Kazmir agrees to extension

The Rays and ace LHP Scott Kazmir have agreed on contract extension though 2011, with a team option for 2012. The deal guarantees the lefthander $28.5-million and has a maximum value of approximately $39.5 million.

"As we continue to win games and play in October we envision Scott anchoring the staff for us,'' executive VP Andrew Friedman said. "We envision it being a series of contracts that keeps Scott in this uniform for a long time.''

Kazmir would be eligible for free agency after the 2010 season, so under this deal he gives up one year of free agency and a second if the Rays exercise their option.

Kazmir is guaranteed $6-million in 2009, $8-million in 2010 and  $12-million in 2011 for what would be his first year of free agency. The Rays hold a $13.5-million option for 2012, or will pay Kazmir a $2.5-million buyout.

The Rays and Kazmir have talked on and off about a long-term deal and made progress as he rehabbed from a spring training elbow strain that sidelined him until May 4. Kazmir said the injury was not as much of a factor in him signing long-term as the moves the Rays have made to improve.

"That was huge,'' Kazmir said. "This past offseason we really addressed a lot of issues that needed to be addressed. ... We just have a great product here and I'm just happy to be a part of it.''

The announcement was made at Tropicana Field around 20 minutes before the the first-place Rays hosted the Yankees.

In his first year of arbitration eligibility, Kazmir had agreed to a one-year deal for $3.785-million. He missed the first five weeks of the season recovering from a spring training left elbow strain.

Kazmir, 24, has a 36-30 career record and 3.63 ERA in 100 major league games, and is the Rays all-time leader in wins, strikeouts, starts and innings.

The Rays have now locked up several of their core players long term, with RHP James Shields (7 years, $44 million) and 3B Evan Longoria 9 years, $44.5 million) each signing deals this year. 1B Carlos Pena is in the first year of a 3-year, $24.1 million deal.

Comments

[Paul]

This is GREAT news. My check for World Series tickets is in the mail!!!!

[Sean]

The pieces are all falling into place!

[Dave]

Bossman Junior has next . . .

[Joe]

Rays Rock!!!

[Chang]

Otay! Now weese lollin to big win! Yessah!

[clover]

Awesome! Ownership is responding to the fans. The team is responding to the fans. Now it's our turn to respond! Let's Go Rays!!

[tj]

Wow does anyone remember him JUST coming off the DL? Shouldn't they have waited til he had say 5-10 starts under his belt? Just so we don't have another snap judgement like the Rocco deal? Jury is out on this one. Kaz himself said earlier in year he wanted to wait to sign. What changed? Maybe he knows his arm is screwed and knows that a long term deal wasn't gonna come unless he took this one.

[RAYSFAN]

TJ,

You are real dork. Do you not think the Rays have Doctors or MRI machines? Do you not think they checked him out to make sure he was healthy? Some people love to complain. Our Rays are damn good and they are a young team that equals good for years to come. You got to have pitchers and our ownership locking up our pitchers is a great thing. GO RAYS!

[tj]

Is that the same machine that can't find out whats wrong with Rocco? Quit drinking the Kool Aid. Rays are playing well, I'm first to admit that. Why the change of heart on Kazmir's part? Somethings fishy.

[Jeff Gilbert]

I think this is just another reason why we shouldn't build this new stadium! If the Rays have all of this money to throw at a marginal pitcher like Kazmir, surely they could spend all of their own money for the Stadium. I know I don't want to pay for it, since I don't go to any games. Who wants to watch a weak team with no future, am I right?

[tj]

I have to disagree with you Jeff. Kaz is a above average pitcher, however right now isn't really the time to throw money at him. People around town are already wanting to print playoff tickets. Lets back it down people. The Rays had 1 good month. Not year. Maybe let him prove himself a little more. Rays are on the upswing for sure, but have him be healthy for more then 2 starts, never know he could have more issues with his arm. I guess being cautious with things is out the window now.

[Sean]

Jeff,

Marginal? Have you watched Kazmir pitch? I bet you see his win/loss record from last year and that is that right? He lead the AL in strikeouts and had a winning record on a team that won 70 something games.

TJ,

The change of heart was that he wanted to be on a winning team. Now that they are showing they can be that winning team, he has been more than willing to sign it.

[Bodog]

TJ, relax. Nothing is fishy,the Rays and Kaz's agent have been negotiating for some time. They finally came to an agreement that everyone is happy with. Kaz also had some concerns as to whether the owners had a real commitment to winning. I guess this win streak helped him with his decision. let's get Upton signed to a long term contract now.

[Bodog]

TJ. I disagree with you. NOW is the time to sign Kaz. He would have been a free agent after the 2010 season. If you have played any type of sports, you will understand that any athlete will get bruised up at sometime in his career. Kaz had an arm problem earlier in the season. It's been taken care of of. This guy will be an outstanding pitcher on an outstanding rotation. Take a minute to realize what the rotation will be like once Price, Magee, and Davis hit the Bigs sometime this year.

[tj]

So let me get this straight, mr bodog. Your gonna revamp the entire rotation by putting in 3 guys who aren't even in the big leagues now and didn't make the club out of spring? Who are you sending out? Garza-nope, Shields-nope, Kazmir-nope, Jackson-nope, Sonnestine-prob. So where are these 3 gonna fit. Last time I checked only a five-man rotation. Brainiac. Price should get a Sept call-up, no need to rush anyone right now.

[Andy]

Marginal pitcher? Scott Dohmann is a marginal pitcher. Jason Hammel is a marginal pitcher. Kazmir is a legit #1 or #2 starter on most every MLB team.

If you don't go to any games (and apparently don't know much about baseball), fine by me. But you look pretty stupid trying to make a baseball-related argument for why you don't want a new stadium.

[Andy]

I wouldn't be too surprised of 2 of of 3 of Price/Niemann/McGee get called up in September. There is a reason after all that they expand the roster to 40 players in September. I would be shocked if any of them earn a rotation spot.

[Just sayin']

This is great news, I think Kaz saw this team has a realistic chance of actually competing in this division.

Injury concerns? That is always there, especially with pitchers. But with how careful the team was with him in delaying his start of the season (hmm the article says that negotiations continued during that time, I wonder what the team could have been looking at during that time?) there isn't anything lingering from the twinge he had in the Spring.

Anybody else see that catch by BoSox Ramirez last night. He high fived a guy in the stands then threw out an Oriole at first. Who on that team could be that slow? Hint: used to wear Kaz's current number 19 for the Devil Rays.

[rayray]

Long live the Kazmir Krazies in the Trop. I'll be their today. L8r!

[Bodog]

Reading is FUNDALMENTAL TJ, maybe I didn't express myself very well. I didn't mean that those individual would come up and take a rotation spot immed. What I'm conveying is with Kaz, Shields, Garza, any addition is gonna be outstanding. Dude, be prepared when that day comes, Sonny and or Jackson might be regulated to bullpen work. You are talking about guys, Davis, Magee, Price, who are outstanding young pitchers in the organization. Prime example - JP Howell. Guy starts out in the rotation last year, didn't do very well as a starter, but he is outstandings in long relief out of the pen. By putting certain ball players in other suitable responsibilities doesn't make the team lesser - it actually makes it stronger. We have a couple of players in the pen now, Reyes, Miller, and Percival, who are a little long in the tooth - they have to be replaced at some point, who better to do it than the people we already have and it doesn't make a difference which player(s) it is. Jackson and Sonny going to the pen or the rooks. I can tell you with all certainty that Price won't be in the pen. So dude before you go calling me names think outside the box.....look at this thing long term...stop thinking about today and look at tomorrow.

[Jeff Gilbert]

Sorry for the sarcasm boys. I guess since there are so many idiots on this board, that actually looked like a real comment I made. Marginal, right? Thats was supposed to be the give-away. I guess get the net for guys like Andy, but he does prove my point. We live in gooberville, and people are going to find any reason they can to oppose this new stadium.