Dave Martinez and Gabe Kapler among potential candidates for Rays manager - MLB

After Joe Maddon stepped down as manager of the Rays yesterday, there was plenty of speculation about what his next move could be, but we didn’t hear much about who could replace him in Tampa Bay. Look for that to change soon.

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Tribune has an early list of potential candidates, including Rays bench coach Dave Martinez, former Rays player Gabe Kapler, White Sox third base coach Joe McEwing, former Rangers bench coach and interim manager Tim Bogar, and Triple-A Durham manager Charlie Montoyo.

Martinez probably deserves to be the odds-on favorite here. He has been the Rays bench coach for the past seven seasons, so it would be a natural progression. He has also interviewed for several managerial openings around the majors in recent years. Montoyo, who has managed at Triple-A for the past eight years, is another logical in-house choice. Kapler doesn’t have any coaching experience in the majors, but he has worked as a part-time consultant for the Rays in the past and even briefly managed the Class A team for the Red Sox in 2007 before resuming his playing career. It would be a bold hire, but Kapler is extremely sharp and analytical, as evidenced by his insight on Twitter and Fox’s baseball coverage. It will be interesting to see if the Rays play it safe or outside the box.

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NEW YORK – Minor league players reached a historic initial collective bargaining agreement with Major League Baseball on Wednesday that will more than double player salaries, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because details were not announced.

As part of the five-year deal, MLB agreed during the contract not to reduce minor league affiliates from the current 120.

The sides reached the deal two days before the start of the minor league season and hours after a federal judge gave final approval to a $185 million settlement reached with MLB last May of a lawsuit filed in 2014 alleging violations of federal minimum wage laws.

Union staff recommended approval and about 5,500 minor leaguers were expected to vote on Thursday. MLB teams must also vote to approve and are expected to do so over the next week.

Minimum salaries will rise from $4,800 to $19,800 at rookie ball, $11,000 to $26,200 at Low Class A, $11,000 to $27,300 at High Class A, $13,800 to $27,300 at Double A and $17,500 to $45,800 at Triple-A. Players will be paid in the offseason for the first time.

Most players will be guaranteed housing, and players at Double-A and Triple-A will be given a single room. Players below Double-A will have the option of exchanging club housing for a stipend. The domestic violence and drug policies will be covered by the union agreement. Players who sign for the first time at 19 or older can become minor league free agents after six seasons instead of seven.

Major leaguers have been covered by a labor contract since 1968 and the average salary has soared from $17,000 in 1967 to an average of $4.22 million last season. Full-season minor leaguers earned as little as $10,400 last year.

The Major League Baseball Players Association took over as the bargaining representative of the roughly 5,500 players with minor league contracts last September after a lightning 17-day organization drive.

Minor leaguers players will receive four weeks of retroactive spring training pay for this year. They will get $625 weekly for spring training and offseason training camp and $250 weekly for offseason workouts at home.

Beginning in 2024, teams can have a maximum of 165 players under contract during the season and 175 during the offseason, down from the current 190 and 180.

The union will take over group licensing rights for players.

Negotiating for players was led by Tony Clark, Bruce Meyer, Harry Marino, Ian Penny and Matt Nussbaum. MLB Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem headed management’s bargainers.