ST. PETERSBURG -- Once the World Series is over, the Rays' offseason will truly begin and Tampa Bay will begin the process of trying to build on a much-improved club.
Here are some of the frequently asked questions surrounding the Rays' offseason:
Which players are eligible for free agency?
RHP Sergio Romo and OF Carlos Gomez
Which players are eligible for arbitration?
Listed with 2018 salary: 3B Matt Duffy ($930,000), 1B/DH C.J. Cron ($2.3 million), LHP Vidal Nuno ($1 million), Jesus Sucre ($925,000), RHP Chaz Roe ($720,000), OF Tommy Pham ($570,100), C Adam Moore ($570,000)
Who are the non-tender candidates?
The Rays can choose to avoid arbitration by non-tendering a player and instead letting him become a free agent. All of the Rays players on this list should be safe except for possibly Nuno. The non-tender deadline is Nov. 30.
Who needs to be protected in the Rule 5 Draft?
The Rule 5 Draft is for players who have been in the Minors for at least four to five years, with the specifics varying depending on the date and age at the time of signing. Each pick costs $100,000 and the player must remain on the 25-man roster for the entire season or else be offered back to the original team for $50,000.
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The Rays' top Minor Leaguers who must be added to the 40-man roster to be protected from being taken in the Rule 5 Draft include LHP Kyle Bird, LHP Brock Burke, RHP Ian Gibaut, OF Joe McCarthy, OF Jesus Sanchez and INF Kean Wong.
How much money do the Rays have to spend?
Given the young composition of the roster, Tampa Bay's payroll should be going down, perhaps even to the low $30 million level. Such a standing would allow the Rays to spend via free agency, but they were pretty happy with the players they had at the close of the 2018 regular season. That means a free agent would need to be considered a significant upgrade to move aside one of Tampa Bay's in-house options.
When will top prospect Brent Honeywell make his debut?
The right-hander was earmarked to be in the Rays' rotation in 2018, but he suffered a right elbow injury in February that required Tommy John surgery.
Honeywell has five pitches at his disposal, including a screwball. Based on the timeline for those having Tommy John surgery, Honeywell likely won't be available until after the All-Star break next season.