There were two huge signings this week in MLB.
Subsequently, there were two huge wins for fans.
One of the most difficult things about professional sports these days is that rosters are often transient. Be careful buying a player’s jersey because it may be obsolete in a year.
That’s why this was a feel-good week for MLB.
The Houston Astros signed a five-year, $125 million extension with second baseman Jose Altuve, which should keep the 33-year-old in Houston for the rest of his career.
Also, the Kansas City Royals inked shortstop Bobbby Witt Jr., to an 11-year, $289 million deal that could expand to 14 years and $378 million if three options are picked up, according to multiple reports.
So, Witt Jr., 23, could stay as a Royal through 2037 – although he does have some opt-out options between 2030 and 2033. He’s already the face of the franchise, and now he is the highest-paid player in franchise history.
Altuve is arguably the most important Astro in club history, and now he should go down as its greatest in one uniform, or at least be in the same conversation with Hall-of-Famers Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, who both never played a big-league game for anyone but Houston.
There is an immense pride for a franchise, a player and a fan base to have someone play an entire career with one club.
It doesn’t happen a lot, yet we saw two players this year get voted into the Hall that were lifers with one franchise: Joe Mauer with the Minnesota Twins and Todd Helton with the Colorado Rockies. There are nearly 60 Hall of Famers that have played with just one team, and it looks like Altuve should join that group in the future.
Related: Highest-paid players in MLB
Jose Altuve and Bobby Witt Jr. extensions are great for MLB
In my estimation, Altuve is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, likely no matter what happens going forward. He’s an eight-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger who also has won two World Series titles, an MVP Award and two stolen base crowns. He has a career 129 OPS+ and a bWAR that’s at 49.3 and should safely settle into the mid to high 50s (and maybe low 60s) before his career ends. And his tremendous postseason performances elevate his candidacy.
Some voters won’t select Altuve – at least initially — because he was a leader of the 2017 Astros that were embroiled in the sign-stealing scandal. And that is their prerogative.
He’ll get in, though. And there won’t be any question what franchise he will represent.
It’s much too early to predict whether Witt, heading into his third MLB season, will one day be bound for Cooperstown. But, after a 2023 season in which he hit 30 homers, stole 49 bases and had a .813 OPS, he’s established himself as one of the better young players in the game. The Royals are trying to find their identity and now Witt will be tied to them for years.
It’s an encouraging trend throughout baseball: franchises locking up their young stars to deals that last well beyond their arbitration years. That’s been a blueprint for the Atlanta Braves, who have made it a priority the last few years.
The Arizona Diamondbacks gave outfielder Corbin Carroll an eight-year, $111 million extension last March and the Seattle Mariners agreed to a 12-year extension worth $210 million guaranteed with superstar outfielder Julio Rodriguez in 2022 that could last until 2039 and ultimately be worth $470 million.
Not all of these early extensions work out – the Tampa Bay Rays and shortstop Wander Franco agreed to an 11-year extension worth $182 million in 2021, but that’s been in limbo while Franco deals with an investigation into his alleged relationship with an underage girl.
Still, with Witt’s massive deal making noise, it is fair to wonder whether other teams will continue the trend. The Texas Rangers have intriguing candidates in Evan Carter and Josh Jung, the Cincinnati Reds have Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain, among others, and then there are the Baltimore Orioles, who could extend a half-dozen players if they were inclined.
With a new ownership group, led by billionaire businessman and philanthropist David Rubenstein, the Orioles seemingly will have more financial resources available if they want to extend pre-arbitration players such as Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Grayson Rodriguez and top prospect Jackson Holliday, who has yet to play in a big-league game.
This could be a franchise-changer for an organization that typically doesn’t spend a lot, comparatively, on payroll. It’s an expensive risk; sure. But one the Orioles should embrace.
Perhaps what is most interesting about the extensions this week is how the two contracts are structured.
Altuve, whose extension kicks in for 2025, receives a $15 million signing bonus, $30 million in salary in 2025, 2026 and 2027 and then $10 million each in 2028 and 2029. His deal is structured so that it’s less of a financial burden on the Astros as Altuve’s skills inevitably deteriorate as he closes in on 40.
Witt’s, however, is the opposite. He reportedly has received a $7.78 million signing bonus and his salary will increase incrementally each year, from $2 million in 2024 to $7 million, $13 million, $19 million and then $30 million in 2028, his age-28 season. The next five seasons, he’ll make $35 million annually. If he hasn’t opted out by then, the Royals could pay him $33 million in 2035 and $28 million each in 2036 and 2037, his age-37 season.
There was a time when all contracts were backloaded. We’ve seen plenty of deferred contracts recently. But it makes sense to pay a player the most when he theoretically is producing the most.
Altuve’s contract value drops as his production likely will. And Witt’s increases as he gets into his prime years.
I like it. But what I like more is that two teams this week decided to pay their franchise players, keeping them around for years to come. And that’s good for the game.