Arozarena happy, focused on winning WS

On the eve of Opening Day, Randy Arozarena made it clear that he loves playing for the Rays and hopes to win a World Series with Tampa Bay. But the outfielder’s main priority has been preparing for the season, not negotiating a long-term contract extension.

The Rays made an offer to Arozarena at some point recently, sources confirmed to MLB.com on Wednesday, but the two sides are not currently negotiating any sort of long-term deal. FanSided first reported that they had “recent discussions” about an extension. The interaction that took place between the Rays and Arozarena’s camp is quite typical in the run-up to the regular season. It’s common for the Rays to explore those talks with several players during Spring Training, and in the past, they’ve signed young stars to guaranteed contracts that provide cost certainty moving forward.

Arozarena sounded open to the idea, but his focus was clearly on the field as he geared up for his first Opening Day start Thursday in Miami.

“I would like to win a World Series here. I'm very happy here,” Arozarena said through interpreter Manny Navarro. “I don't have control of the negotiation part and the business side, but I'm just here to go out there and have fun.”

Arozarena is in a unique position: He's a star in the making coming off of a record-setting postseason, but he is still technically a rookie looking to prove what he can do over a full season. He had a relatively quiet Spring Training, going 9-for-38 with two doubles and dealing with a minor left wrist issue that he says now feels “pretty much 100 percent.” Rays manager Kevin Cash said that the 26-year-old “kind of picked up right where he left off” in October and showed the coaching staff everything that they saw from him last year.

“I'm very happy with the season starting tomorrow, and obviously, I was very happy with the results that I had last year,” Arozarena said. “But like I've said before, I like to play day by day. So even though the past is now the past, tomorrow's a new day, and that's the day I'm worried about now.”

The most pertinent question about Arozarena heading into Thursday’s opener had to do with his choice of hair color. Speaking on a Zoom call with reporters Wednesday afternoon, Arozarena removed his Rays cap to reveal he’d cut his hair short and dyed it bright yellow on Tuesday. Cash compared the rookie’s look to that of the singer Sisqó, quipping, “That was a bad idea, but whatever.”

“Yellow flow,” Arozarena said. “New flow, new season.”

Choi undergoes surgery
Rays first baseman Ji-Man Choi had surgery Wednesday morning in St. Petersburg, as expected, to remove loose bodies from his right knee. The surgery, performed by Dr. Koco Eaton, also debrided -- or cleaned up -- Choi’s meniscus. The Rays’ goal is for Choi to return to game action in four to five weeks.

Cash said that the operation didn’t change Choi’s projected timetable, but it was a relief to have an explanation and some more clarity as to what caused his recurring knee soreness during Spring Training.

“It's unfortunate that there's something in there. The good part is that we found something,” Cash said. “I think the worst thing would have been to go in there, not see anything, and then now where are we at? … I think that sets him in a better mindset that he can get on with his rehab.”

Around the horn
• The Rays did not officially set their Opening Day roster Wednesday, but Cash said before their workout in Miami that he did not anticipate any changes before Thursday’s noon deadline. The Rays brought 26 active players to Miami, so the only moves necessary will be placing Choi and outfielder Brett Phillips (strained left hamstring) on the 10-day injured list.

• The Rays put five players on their traveling taxi squad to begin the season: infielders Taylor Walls and Kevin Padlo, right-handers David Hess and Chris Mazza and catcher Joseph Odom.

• Starter Tyler Glasnow said that he won’t treat his first Opening Day outing different than any other start, instead approaching it, “like a normal game, just kind of the first one of many.” But he is clearly amped up to be in the lineup with a chance to hit Thursday, as the Rays are playing under National League rules with no designated hitter in Miami.

“That'll be sweet. It's exciting. I haven't done it in a long time, but I've been hitting a little bit with [hitting coach Chad Mottola] and like, bunting and stuff,” Glasnow said. “I'm definitely not trying to go out and get hurt or anything, so I'm going to be responsible, obviously. But I want to contribute as much as I can offensively, so we'll see what happens.”

• On Wednesday, the Rays announced an extension of their broadcast agreement with iHeartMedia Tampa Bay through the 2025 season. WDAE 95.3 FM/620 AM will continue to serve as the Rays’ flagship station throughout the extension. The new agreement dictates that audio from every game can be heard on WDAE and streamed live on the station’s website and the iHeartRadio app.

• The Rays released a digital version of their 2020 American League Championship rings for fans, available at on RaysBaseball.com/ALChampsRing. Fans with American League Champions Club memberships for the upcoming season will receive a physical version of the replica.

“The 2020 season was unique in so many ways,” Rays vice president of marketing and creative services Eric Weisberg said in a statement. “This digital ring allows us to celebrate the excitement of the American League Championship title in an innovative manner with the fans who supported us through the unusual year.”