ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Left-hander Jeffrey Springs became the first of the 33 players who exchanged proposed arbitration salaries with their teams to reach a deal, agreeing Wednesday to a $31 million, four-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays that could be worth $65.75 million over five seasons.

The 30-year-old Springs was among seven Rays who swapped arbitration figures with the team on Jan. 13. He began last season in the bullpen, transitioned to the starting rotation in May and finished 9-5 with a 2.46 ERA in 33 appearances, including 25 starts. He is 14-6 with a 2.70 ERA in 76 outings - 51 of them in relief - since he was acquired from Boston in February 2021.

Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said the sides had been working toward an agreement for weeks and that Springs - drafted in the 30th round by the Texas Rangers in 2015 - has earned the opportunity to be a big part of Tampa Bay's future.