The Cleveland Guardians aren’t the biggest market in the league. In fact, they’re close to the bottom of the league, but they’ve found a way to keep Jose Ramirez on the roster for his entire 13 year career.
On Thursday, the Guardians made the shocking announcement that they’ve signed Ramirez to a seven-year, $175 million contract extension that will keep him in Cleveland for the rest of his prime years. There’s a real chance that Ramirez plays every game of his big-league career with the small market Guardians.
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The Kansas City Royals are no strangers to early contract extensions. They pulled off a huge deal with Bobby Witt Jr. a few years ago. After Ramirez’s deal, they could be perfectly positioned to sign one of their young stars to a massive contract extension, too. Who could be the next Royals youngster to sign a huge extension?
Kansas City Royals 1B/OF Jac Caglianone
The Royals fast tracked top prospect Jac Caglianone to the big leagues last year becaue of his incredible raw talent, but he struggled when he got there. Still, he’s an elite talent with Hall of Fame potential if he can find his stride.
The Royals seemingly understand this, which is why he’s the perfect candidate to sign to a massive deal.
Coming off a down year is the perfect time to sign Caglianone. The Royals could give him seven to 10 years worth more than arbitration would pay him to keep him in town. If he pans out, this is the kind of move that would help the team build a contender around Witt. It’s worth the risk.
Kansas City Royals 1B Vinnie Pasquantino
Signing first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino to a contract extension makes even more sense than Caglianone, plus it would be much less risky.
Pasquantino has already proved that he can dominate big league pitching. He’s coming off a huge year in which he posted a 2.4 WAR, 32 home runs, and an OPS near .800. At this point, it seems like he’s only scratching the surface.
As the slugger works through the next few years of his contract, he’s bound to take more leaps forward in growth. The Royals could sign him for five or six years to avoid any risk of losing him down the line.
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