Tampa Bay Rays fans react to pitcher Ryan Thompson dissecting his arbitration case: "Sorry you got screwed," "It’s so rigged in the teams favor"
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ryan Thompson took to Twitter Wednesday with a lengthy thread that detailed his recent salary arbitration experience. Thompson and the Rays went to arbitration last Saturday, with the pitcher requesting $1.2 million for the 2023 season and the team unwilling to pay more than $1 million.
The Rays won the case, giving teams a 13-6 advantage in cases that have gone before an arbiter this offseason.
My thoughts concerning arbitration: (THREAD)
I want to make clear that although I lost my case, there is absolutely no ill-will towards the Rays as they were as professional and respectful as possible considering the circumstances. This is merely a review of the process.
While Thompson noted that he was still "thrilled" to make $1 million for 2023, he was "absolutely" disappointed with the result and the process in a 28-tweet thread that came in at nearly 1,100 words in its entirety.
Owners are rarely a sympathetic lot, but fans quickly sympathized with Thompson in his battle against the Tampa Bay Rays.
@R_Thompson15 What a fascinating thread. Thanks for enlightening us Ryan and sorry that you got screwed!
@R_Thompson15 As long as MLB (read as “The Owners”) pick the arbitrators and set the rules players are always going to get screwed. It’s so rigged in the teams favor unless you get arbitrators who understand the facts over the narrative being sold to them
@StantonTanks @R_Thompson15 Oh wow. You mean the odds are stacked against the laborer and suit the rich owners?
Arbitration, a process that first came about in 1973, is where a player with between three and six years of service time—not enough to become a free agent—and their team exchange binding salary figures and then make their case in front of a three-person arbiter panel.
@R_Thompson15 This is WILD.
1. Arbiters don't know ball
2. Rays make a case based on data they wouldn't use in actual ops decision making
3. Players go through this once, teams do it multiple times every year and know exactly what will matter to the ultimate decision maker
Seems unfair.
@R_Thompson15 Regarding the arbitrator knowledge bit, isn't that kind of the point? Wouldn't you want someone with no pre-conceived notions about the game and relying purely on the information given to them and who presents a better argument?
@R_Thompson15 As long as MLB (read as “The Owners”) pick the arbitrators and set the rules players are always going to get screwed. It’s so rigged in the teams favor unless you get arbitrators who understand the facts over the narrative being sold to them
The system often creates a hostile atmosphere between team and player. Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes, a 2021 Cy Young Award winner, admitted last week after losing his case that the arbitration process hurt his relationship with the team.
@R_Thompson15 Thank you so much for this Ryan. Really appreciate the transparency.
If you wouldn't mind...do you know what the Rays plan to file at before the exchange date, maybe as part of negotiations leading up to, or is it only known to both sides once exchanged?
@R_Thompson15 This thread is greatly appreciated and deeply insightful. Thanks for taking the time to be open and honest about your experience where most would not be. Consider me a fan.
@R_Thompson15 I think players work so hard in Tampa to get out of Tampa. Win for TB. They’ve hacked the system to find gems, polish them up by the gems trying to shine themselves, then flipping them for more undiscovered talent. Rinse, repeat. All while not paying.
The arbitration process often casts teams like the Tampa Bay Rays in a bad light. Teams generally gloss over any successes by their player, instead pointing out all the failures. All this over relatively small amounts, given the current salary climate of MLB baseball.
@R_Thompson15 Excellent thread. To me, poorly run organizations take their players to arbitration. I appreciate you saying there is no ill will, but after reading your thread, I have ill will towards the Rays! Lol Arbitration is never the correct answer.
Tampa Bay Rays, Thompson defend themselves
The Rays and Thompson defended their stances in a Thursday interview with the Tampa Bay Times.
Tampa Bay Rays Baseball Operations President Erik Neander said:
"I appreciate him making it clear how we went about things. We were there because of a disagreement [about his salary], and his impressions are his impressions, and he’s got a right to share those."
Thompson told the Times that he has no regrets about posting the lengthy tweet thread:
"I stand by everything I said. There’s no ill will between me or the Rays. I just wanted to kind of shed some light on something that’s completely hidden for reasons that I don’t understand."