Usually, a season-ending injury is nothing but bad news, but Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Burch Smith's decision to get Tommy John surgery comes with an odd silver lining. As part of a roster loophole, the Rays promoted Smith to the 25-man roster, then sent him to the 60-day disabled list, giving them space to promote a player in Smith's place without cutting him. The one catch? Smith got a $425,000 raise for the roster promotion, just so the Rays could protect his place on the club. We're guessing he'd trade every cent of it to play this year, but there are worse consolation prizes.
Mad Dash: MLB pitcher gets raise after season-ending injury (NBC on Yahoo Sports)
