Devil Rays meet payroll

By Larry Rice FanStop.com Columnist

When a report broke on Saturday that the Tampa Bay Devil Rays would not be able to make their payroll on Tuesday, the Devil Rays reminded everyone not to believe everything you read. The Devil Rays held true to that as the team made itÂ's payroll today. However, the message according to the New York Times, is donÂ't believe everything they are spinning.

Tampa Bay players are paid on the 15th and 30th of every month during the regular season. The team currently has a $56 million payroll, $12 million of which is deferred to future years. That leaves about $3.67 million for the club to pay out each month. The newspaper report stated on Saturday that even if the team made payroll on the 15th, that they would likely miss making payroll at the end of the month. Devil Rays vice president John Higgins called the report Â"completely untrue.Â"

The Devil Rays confirmed that players and employees were paid on Tuesday. However, all players and employees that Fanstop.com tried to reach declined comment on the issue. Higgins stated on Saturday that the payroll would be met in all future months. He also stated that the Devil Rays, though they are struggling, are nowhere near the dire financial need that the article places them in. "Any suggestion to the contrary is completely false," Higgins said. "This shouldn't be an issue."

The New York Times reported on Saturday that a rift between former managing general partner Vince Naimoli and his partners is at the heart of the potential financial crisis. Naimoli stepped aside as managing general partner to become chairman of the team. The team then announced that it would hire a chief operating officer to take over duties that Naimoli had hired since the inception of the franchise in 1998.

At the time, the story was that the move was not forced. However, the report by the New York Times states that a conflict among the owners has flared again and several have said they will provide money to make the payroll only if Naimoli is ousted completely. The newspaperÂ's key point of the dispute stated that "among the reasons for the partners' animosity toward Naimoli was the discovery in a financial review of more than $5 million that will be needed for expenses."

Higgins issued a strongly worded denial on Saturday, saying that the newspaper was wrong on virtually everything. "It is filled with completely erroneous information," stated Higgins. "Rumor and innuendo with no one's name attached to it. It is completely erroneous information that is being spread around, for whatever reason."

Many of the players for the Devil Rays stated that they were unaware of the report prior to their Saturday night game with the Cleveland Indians, a game they lost 8-0. "We're all still just finding out about it," outfielder Greg Vaughn said. "I've never heard anything like that before. I don't think major league baseball will let anything happen."

The Devil Rays are 1-1 since the report was issued. Many players stated that they are content to take care of what happens on the field and let everything else work itself out. While the heart of the report was adverted on Tuesday, everyone in Tampa Bay is no doubt waiting for the end of the monthÂ. when the same questions will surface again.

Article provided courtesy of FanStop.com