There seems to be a consensus around the baseball community that the Tampa Bay Rays will try to move Tommy Pham this offseason to avoid the 8.6M he is projected to earn in arbitration this offseason. I don’t buy it. The Rays are a different team with Pham in the lineup and they can afford to pay a difference maker, such as the former Cardinal.
If the Rays were that concerned about Pham’s potential earnings, they should instead try to trade Kevin Kiermaier who is owed 31.5M over the next three years.
In an effort to build upon their 96 wins in 2019, the front office will be looking to add some impactful pieces to their major league roster.