Major League Baseball owners are set to lock out their players if there is not a new collective bargaining agreement by Dec. 1, and an agent used the negotiations as an attempt to dunk on them.
Rafael Nieves of Republik Sports represents Tampa Bay Rays star Junior Caminero, who will become a very rich man one day — in 366 career games, he already has 94 home runs.
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Caminero already makes plenty of money, which was the focus around Nieves’ jab at owners. Nieves said most of his money earned is actually through his endorsement deal with adidas.
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Tampa Bay Rays’ Junior Caminero celebrates a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the seventh inning in Game 6 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla., Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
“I want to let people know, as we prepare for the lockout, that adidas paid Junior Caminero more money than the Tampa Bay Rays this season,” Nieves posted on X on Wednesday night.
The Rays are hardly known for being big spenders — their $110 million payroll ranked 29th in baseball, and they’ve given out only two nine-figure contracts, one of which went to Wander Franco, who is out of the league and on unpaid leave after having an inappropriate relationship with a minor.
Tampa Bay Rays’ Junior Caminero celebrates his solo home run off Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brandon Williamson during the third inning of a baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla., on April 22, 2026. (Chris O’Meara/AP)
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But for what it’s worth, this should hardly be surprising, and it probably would not matter which team he played for. Caminero is not even arbitration-eligible , so his salary this season was the league minimum of $760,000. He’ll make the league minimum next year, as well, and is not slated to become a free agent until after the 2030 season.
Caminero did get an additional $1 million last year from his success in his first full season when he hit 45 homers and drove in 110 runs. He figures to get a bigger bump this year after a 42-101 campaign when he slashed .276/.360/.524 that put him as an American League MVP finalist.
MLB players are aiming to raise minimum salaries and avoid having a salary cap, which owners have offered for the first time since 1994 – that year’s postseason was canceled, and baseball did not return until late April 1995 due to the players’ strike.
Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts after hitting a two-run home run during the seventh inning against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field on Oct. 19, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Getty Images)
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Caminero was named to the All-MLB First Team on Wednesday, but his Rays fell in the World Series to the Milwaukee Brewers.