Rays Extend Rasmussen with Incentive-Laden Deal

Drew Rasmussen and the Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $8.5 million, with a possible increase to $28 million if performance incentives are achieved by 2027. This deal avoids salary arbitration, covering Rasmussen's final two arbitration years with a salary of $2 million for 2025 and $5.5 million for 2026, plus a $500,000 signing bonus. The 29-year-old pitcher, who underwent his third elbow surgery, returned as a reliever in 2024, posting a 2.83 ERA over 28 2/3 innings. The Rays plan to reintegrate him into the starting rotation by 2025, though with workload limitations. The contract reflects Rasmussen's potential value and the Rays' confidence in his recovery and future contributions, despite his injury history.