Mike Zunino has re-signed with the Tampa Bay Rays on a one-year contract with a club option for the 2022 season. Zunino will earn $3 million dollars in 2021. The option is valued at $4 to $7 million dollars bases on games played. If the Rays decline the option they will pay Zunino $1M dollars.
Mike Zunino Rays deal: $3M guarantee. Solid deal for defense first catcher.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 16, 2020
Mike Zunino Re-Signs With Rays
Mike Zunino is coming off of an underwhelming two-year stint with the Tampa Bay Rays. The former third overall pick from the 2012 draft hit just .161/233/323 with 13 home runs in 373 plate appearances. That production ultimately adds up to a 49 OPS+. Zunino did bounce back somewhat in 2020 but he remained very below-average as a hitter. The one thing Zunino did do well was play defense. He has been ranked in the top 20 for catchers in DRS since 2019 per FanGraphs. He is also in the top 20 for framing runs.
The two years with Tampa should be considered an aberration. Zunino had posted an OPS+ below 80 just twice in six seasons with the Seattle Mariners and one of those was for only 193 plate appearances. The three seasons where he has been allowed the majority of appearances at the catching position have mostly resulted in respectable marks when you consider the state of catcher hitting in the modern era. It’s entirely possible that the Rays hitting instruction and lack of dedicated playing time for the veteran seriously cut into his numbers.
Zunino Is a Good Investment
Zunino’s previous contract with the Rays was originally one-year for $4.5 million with a team option for 2021. The Rays declined that option but have now brought back Zunino on a much more team friendly deal. Several teams could have used Zunino to bridge the gap between their current incumbent and their catcher of the future. Few backstops on the open market have Zunino’s potential with the bat and defensive stats. Now Zunino gets a second chance to show the Rays just how good he can be.
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