9 |
| Jake Mangum | 1.8 |
| Brandon Lowe | 1.7 |
| Taj Bradley | 1.5 |
| Pete Fairbanks | 0.9 |
| José Caballero | 0.9 |
WAR translated into tier-adjusted market value, then compared with what the player was paid by Rays. Guaranteed contracts from the 2015-present contract-data period use the known contract period through 2026; everyone else is shown as a 2026 season snapshot.
| Player | Period | fWAR | Tier Market $M | Paid $M | Surplus $M | $ / WAR | Tier | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drew Rasmussen | 2025–2026 | +7.3 | +128.0 | 8.0 | +120.0 | $1.1M | 2.19× | Arb extension · 2025–2027 · $4.2M AAV |
| Junior Caminero | 2026 | +5.1 | +58.6 | 0.8 | +57.9 | $0.2M | 1.43× | Pre-arbitration · 2026–2026 · $0.8M AAV |
| Shane McClanahan | 2026 | +2.9 | +45.0 | 3.6 | +41.4 | $1.3M | 1.96× | Arbitration · 2026–2026 · $3.6M AAV |
| Nick Martinez | 2026 | +3.0 | +46.2 | 9.0 | +37.2 | $3.0M | 1.96× | Free Agent · 2026–2027 · $13.0M AAV |
| Chandler Simpson | 2026 | +2.7 | +33.9 | 0.8 | +33.1 | $0.3M | 1.60× | Pre-arbitration · 2026–2026 · $0.8M AAV |
| Bryan Baker | 2026 | +1.5 | +23.7 | 1.3 | +22.4 | $0.8M | 1.95× | Arbitration · 2026–2026 · $1.3M AAV |
| Jonathan Aranda | 2026 | +2.7 | +23.0 | 0.8 | +22.2 | $0.3M | 1.07× | Pre-arbitration · 2026–2026 · $0.8M AAV |
| Jonny DeLuca | 2026 | +2.3 | +22.2 | 0.8 | +21.4 | $0.3M | 1.22× | Pre-arbitration · 2026–2026 · $0.8M AAV |
| Yandy Díaz | 2026 | +3.1 | +33.0 | 12.0 | +21.0 | $3.9M | 1.33× | Extension · 2026–2027 · $12.0M AAV |
| Ian Seymour | 2026 | +1.8 | +14.2 | 0.8 | +13.4 | $0.4M | 0.98× | Pre-arbitration · 2026–2026 · $0.8M AAV |
| Kevin Kelly | 2026 | +1.2 | +13.0 | 0.9 | +12.1 | $0.8M | 1.34× | Arbitration · 2026–2026 · $0.9M AAV |
| Victor Mesa Jr. | 2026 | +1.4 | +9.6 | 0.5 | +9.1 | $0.4M | 0.83× | – |
| Griffin Jax | 2026 | +1.2 | +9.9 | 3.6 | +6.3 | $2.9M | 1.02× | Arbitration · 2026–2026 · $3.6M AAV |
| Ryan Vilade | 2026 | +1.1 | +7.2 | 0.9 | +6.3 | $0.9M | 0.83× | Pre-arbitration · 2026–2026 · $0.9M AAV |
| Joe Boyle | 2026 | +0.7 | +5.3 | 0.2 | +5.1 | $0.4M | 1.02× | – |
| Garrett Cleavinger | 2026 | +0.7 | +7.0 | 2.4 | +4.6 | $3.7M | 1.34× | Arbitration · 2026–2026 · $2.4M AAV |
| Liam Hicks↔ | 2026 | +1.1 | +4.5 | 0.1 | +4.3 | $0.1M | 0.52× | Pre-arbitration · 2026–2026 · $0.8M AAV |
| Casey Legumina↔ | 2026 | +0.6 | +3.4 | 0.5 | +2.9 | $0.9M | 0.67× | Pre-arbitration · 2026–2026 · $0.8M AAV |
| Cam Booser | 2026 | +0.6 | +3.0 | 0.5 | +2.5 | $0.9M | 0.67× | – |
| Cedric Mullins | 2026 | +1.3 | +8.9 | 6.5 | +2.4 | $4.8M | 0.83× | Free Agent · 2026–2027 · $7.0M AAV |
| Cole Sulser | 2026 | +0.6 | +3.2 | 1.1 | +2.1 | $1.8M | 0.67× | Arbitration · 2026–2026 · $1.1M AAV |
| Nick Fortes | 2026 | +1.1 | +4.5 | 2.5 | +2.0 | $2.3M | 0.52× | Arbitration · 2026–2026 · $2.5M AAV |
| Hunter Feduccia↔ | 2026 | +0.4 | +2.4 | 0.6 | +1.8 | $1.4M | 0.69× | Pre-arbitration · 2026–2026 · $0.8M AAV |
| Ben Williamson | 2026 | +0.4 | +1.7 | 0.8 | +0.9 | $2.1M | 0.56× | Pre-arbitration · 2026–2026 · $0.8M AAV |
| Austin Slater↔ | 2026 | +0.1 | +0.9 | 0.1 | +0.7 | $1.1M | 0.83× | – |
| Taylor Walls | 2025–2026 | +0.9 | +4.5 | 3.8 | +0.7 | $4.2M | 0.61× | Arbitration · 2025–2027 · $1.4M AAV |
| Craig Kimbrel↔ | 2026 | +0.1 | +0.6 | 0.3 | +0.3 | $2.4M | 0.67× | Free Agent · 2026–2026 · $0.8M AAV |
| Tyler Wells↔ | 2026 | +0.1 | +0.7 | 0.4 | +0.3 | $6.7M | 1.34× | Arbitration · 2026–2026 · $2.5M AAV |
| Freddy Peralta↔ | 2026 | +0.1 | +1.0 | 1.5 | -0.5 | $12.2M | 1.02× | Pre-arb extension · 2020–2024 · $3.1M AAV |
| Hunter Bigge | 2026 | +0.0 | +0.2 | 0.8 | -0.5 | $18.2M | 0.67× | – |
| Manuel Rodríguez | 2026 | +0.0 | +0.2 | 0.8 | -0.6 | $22.4M | 0.67× | Pre-arbitration · 2026–2026 · $0.8M AAV |
| Andrew Wantz↔ | 2026 | -0.1 | -0.7 | 0.0 | -0.7 | – | 0.67× | – |
| Jorge Mateo↔ | 2026 | -0.1 | -0.5 | 0.2 | -0.7 | – | 0.61× | Free Agent · 2026–2026 · $1.0M AAV |
| Mason Englert | 2026 | -0.2 | -1.1 | 0.2 | -1.2 | – | 0.67× | – |
| Oliver Dunn | 2026 | -0.1 | -0.6 | 0.5 | -1.2 | – | 0.61× | Pre-arbitration · 2026–2026 · $0.8M AAV |
| Michael Grove | 2026 | -0.1 | -0.7 | 0.8 | -1.5 | – | 0.67× | Free Agent · 2026–2026 · $0.8M AAV |
| Chris Roycroft↔ | 2026 | -0.3 | -1.8 | 0.0 | -1.8 | – | 0.67× | – |
| Trevor Martin↔ | 2026 | -0.4 | -1.9 | 0.1 | -2.0 | – | 0.67× | – |
| Jake Fraley | 2026 | +0.1 | +0.9 | 3.0 | -2.1 | $22.1M | 0.83× | Free Agent · 2026–2026 · $3.0M AAV |
| Aaron Brooks | 2026 | -0.4 | -2.1 | 0.0 | -2.2 | – | 0.67× | – |
| Yoendrys Gómez↔ | 2026 | -0.4 | -2.2 | 0.1 | -2.3 | – | 0.67× | Pre-arbitration · 2026–2026 · $0.8M AAV |
| Carson Williams | 2026 | -0.6 | -2.8 | 0.6 | -3.4 | – | 0.61× | Pre-arbitration · 2026–2026 · $0.8M AAV |
| Jesse Scholtens | 2026 | -0.5 | -2.8 | 0.7 | -3.6 | – | 0.67× | – |
| Steven Matz | 2026 | -0.1 | -0.6 | 7.5 | -8.1 | – | 0.67× | Free Agent · 2026–2027 · $7.5M AAV |
| Jonathan Heasley | 2026 | -0.1 | -0.6 | – | – | – | 0.67× | – |
| Richie Palacios | 2026 | +0.4 | +1.8 | – | – | – | 0.56× | – |
| Total | — | +43.2 | +503.8 | 80.4 | +422.0 | — | ||
Every graded 2026 deal involving the Rays — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 21 total.
What the front office was committed to as of 2026, 2026–2032. Guaranteed $ are contract commitments signed by 2026; arbitration & free-agent years are projected from service time. Hover a figure for its luxury-tax (CBT) & actual-cash values.
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 | 2032 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tax threshold | $244M | $247M | $250M | $253M | $256M | $259M | $262M |
| Guaranteed contracts | $65M | $60M | $17M | $17M | $17M | $17M | |
| Proj. arbitration | $27M | $1M | |||||
| Proj. pre-arbitration | $12M | ||||||
| Player benefits | $18M | $18M | $18M | $18M | $18M | $18M | |
| Total CBT payroll | $121M | $80M | $35M | $35M | $35M | $35M | |
| Tax space | +$123M | +$167M | +$215M | +$218M | +$221M | +$224M | |
| Est. tax bill | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Luxury-tax (CBT) basis: contract AAV + ~$18M benefits/bonus-pool — distinct from the base-salary payroll above. Threshold is the CBA line. Tier-1 payor rates on the overage. Forward years show only guaranteed deals (arb/pre-arb not yet set). Figures are estimates.
| Player | Age | Svc | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 | 2032 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yandy Díaz | 34 | 7.122 | $12.0MCLUB | $10.0MCLUB | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Nick Martinez | 35 | 7.002 | $9.0M | $20.0MMUTUAL | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Steven Matz | 35 | 10.099 | $7.5M | $7.5M | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Cedric Mullins | 31 | 6.078 | $6.5M | $10.0MMUTUAL | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Drew Rasmussen | 30 | 5.111 | $5.8M | $9.2MCLUB | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Taylor Walls | 29 | 4.092 | $2.5MCLUB | $3.1MCLUB | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Freddy Peralta | 30 | 7.090 | $1.5MCLUB | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Craig Kimbrel | 38 | 14.031 | $252k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Jorge Mateo | 31 | 6.000 | $152k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Austin Slater | 33 | 7.147 | $148k | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 | 2032 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shane McClanahan | 29 | 4.158 | $3.6M | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Griffin Jax | 31 | 4.091 | $3.6M | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Jake Fraley | 31 | 5.097 | $3.0M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Nick Fortes | 29 | 3.149 | $2.5M | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Garrett Cleavinger | 32 | 4.060 | $2.4M | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Bryan Baker | 31 | 3.049 | $1.3M | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Cole Sulser | 36 | 4.096 | $1.1M | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Michael Grove | 29 | 3.031 | $755k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Tyler Wells | 31 | 4.132 | $424k | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Andrew Wantz | 30 | 3.148 | $4k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Jonathan Heasley | 29 | 5.000 | — | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Richie Palacios | 29 | 4.000 | — | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 | 2032 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Vilade | 27 | 0.076 | $950k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Kevin Kelly | 28 | 2.156 | $925k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Jonathan Aranda | 28 | 2.030 | $796k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Junior Caminero | 22 | 1.058 | $795k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Manuel Rodríguez | 29 | 2.139 | $794k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Jonny DeLuca | 27 | 2.085 | $789k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Ben Williamson | 25 | 0.110 | $786k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Chandler Simpson | 25 | 0.140 | $785k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Ian Seymour | 27 | 0.085 | $784k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Hunter Bigge | 28 | 1.049 | $776k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Jesse Scholtens | 32 | 2.091 | $745k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Carson Williams | 23 | 0.039 | $610k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Hunter Feduccia | 29 | 0.095 | $586k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Casey Legumina | 29 | 1.111 | $545k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Oliver Dunn | 28 | 1.021 | $542k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Victor Mesa Jr. | 24 | – | $526k | ||||||
| Cam Booser | 34 | 1.150 | $496k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Joe Boyle | 26 | 1.005 | $231k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Mason Englert | 26 | 1.168 | $194k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Liam Hicks | 27 | 1.000 | $141k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Yoendrys Gómez | 26 | 0.135 | $99k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Trevor Martin | 25 | – | $79k | ||||||
| Chris Roycroft | 29 | 0.150 | $28k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Aaron Brooks | 36 | 2.157 | $25k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
How each 2026 acquisition stacked onto Rays's playoff-odds curve. The side table is ranked by PPA.