Contract extensions have been a theme lately.
Several players have signed extensions, with Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians being the latest star to do so.
But there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight to the madness.
Things are going to stay interesting for a while.
This morning, the Seattle Mariners and their star shortstop J.P. Crawford came to terms on a new agreement.
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Mariners have extended their shortstop for five more years, with the deal being worth $51 million.
Passan notes that the deal will start this year and buy out his two upcoming free agent seasons
Shortstop J.P. Crawford and the Seattle Mariners are in agreement on a five-year, $51 million contract, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. Deal will start this year and buys out two free agent seasons. Crawford, 27, is an elite defender whose bat has steadily improved.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 8, 2022
Staying Put
Crawford will be making $5 million in 2022, $10 million from 2023-25, and $11 million in 2026, according to Mariners’ insider Daniel Kramer.
Crawford is a young player who is only getting better from here.
His defense is already elite, but his bat is coming along too.
In 2021, Crawford hit for a .273 average and .714 OPS with nine home runs and 54 RBIs.
Crawford came up in 2017 with the Philadelphia Phillies but was traded over to the Mariners in the Jean Segura deal prior to the 2019 season.
Since then, his bat has been steadily improving.
This is a good deal for the Mariners, who appear to be perpetually loaded and prepared to win in 2022.
After all, they managed to sign Robbie Ray, acquire Adam Frazier from the San Diego Padres, and land Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds.
Now, they’re doing what they can to lock up their core.
Crawford is a key piece for them moving forward and is one of the young players that they’ll look to build around in the future along with Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez.
NEXT: Video Shows Moment Julio Rodriguez Realized His MLB Dream