The Rays announced Wednesday that theyve signed infielder to a one-year deal with a club option for the 2026 season. In doing so, the two parties avoided an arbitration hearing. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that Walls will earn a $1.4MM guarantee: a $1.35MM salary this coming season with a $50K buyout on a $2.45MM option for the 26 campaign. The price of that option would be bumped by $50K, to $2.5MM, if Walls tallies 450 plate appearances, Topkin adds. Walls is represented by Vayner Sports. Ozzie Guillen Jersey Walls and Tampa Bay had , with the shortstop filing for a $1.575MM salary to the teams $1.3MM submi sion. ( a $1.3MM salary for Walls.) Its the first trip through the arbitration proce s for the infielder, whos under team control through 2027 regardle s of the outcome of that 2026 option. The 28-year-old Walls had a brutal season at the plate in 2024 but is a talented infield defender capable of handling multiple positions. In 252 plate appearances, he slashed only .183/.282/.248 with one homer, five doubles, three triples and 16 steals (in 20 attempts). Walls did continue to show a disciplined approach, walking in 12.3% of those 252 turns at the plate right in line with his career 12.1% mark. His contact profile was sub-par, however. Walls averaged only 86.2 mph off the bat with a bleak 24% hard-hit rate, and he punched out in 26.6% of his plate appearances. Defensive metrics are divided on Walls, whos primarily been a shortstop (1983 big league innings) but also has ample experience at second base (524 innings) and the hot corner (419 innings). Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating think hes a flat-out plus with the glove. DRS, in particular, credits Walls with a whopping career mark of +35 at shortstop alone (plus another 15 DRS between second and third). Statcast has generally favored his work at third base but is down on Walls at shortstop, pegging him at two outs below average in each of the past two seasons. The Rays clearly feel Walls is better than Statcast measures him to be. At least insofar as making the plays hes supposed to, theres good evidence to back that up. Walls was charged with only three errors in last years 625 innings of defense. He made a combined eight errors acro s three positions in 792 innings in 2023. Even if the Rays decline Walls option for the 2026 season, hed be under team control and arb-eligible a second time. Theyd likely only do so if they felt Walls comfortably projected for le s than the 75% raise his option value represents although in that scenario, hed be a potential non-tender candidate as well. For now, Walls is the favorite to open the 2025 season at shortstop, though hell have some competition from fellow middle infielder . In all likelihood, one will start the year at short and the other will fill a utility role, although could get himself back into the mix if he shows signs of a rebound from a dreadful 2024 season this spring. The Opening Day a signment doesnt nece sarily carry as much weight as wholl finish the season at shortstop, though. Walls, Caballero and to a le ser extent Basabe will all be in the mix, but all eyes will be on 2021 first rounder , whom Baseball America just this morning tabbed as MLBs No. 11 overall prospect. Williams, regarded as a plus defender at short, posted a .256/.352/.469 slash in a pitcher-friendly Double-A setting this past season, putting him about 42% better than average in that league, by measure of wRC+. The 21-year-old (22 in June) is likely ticketed for Triple-A to begin the season and could make his MLB debut at some point this summer, depending on how he fares early on. Elvis Andrus Jersey