Wander Franco contract details: Rays sign a promising 11-year contract

Wander Franco has had 281 regular-season goals in the major leagues. However, he’s about to get a huge payday and sign the biggest contract in Rays history.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Franco signed an 11-year, $185 million contract extension with Tampa Bay, easily surpassing the six-year, $100 million extension the Rays signed with third player Evan Longoria back year 2012.

Franco’s deal is the latest major deal to be signed with a young prospect with little major league experience, and a clear sign of the Rays’ faith in the rising star’s talent. theirs as a building block of a franchise.

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Wander Franco’s contract details

Franco has shined in his meager stint in the major leagues this season, beating Frank Robinson with the longest on-field streak against a player 20 or younger, and eventually helping him to a second-place finish. three in the American League’s Best Rookie of the Year poll despite just appearing. in the regular 70 games of the season.

Now, he is paid like a star.

Franco’s contract will average $16.8 million per year, far from the highest-paid player in baseball, but also more than anyone else Tampa Bay will pay in 2022 or already pay. before. According to SpotracKevin Kiermaier is expected to get the most money in 2022, when he earns around $12.2 million. Spotrac reported that Longoria, at most, earned a total of $13 million from the Rays in 2017, the largest single-year figure of any player in Tampa Bay.

Passan reports that there is a $25 million club pick for the 12th year. Passan also reported that he could receive $3 million in escalators for finishing in the top five in the AL MVP voting starting from 2028. There is no prohibition on his trade and if he is traded, he will receive another $3 million. a quest reward, according to Passan.

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Franco has long been seen as one of the game’s top stars. An international freelance agent at the age of 16, Franco signed with the Rays with a bonus of $3,825,000. Despite being one of the youngest players at each level he has played, Franco shines, displaying one of the most patient approaches in the game along with his ability to attack, steal, and attack. turret and smooth defensive play in the short lane.

He spent only three years on the junior team, excluding the 2020 season, in which there was no minor league, and skipped Double-A altogether, debuting in 2021 right at Triple-A. . Before his promotion to the major leagues, he took down .313/.372/.583 with seven home runs and five stolen bases in 40 games.

From the moment he was promoted to the Rays, with his major league debut coming on June 22, he has demonstrated star potential. He won 2 of 4 with a home run and a walk on his debut. Though he was unsuccessful in his next four games, he quickly turned it on, knocking out .302 / .354 / .473 with six hosts, 20 walk-ins and just 32 hits attack for the rest of the season. On July 25, he arrived at the base via a single, and advance to base for 43 consecutive battles, bearing the signature of Robinson. During the run, he missed two weeks with a hamstring injury, but returned and hit four straight games after returning to the injury list.

Franco was also unaffected by the post-season spotlight, as he hit the base in all four games with multiple hits in each competition. Facing the Red Sox, he took down .368 / .368 / .789 with a pair of home runs, four RBIs, and only three hits in four games.

Similar contract

Although the Rays are famously frugal, they are not a stranger when it comes to signing long-term contracts with young players.

Just days into Longoria’s MLB career, he was signed to a six-year, $17.5 million contract. Matt Moore, once the highest-rated prospect in baseball, also received a bigger deal after his debut in September 2011, signing a five-year, $14 million deal. with the Rays to stay in Tampa. In Chris Archer’s full second year at the majors, he signed a six-year, $25.5 million deal to stay with the Rays. Brandon Lowe played in just 43 games when he signed a six-year, $24 million deal with the Rays before the start of the 2019 season.

But Franco becomes the latest top young prospect to sign a major contract with their team early in their MLB careers. Here are some other notable non-Rays games to sign an extension before getting too far into their major league careers, along with their totals played at the time of the deal.

Obviously, there are risks and rewards involved for both parties when it comes to a big deal. As for the team, they may commit money too soon, only to witness a player’s performance or a possible injury on their side. On the other hand, they can put a young star in a very team-friendly contract that costs less than keeping them under control for a few years as a free agent – Franco will have control. team for another six years, but is now at least 11 seasons locked with the Rays.

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And for the players, that’s significantly more guaranteed money than they’d make from referees or their entry-level contracts – Franco will make just over $500,000 in 2022. However, if a player becomes a star, they will spend years free agent where they could have signed a bigger deal and made more money.

Franco’s deal is the largest of any player without playing enough games all season, surpassing the previous record of the $100 million deal Acuna signed with the Braves over eight years.

Tatis still holds the record for the largest contract signed by an ineligible player, which occurs when a player has served at least three years and less than six years in the majors. It remains the third-largest contract by total value in MLB history, just behind Mike Trout’s $426 million, 12-year extension signed with the Angels in 2020 and a 12-year, $365 million extension. signed by Mookie Betts to stay with the Dodgers.