Julio Rodriguez contract det atlanta braves jersey jones ails: Mariners ink rookie phenom to massive extension

August 26, 2022 By Edward Sutelan 0

Noah Syndergaard Phillies Jerseys Julio Rodriguez Getty Images

The Mariners are going to be keeping their superstar rookie in Seattle for a long time.

According to the MLB.com's Mariners reporter Daniel Kramer, the Mariners inked Julio Rodriguez, the frontrunner for the AL Rookie of the Year, to a massive extension that has the potential to grow to $470 millionAddison Russell over the course of the deal, which would be the largest contract in MLB history.

In addition, the deal could reach as many as atlanta braves jersey nike 18 years, which would also be the longest contract in MLB history.

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Rodriguez entered the season as one of the consensus top prospects in baseball, and he has lived up to the billing. He leads all rookie hitters with 20 home runs and is second to Bobby Witt Jr. with 23 stolen bases to Witt's 24. His .799 OPS is third among qualified American League rookies behind the Orioles' Adley Rutschman and the Guardians' Oscar Gonzalez, and he ranks second in fWAR at 3.5, behind only Rutschman, per Fangraphs.

Rodriguez also put on an impressive display at the Tim Anderson2022 Home RMLB Home and Office Decorun Derby, placing a narrow second to Juan Soto in a thrilling finish.

With the contract, Rodriguez becomes the latest rookie to sign a massive extension to keep him with the team with which he began his career. H atlanta braves official merchandise ere's a look at the details of his new deal.

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Julio Rodriguez contract details

This contract is loaded with incentives and options that can change the contract drastically.

The deal could be as few as eight years and as many as 18 with all the player and team options, according to Kramer.

The contract itself is for just eight years and $120 million to start, beginning in 2022 and ending in 2029. The first club option is for either eight or 10 years and is between $200 million and $350 million based on Rodriguez's placement in MVP balloting. That could push the deal to as much as $470 million, which would surpass a 12-year, $426.5 million contract signed by Mike Trout with the Angels.

If the Mariners don't use their club option for Rodriguez, he could use a player option for five years and $90 million. If neither the club option nor the player options are exercised, he could 

The Mariners have given out several major extensions and contracts in recent years, though none as big as the one handed to Rodriguez. During the offseason, they signed free agent and reigning AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray to a five-year, $115 million deal. They have also signed younger players like J.P. Crawford, Evan White and Marco Gonzales to recent extensions, with Crawford's five-year, $51 million deal being the biggest of atlanta braves jerseys the three offers.

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For Rodriguez, this deal represents a massive pay raise. He was earning only $700,000 in his rookie season, and more than doubled his 2022 income when he finished second in the Home Run Derby, earning a payout of $750,000.

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Rodriguez was previously under team control through the 2028 season, when he would be in his final year of arbitration. Now, he won't hit free agency until 2037, atlanta braves all star game jersey when he will be 36 years old.

This section will be updated as more details are reported

Similar contracts

The deal offered to Rodriguez continues a recent trend of teams offering massive long-term extensions to young stars early in their careers to avoid an expensive free agency during their primes.

The most recent deal completed like this was when the Rays signed Wander Franco to an 11-year, $185 million contract last November, ensuring their former No. 1 overall prospect would be in Tampa Bay until 2034, when he will be 33 years old.

Here's a look at several other players who inked deals early in their MLB careers:

Player Team Year signed Years Dollars MLB games played
Tim Anderson White Sox 2017 6 $25 million 99
Paul DeJong Cardinals 2018 6 $26 million 108
Scott Kingery Phillies 2018 6 $24 million
Ozzie Albies Braves 2019 7 $35 million 226
Eloy Jimenez White Sox 2019 6 $43 million
Ronald Acuna Jr. Braves 2019 8 $100 million 115
Evan White MarinersDerek Jeter 2019 6 $55 million
Luis Robert White Sox 2020 6 $50 million
Fernando Tatis Jr. Padres 2021 14 $340 million 143
Wander Franco Rays 2021 11 $185 million 70

Rodriguez's deal is most similar to those of Tatis and Franco, though it has the chance to be worth considerably more than either of the two.

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There is obvious incentive for the teams to sign players to these contracts early. It ensures they have control over superstars through their prime years without having to worry about losing them in free agency or having to spend even more depending on their market custom atlanta braves jersey value as they continue to establish themselves in the big leagues.

For the players, it ensures a major pay increase from the rookie contracts to which they are already signed and acts as a type of insurance in case of injury or declining performance.

Some of the deals above look like bargains, as players like Tim Anderson, Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Luis Robert have provided their teams with immense value on discount deals. Others, like Paul DeJong and Scott Kingery, turned early career hype into solid paydays even as DeJong has struggled to re-establish his rookie form and Kingery has just a .454 OPS in 52 games over the past three seasons.