Fuld, Wright non-tendered by Tampa Bay

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays non-tendered outfielder Sam Fuld and left-hander Wesley Wright, and the two are now free agents.

Tampa Bay did tender contracts before Monday's midnight ET deadline to its seven arbitration-eligible players: left-hander David Price, outfielder Matt Joyce, right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, infielder Sean Rodriguez, left-hander Jake McGee, catcher Jose Lobaton and left-hander Cesar Ramos.

Andrew Friedman, executive vice president of baseball operations, said that the team will keep the door open for a possible return for both Fuld and Wright.

Fuld hit .199 with two home runs, 17 RBIs and eight stolen bases in 119 games in 2013. In three years with the team, he has hit .230 with five home runs, 49 RBIs and 35 steals.

"Sam is a really talented player and an extraordinary teammate," Friedman said.

The Rays claimed Wright off waivers from the Astros on Aug. 12, and he went 0-0 with a 2.92 ERA in 16 appearances.

"This isn't as much about his talent as our current bullpen setup," Friedman said, adding that the Rays are interested in some players who were not tendered on Monday and that the front office plans to scour that list on Tuesday to see if there are any good fits.

Once contracts are tendered, clubs can negotiate with players right up until their arbitration hearings, but the Rays' policy is to conclude their negotiating by the numbers filing deadline, which is Jan. 17, 2014. The club's exception to this deadline is to negotiate a multiyear deal with the player.

The Rays are 6-0 in arbitration hearings and 5-0 under the current ownership.