Tampa Bay Rays Agree to Multi-Year Deal With Injured Pitcher Shane McClanahan

The Tampa Bay Rays and starting pitcher Shane McClanahan have agreed to a two-year contract to avoid arbitration, FanSided's Robert Murray reported Thursday afternoon.

McClanahan is now due $7.2 million over the next two seasons. MLB Trade Rumors initially projected McClanahan's 2024 salary to be $3.6 million.

This was McClanahan's first year of arbitration eligibility, having made $737,000 in 2023. He will be arbitration-eligible for another two years once this new contract expires, and he is not set to hit free agency until the end of the 2027 campaign.

McClanahan underwent Tommy John surgery in August and is set to miss at least the first half of the 2024 season. It is unlikely he takes the mound at the major league level at all this season, but his new contract reportedly includes escalators of $120,000 for each start he makes in 2024 to be applied to his 2025 salary.

Sources: Shane McClanahan, Rays have agreed to a two-year, $7.2 million contract to avoid arbitration. The deal includes escalators in 2024 ($120,000 per start in 2024) that would be applied to his 2025 salary.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) January 11, 2024

McClanahan was cruising to open 2023, going 11-1 with a 2.53 ERA, 1.167 WHIP, .211 batting average against and .650 OPS against through the end of June. After spending a few weeks on the injury list, however, McClanahan went 0-1 with a 7.77 ERA, 1.455 WHIP, .292 batting average against and .876 OPS against in his next four starts.

The 26-year-old ended last season 11-2 with a 3.29 ERA, 1.183 WHIP and a 2.7 WAR.

McClanahan finished seventh in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2021, then sixth in AL Cy Young voting in 2022. He made the All-Star Game in both 2022 and 2023.

In 74 career starts, McClanahan is 33-16 with a 3.02 ERA, 1.105 WHIP and 8.6 WAR.

The Rays also avoided arbitration with reliever Shawn Armstrong, outfielder Randy Arozarena, starting pitcher Aaron Civale, third baseman Isaac Paredes, starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen, right-handed pitcher Zack Littell and reliever Colin Poche on Thursday. Designated hitter Harold Ramirez and reliever Jason Adam, on the other hand, will proceed to arbitration hearings.

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