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Rays' owner: Payroll clearly going to be lower next season

Kim Klement / USA TODAY Sports

While ownership of the Boston Red Sox boasted about the availability of money to spend next season, their spend-thrifty division rivals in Tampa Bay will be taking a different approach. 

With a payroll this season of $76.9 million - up from $61.9 million in 2013 - the Rays are on pace for their lowest winning percentage since 2007. Those results have ownership thinking that spending money isn't necessarily going to equal more success. 

"It's clearly going to be lower," Rays owner Stu Sternberg told Bill Chastain of MLB.comregarding next year's payroll. "This year was an enormous aberration. Look, having said that, if the greatest thing since sliced bread shows up, and it costs us money, anything is possible. We never say no to anything, but the default is clearly going to be lower.

"Our two highest payrolls have been the years we stepped it up, 2009 and 2014, and those are the only two years we haven't played significant September baseball."

Tampa Bay has already begun clearing payroll for next season by shipping David Price and his $14-million salary for next season away to Detroit for the much more cost efficient Drew Smyly, who's dazzled in seven starts. 

Luckily for the Rays, they're no stranger to getting the most bang for their buck. 

Year Record Opening Day Payroll MLB Rank
2014 70-76 $77,062,891 28
2013 92-71 $57,895,272 28
2012 90-72 $64,173,500 25
2011 91-71 $41,932,171 29
2010 96-66 $71,923,471 21

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