The Tampa Bay Rays aren’t known for spending money, but they’re about to break the bank for one of the brightest young stars in the game.
According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the Rays are closing in on a long-term deal with star infielder Wander Franco. The deal is expected to be in the $200 million range and last for at least 10 years.
Not only would this be a historic deal for the Rays, it would be the largest contract ever for an MLB player with less than one year of service time.
“If completed, deal is largest in #Rays history and for any MLB player with less than 1 year service time,” Topkin tweeted. “Also a significant accomplishment for #Rays to have Franco under control for more than a decade.”
The current record belongs to Ronald Acuna of the Atlanta Braves.
If completed, deal is largest in #Rays history and for any MLB player with less than 1 year service time.
Also a significant accomplishment for #Rays to have Franco under control for more than a decade. https://t.co/SWglGd9AZZ— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) November 23, 2021
Franco was excellent for the Rays this past season. In 70 games, the 20-year-old star had a .288 batting average with seven home runs and 39 RBI.
While we’ve never seen an MLB player receive a lucrative extension like this after just 70 games, the Rays could be saving themselves a lot of money in the future with this contract.
As long as Franco continues to blossom into a legit star, his multi-year deal will be considered a bargain.