Small Budget Rays see 2010 as a all or nothing season

Tampa Bay Rays President has been spending a little more freely in this off season, and he has told anyone who will listen that the 2010 payroll of the Rays may be in excess of 70 million dollars. Now the Rays are what most baseball fans call a small market team. Usually small markets team pay out little in payroll, and use the revenue sharing form the bigger clubs to make profit. It is a fairly effective system that robs the fans of quality baseball, but makes team owners a little bit of money. After reaching the World Series in 2008, the Rays have learned the other way to make profit, keeping their fans engaged by actively trying to win.

Rays attendance was up for 2008 to 2009 by almost a thousand fans a game, this franchise also bought into the UFL’s Florida Tusker opening up an additional revenue stream. That means they are ready to make a commitment at least for 2010 to stepping up their payroll, and making a concentrated effort to become an elite MLB team.

I say at least for 2010 for one very simple reason the Rays have a number of big contracts coming off the books after the 2010 season. If they ratchet up their payroll, and less fans come out to the ball park then they can walk away from a big payroll number with expiring contracts. 1B Carlos Pena is in the final year of a three year deal that will pay him 10 million in 2010, OF Carl Crawford is also in a final year of a deal that will pay him 10 million, OF Pat Burrell is in the final year of a two year deal that will pay him 9 million, and they singed RHP Rafael Soriano a one year deal for 7.25 million.

That is nearly 40 million dollars in payroll that can come off the books after the 2010 season. That has given the Rays management the flexibility to increase the 2009 payroll. They could realistically be big players in the free agent market, and done correctly they could deliver another magical season for their fans.