ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ Having lost Travis d'Arnaud on Sunday to the Braves, the Rays are re-committing to veteran Mike Zunino.
The Rays on Monday finalized a deal to sign the veteran coming off a rough offensive season to a one-year contract for $4.5 million that avoids arbitration, and gives them a $4.5 million or slightly more option for 2021, which would otherwise be his first year of free agency.
Basically the Rays are betting that Zunino, 29 in March, will bounce back from his poor season at the plate, hitting just .165 with nine homers, 32 RBIs and a .544 OPS, while continuing to provide elite-level defense.
And in doing so they get the potential payoff of retaining Zunino in 2021 at what would be a below-market price for a free agent, as even with escalators he would max out at $5.25 million if they exercise the option.
Zunino was projected for an arbitration salary of $4.9 million, so the Florida native and University of Florida product is making some sacrifice for the chance to stay with the Rays.
In 2018 with Seattle, Zunino hit .201 with 20 homers, 44 RBIs and a .669 OPS. The year before that, his best in the majors, he hit .251 with 25 homers, 64 RBIs and an .840 OPS.
Zunino was acquired in trade last off-season and projected as a key part of the Rays lineup. He started 23 of the Rays' first 36 games (missing three for the birth of his son) before being sidelined for three weeks with a left quad strain, then 43 of 70 when he returned. But as he continued to struggle and d'Arnaud starred after being acquired in May, the balance shifted as Zunino started only 12 of the Rays final 37 games, and didn't appear in any of their six playoff games.
Zunino's defense is a key part of the Rays' decision, as he threw out 34.1% of potential base stealers and was credited with 10 defensive runs saved, third-best in the AL
D'Arnaud had a strong season after joining the Rays in mid-May from the Dodgers, and got a $16 million, two-year deal from the Braves.
Whether the Rays will seek another front-line catcher to share time with Zunino remains to be seen. They also have Michael Perez, a lefty swinger who hit .217 in 22 games, making the opening day roster but being sidelined in early May with an oblique strain then spending a month on the injured list and most of the rest of the season at Triple-A.
