Coming into the MLB offseason, there wasn’t a team in the sport that had more players who were eligible for arbitration than the Tampa Bay Rays.
When their regular season came to an end, they were in line to have 17 players arbitration-eligible. After a few transactions, including trading starting pitcher Shane Baz to the Baltimore Orioles, that number was knocked down to 13.
Last week, the deadline to agree to settlements without having to go to a hearing came and went. After agreeing to deals with starting pitcher Shane McClanahan, shortstop Taylor Walls and relief pitcher Cole Sulser earlier in the offseason, there were 10 players left without deals.
Ahead of the deadline, the Rays agreed to deals with nine out of 10 players. The only person who is going to a hearing is relief pitcher Edwin Uceta, who filed for $1.525 million while Tampa Bay countered with $1.2 million.
Rays avoid arbitration with Josh Lowe, Nick Fortes and Richie Palacios
Sep 20, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays catcher Nick Fortes (40) reacts after scoring a run against the Boston Red Sox in the seventh inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Out of those 10 players, only three were position players, and all of them received raises for the 2026 campaign compared to what they earned in 2025.
The highest settlement went to outfielder Josh Lowe. The two sides settled on a $2.6 million contract, which was below what he was projected to earn, as shared by MLB Trade Rumors. They had his salary at $2.9 million.
After a breakout 2023 campaign, Lowe has not been able to stay healthy or replicate that level of production. He is considered a potential bounce-back candidate for the 2026 campaign, and it is easy to see why.
More arbitration settlements for #Rays, per source:
RHP Griffin Jax: $3.565M
C Nick Fortes: $2.535M
RHP Steven Wilson: $1.520M
INF/OF Richie Palacios: $945,000
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) January 8, 2026
The Rays would certainly benefit from him tapping back into his 2023 form, especially after trading second baseman Brandon Lowe to the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a three-team deal that included the Houston Astros.
Just behind Lowe’s $2.6 million deal was catcher Nick Fortes. Acquired last year from the Miami Marlins, he settled for a one-year, $2.535 million deal to avoid arbitration. He actually surpassed his MLB Trade Rumors projection of $2.4 million.
As things currently stand on the Tampa Bay depth chart, Fortes is in line for a sizable role behind the plate. He looks to be the current starter at catcher.
Additional #Rays arbitration settlements, per source:
RHP Ryan Pepiot $3.025M
OF Josh Lowe $2.6M
RHP Kevin Kelly $925,000
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) January 8, 2026
Last but not least for the positional players is Richie Palacios. He avoided arbitration, settling for a one-year, $945,000 deal. He fell just short of the MLB Trade Rumors projection of $1 million.
If he can stay healthy, he is in line for a sizable role. He could be part of the equation to fill the massive void at second base and provide manager Kevin Cash with a lot of flexibility with his positional versatility.
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