Snell receives reported $15.5K raise from Rays despite Cy Young win
Blake Snell reportedly won't be getting much of a financial reward for winning last year's Cy Young.
The Tampa Bay Rays opted to reward Snell for his breakout, award-winning 2018 campaign by giving him a mere $15,500 raise, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
His exact salary for 2019 is thought to be $573,700, Topkin reports. That figure is also only slightly more than the major-league minimum salary, which was raised to $555,000 over the winter.
"It's disappointing," Snell said Friday. "You want fair. But at the same time they don't have to do it, so I understand the business side of it."
Snell dominated AL batters during his third big-league season. The 26-year-old led the Junior Circuit in wins and ERA, posted a WHIP below 1.00, and averaged 11 strikeouts per nine innings over his 31 starts. He edged out Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander to win the Cy Young last November, and also finished ninth in AL MVP voting.
While his season might have warranted a raise on paper, Snell is still at the mercy of the collective bargaining agreement. Because he doesn't have three years of big-league service time, the Rays were able to renew his deal at whatever number they chose, regardless of performance.
Snell, who will start Opening Day, is scheduled to reach arbitration for the first time next year and won't become a free agent until after the 2022 season.
The Rays' 2019 payroll currently sits at a league-low $51,702,866, according to Spotrac.