The Tampa Bay Rays and infielder Taylor Walls have reached an impasse in salary negotiations, leading to an arbitration hearing as the deadline looms. Walls submitted a salary request of $1.575 million, while the Rays countered with an offer of $1.3 million, aligning closely with pre-offseason projections.

Despite struggling offensively, Walls cites his defensive prowess as a key reason for the higher salary request. With a solid defensive record, including a 1.4 WAR and a defensive WAR of 1.7 in 2024, his value as a defense-first player is evident. As a Gold Glove finalist in 2023, he has accumulated significant defensive runs saved throughout his career.