When the Rays did the unthinkable and traded the face of the franchise, it looked like a play for financial relief, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Alongside the return of infield prospect Christian Arroyo came the expiring contract of Denard Span.
A former defensive great outfielder, the 33-year old veteran is owed 11 million in 2018 with a mutual option in 2019, off-setting any financial relief in the near term.
The Rays may have only taken this financial commitment on to facilitate the Longoria deal, and could be hoping to flip Span accordingly, but what if they intend to keep Span?