ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Catcher Mike Zunino, third baseman Matt Duffy and relief pitcher Chaz Roe have agreed to one-year contracts with the Tampa Bay Rays and avoided arbitration.
The deals Friday left the Rays with one player proceeding to arbitration, outfielder Tommy Pham. He asked for $4.1 million and was offered $3.5 million.
Pham made $570,000 last season when he batted .275 with 21 homers and 63 RBI in 137 games with Tampa Bay and St. Louis. He was acquired from the Cardinals last July and hit .343 with seven homers and 22 RBI in 39 games for the Rays.
Zunino ($4,412,500) was acquired this offseason in a five-player trade that sent outfielder Mallex Smith to Seattle. He earned $2,975,000 last season while batting .201 with 20 homers and 44 RBI in 113 games with the Mariners.
Duffy, 27, returned from missing all of 2017 because of injury to hit .294 with four homers and 44 RBI in 132 games last season. He got $2,675,000, up from $1 million last year.
Roe, a 32-year-old right-hander, was 1/3 with a 3.58 ERA in a career-high 61 appearances. He'll get $1,275,000, an increase from $720,000.
