Rays, Crawford To talk Deal After Season

Contract extension talks between Carl Crawford's agent Brian Peters and the Rays have been tabled until after the season, reports Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. Said Peters:

"We had an opportunity to exchange ideas with the club about a contract extension for Carl and it was clear to all of us that an immediate agreement was not going to materialize. Thus, we all agreed to table discussions until the end of the year. We'd like to minimize distractions for Carl and the club and keep the focus on baseball, so we don’t plan to comment upon Carl's contract status again until after the season."

Crawford reiterated that he'd love to stay. However, Topkin estimates a five-year deal in the $75MM range, and doesn't think the Rays can afford it. They'd probably have to commit around a quarter of their payroll to retain Crawford. On the open market, I can see Crawford getting a sixth guaranteed year. He won't turn 29 until August. My guess is that the Rays will not trade Crawford midseason, but will take two draft picks when he signs elsewhere.

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