Rays, Navarro have $400K gap

Posted Jan 20, 2009 by Marc Lancaster

Updated Jan 20, 2009 at 05:50 PM

A win in salary arbitration next month would net Dioner Navarro $400,000 more than the Rays would like to pay him this season, while Willy Aybar would get an additional $150,000 if he prevails over the team in his hearing.

According to figures provided by The Associated Press, Navarro asked for $2.5 million and the Rays countered with an offer of $2.1 million. Aybar, meanwhile, requested $1.05 million, while the Rays filed at $900,000.

With negotiations between the parties now halted, per Rays policy, a three-person arbitration panel will listen to both sides’ arguments and pick one salary or the other. Hearings will be held Feb. 1-21 in Phoenix this season, with a decision usually coming a few days after arguments are heard.

One other Rays tidbit today: Dewon Day, who was designated for assignment last week, a mere seven days after the Rays claimed him off waivers from the Red Sox, has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Durham. The reliever will be invited to major-league camp.