How Much Are Rays Projected To Pay Nick Fortes in Arbitration This Offseason?

What will the salary of Tampa Bay Rays catcher Nick Fortes be via arbitration this winter?

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The Tampa Bay Rays are going to be busier than any team in baseball when it comes to negotiations with players ahead of arbitration. They have an MLB-high 17 players eligible for hearings this winter.

Some players could certainly be non-tendered depending on how those pre-arbitration talks go. If a deal cannot be agreed upon without a hearing and the Rays believe the value isn’t there, they could very well decide to move on.

One player who is going to be subject to the process is catcher Nick Fortes. He made 38 appearances with Tampa Bay this season after being acquired in a midseason trade.

He was acquired in a flurry of moves made by the Rays in an effort to shake up their depth behind the plate. The Miami Marlins traded him to Tampa Bay in exchange for minor leaguer Matthew Etzel.

The Rays also have Hunter Feduccia on the 40-man roster, along with Fortes behind the plate. Danny Jansen and Ben Rortvedt were traded away in other deals.

Tampa Bay’s president of baseball operations, Erik Neander, has already shared that catcher is a spot the team will look to upgrade this offseason. The plethora of moves made ahead of the deadline didn’t yield the kind of results they were hoping for.

Nick Fortes projected for raise in arbitration this offseason

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With the most MLB experience of any catcher currently on the roster, Fortes is someone the team is likely going to work out a deal with. Having experienced depth in the organization is important, and he has some bargaining power since there is only one other player at his position on the 40-man roster.

What kind of deal could he be looking at this winter? As shared by MLB Trade Rumors, he is projected to receive a raise. They have him projected to earn $2.4 million for the 2026 campaign, with 3.149 years of service time. That is up from the $.186 million he earned in 2025.

A solid defender with a +2 Fielding Run Value, which was in the 62nd percentile per Baseball Savant, that is where almost all of Forte’s value resides. He excels in virtually every defensive metric, but the bat leaves a lot to be desired.

In an ideal world, he would be the backup option given how much of an impact he can make with his glove. Until he figures this out on a more consistent basis with the bat, it is hard to envision him being more than a part-time player.

In 1,174 plate appearances in the MLB, Fortes has a 71 OPS+ with a .224/.280/.345 slash line. He did show some life with the Rays at the plate with an OPS+ of 84, his highest mark since 2022, when he had a 95 with the Marlins.