Chirinos, Alvarado among Rays to avoid arb

ST. PETERSBURG -- It was an uneventful Wednesday for the Rays, who tendered contracts to all seven of their arbitration-eligible players before MLB's 8 p.m. ET deadline. Non-tendered players would’ve become free agents.

The seven players were left-hander José Alvarado, right-hander Yonny Chirinos, first baseman Ji-Man Choi, right-hander Tyler Glasnow, outfielder Manuel Margot, infielder Joey Wendle and left-hander Ryan Yarbrough.

Of the group, there was some doubt about whether the Rays would tender Chirinos and Alvarado contracts on Wednesday, but Tampa Bay ultimately decided to keep its pitching depth. Alvarado has a ton of talent but has struggled with consistency and injuries over the last two seasons, while Chirinos will miss the entire 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Alvarado is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $1 million via arbitration, while Chirinos, Wendle and Choi are projected to make at least $1.6 million. Glasnow and Margot are projected to earn at least $2.8 million, and Yarbrough is in line to make at least $2.2 million.

One move the Rays did make on Wednesday was to non-tender right-hander Edgar García, who becomes a free agent. García was acquired from the Phillies in August after being designated for assignment by Philadelphia, but he wasn’t able to find a role on the team. The right-hander split time between the Majors and the alternate training site, posting a 10.80 ERA and recording one save in four appearances last season. García wasn’t part of the Rays’ 40-man postseason player pool.

By non-tendering García, the Rays created some much-needed space on the 40-man roster, which now stands at 39 players, as the offseason is set to heat up over the next couple of weeks. The Rays have attempted to clear up a clustered 40-man roster throughout the offseason, designating Hunter Renfroe and Brian O’Grady for assignment and losing catcher Michael Perez to the Pirates via waivers.