Shane McClanahan Signs 1-Year, $3.6 Million Deal to Return to Rays, Avoids Arbitration
Shane McClanahan, a two-time All-Star who hasn’t pitched in the majors since August 2023, has reached an agreement with the Tampa Bay Rays to a $3.6 million, one-year contract, avoiding arbitration. The 28-year-old left-hander will be paid the same salary he earned in the last two years of a two-year deal set in January 2024.
“He’s having a really good offseason,” Rays manager Kevin Cash remarked at the winter meetings last week. “He’s a huge part of our team, and we need him healthy. He’s working to be healthy.”
McClanahan is turning 28 on April 28 and is on the mend from his second Tommy John surgery, which was performed on August 21, 2023. He exited his third spring training start on March 22 due to an inflamed nerve in his left triceps, later making three minor league appearances from July 8-18 before undergoing surgery on August 11 to address the nerve issue.
His first Tommy John procedure occurred in 2015, after which he signed with the Rays as the 31st overall pick in the 2018 amateur draft. He finished seventh in the 2021 AL Rookie of the Year voting, posting a 10-6 record and a 3.43 ERA over 25 starts. In 2023, before getting hurt, he went 11-2 with a 3.29 ERA in 21 starts.
McClanahan will be eligible for free agency following the 2027 season.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay still has 11 arbitration-eligible players expected to exchange proposed salaries with the team on January 8. The group includes right-handers Bryan Baker, Shane Baz, Griffin Jax, Kevin Kelly, Ryan Pepiot, Edwin Uceta, and Steven Wilson; left-hander Garrett Cleavinger; catcher Nick Fortes; and outfielders Josh Lowe and Richie Palacios.
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