If you had your parents in the pool for the first team that awarded two $ 300 million contracts, go for the collection.
San Diego and its superstar shortstop, Fernando Tatis Jr., have reached an agreement with a 14-year contract for $ 340 million. It is the third largest contract ever given (behind Mike Trout and Mookie Betts) and the seventh ever awarded $ 300 million or more, which also includes the guy who plays third base next to Tatis, Manny Machado.
The Yankees have two of the players over $ 300 million, Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton, but Stanton got his contract from the Marlins. Plus, they’re Yankees. These are the parents, who are now under $ 200 million for luxury tax purposes in 2021, shouting again:
1. They are in it to win it. San Diego changed for starters Yu Darvish, Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove. They now have land (Tatis, Machado, Ha-Seong Kim and Eric Hosmer) with $ 812 million invested in it. The Chargers have long since disappeared, leaving the Padres as the only major sports team in San Diego and operating in a large market mode, while trying to overtake the reigning champion, the Dodgers. These are probably the two most talented lists in the major rankings and play 19 times in 2021 to decide NL West – and maybe much more.
2. Tatis was not even eligible for refereeing until the next off-season. He turned 22 last month. But he has already established himself as one of the best players in the game (fourth in the NL MVP vote last year) – and the most marketable. He would have been a free agent at the age of 25. This allows the Padres to secure a brilliant player on average less than George Springer by the age of 35.
3. Think about how much the Braves saved by signing Ronald Acuna to an eight-year pact, 100 million dollars in April 2019, after just one season. Now imagine what Juan Soto of the nationals will cost. Also, Soto is only 22 years old and has been looking at the free agency for 25 years. He may already be the best batter of the majors.
4. Tatis received the biggest contract ever for a shortstop. The previous was $ 252 million for Alex Rodriguez (he also earned $ 275 million as a third baseman). It creates a benchmark for the great class of short-lived free agents of Francisco Lindor, Javier Baez, Carlos Correa, Corey Seager and Trevor Story. They are all older than Tatis, but they also have longer records. Would Lindor, say, look for 10 years at $ 350 million (or more) from the Mets to sign for a free agency?
5. Did I mention this is flexible in San Diego? Padre increases his salary for a fourth consecutive year, doubling it since about 2017. This at a time when most other clubs are reducing. Padres, under GM AJ Preller, have built a strong farming system to position themselves to make trades this season, but the best deal between these Padres was June 4, 2016, when they shared James Shields from White Sox for a 17-year-old in his first season in the pro ball.
On Wednesday, they pledged $ 340 million now to the 22-year-old.