Major League Baseball

Moore's $14M deal with Rays heavily backloaded

Published Dec. 13, 2011 5:15 p.m. ET

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Matt Moore's $14 million, five-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays is heavily backloaded, with the team paying a total of $3.5 million over the next three years.

Moore's deal would be worth $37.5 million over eight seasons and includes escalators that could increase the total to $39.75 million depending on starts and innings from 2014-18.

The deal calls for a $500,000 signing bonus and salaries of $1 million in each of the next three seasons. Moore's salary rises to $3 million in 2015 and $5 million in 2016.

Tampa Bay has a $7 million option for 2017 with a $2.5 million buyout. If that option is exercised, the Rays have a $9 million option for 2018 with a $1 million buyout. The final year of the deal gives the Rays a $10 million option for 2019 with a $750,000 buyout.

If Moore pitches 600 innings from 2014-16, his 2017 salary would increase by $500,000.

His 2018 salary would go up by $250,000 each for 85 starts or 570 innings from 2015-17, 90 starts or 600 innings and 95 starts or 630 innings.

His 2019 salary would increase by $500,000 each for 98 starts or 600 innings from 2016-18 and 66 starts or 400 innings from 2017-18.

A hard-throwing 22-year-old, Moore made his major league debut in mid-September and went 1-0 with a 2.89 ERA in one start and two relief appearances.

Moore started Tampa Bay's AL division series opener against Texas, throwing seven shutout innings to become the youngest pitcher to start and win a team's first game of the postseason.

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