The Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to terms for the 2017 season with nine of their remaining arbitration-eligible players: infielder Tim Beckham, right-handed pitcher Brad Boxberger, left-handed pitcher Xavier Cedeño, right-handed pitcher Alex Cobb, outfielder Corey Dickerson, right-handed pitcher Danny Farquhar, center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, infielder Brad Miller and right-handed pitcher Erasmo Ramirez.
Beckham, 26, appeared in 64 games (51 starts; 23-SS, 16-2B, 5-1B, 4-3B, 3-DH) over two stints with the Rays in 2016, batting .247/.300/.434 (49-for-198) with 22 extra-base hits (12-2B, 5-3B, 5-HR) and 16 RBI. He was one of four American League players to start multiple games at all four infield positions, along with Marwin Gonzalez (Astros), Jurickson Profar (Rangers) and Andrew Romine (Tigers). Following the All-Star break, he hit .327/.365/.520 (32-for-98) and enters the 2017 season on a career-high 10-game hitting streak.
Boxberger, 28, appeared in only 27 games in 2016 due to an injury-plagued season that included two trips to the disabled list. He went 4-3 with a 4.81 ERA (24.1IP, 13-ER), and his four wins ranked second among Rays relievers. In 2015, he was named to his first All-Star Team and led the AL with 41 saves, joining Rafael Soriano (2010) as the only Rays pitchers to lead the league in saves. It remains one of five 40-save seasons in Rays history.
Cedeño, 30, led the Rays bullpen in appearances (54) in 2016 until late-August, when he was sidelined for the remainder of the season by neck stiffness. He went 3-4 with a 3.70 ERA (41.1-IP, 17-ER) and limited left-handed batters to a .197 avg. (15-for-76) with only two extra-base hits. Since April 28, 2015—the date of his Rays debut—only one AL lefty has made more appearances: Justin Wilson for the Tigers (2016) and Yankees (2015).
Cobb, 29, returned from Tommy John surgery to make five starts for the Rays in September. He was one of 16 pitchers to undergo Tommy John surgery and return to the majors in 2016. Over his five-year major league career, all with the Rays, he is 36-25 with a 3.44 ERA (520.2-IP, 199-ER).
Dickerson, 27, matched his career-high with 24 home runs in 2016, and established career highs in doubles (36) and extra-base hits (63) over 148 games (131 starts; 69-LF, 61-DH, 1-RF). Of his 125 hits, 50.4 percent went for extra bases, the highest mark by a Ray since Carlos Peña in 2009. Following the All-Star break, his 34 extra-base hits tied for sixth in the AL, while his 22 doubles in the second half were a club record.
Farquhar, 29, appeared in 35 games over five major league stints in 2016, his first season with the Rays. During his final stint—from August 6 through the end of the season—he led the Rays bullpen with 24 appearances and pitched to a 1.46 ERA (24.2-IP, 4-ER) with 36 strikeouts over that stretch. Sixteen of his last 17 appearances were scoreless, including a career-long streak of 13 straight from August 27 through September 23.
Kiermaier, 26, won the AL Gold Glove Award for the second consecutive season, joining third baseman Evan Longoria (2009, 2010) to win multiple Gold Glove Awards in franchise history. He also became the first AL center fielder since the awards were first presented in 1957 to claim the Gold Glove in each of his first two seasons in the majors. He led major league center fielders with 25 Defensive Runs Saved despite missing 48 games due to injury. His 25 DRS ranked second in the AL (regardless of position), behind Boston’s Mookie Betts (32), despite playing 509.1 fewer innings. At the plate, he established career highs in home runs (12), stolen bases (21), walks (40) and on-base percentage (.331).
Miller, 27, appeared in 152 games (140 starts; 95-SS, 37-1B, 7-DH, 1-LF) in his first season with the Rays and ranked second on the team to Evan Longoria in home runs (30), RBI (81) and slugging percentage (.482). He became the sixth Ray all-time with a 30-HR season, joining Longoria (4), Carlos Peña (3), Aubrey Huff (1), Fred McGriff (1) and Jose Canseco (1). His 30 homers were one more than his career total prior to 2016 (29 in 343 games).
Ramirez, 26, led the Rays with 64 appearances (including one start) in 2016, his first full season as a reliever. His 85 innings pitched were the most among AL relievers and the most by a Rays reliever since J.P. Howell in 2008. He also led the majors with 35 relief appearances of four outs or more, and his 20 appearances of at least two innings tied for the major league lead. He went 7-11 with a 3.77 ERA (90.2-IP, 38-ER), a club record for losses as a reliever.