Padres sign Fernando Tatis, Jr. to massive 14-year contract extension

The Padres are letting the kid play long-term, with a 14-year extension for their franchise player in Fernando Tatis, Jr.

Tatis, Jr. is coming off an outstanding, albeit controversial breakout season with the San Diego Padres. Known for his eccentric bat flips and otherwise blatant disregard for baseball’s old ways, Tatis, Jr. is bringing in a new wave of young talent to a game that has long avoided change.

The Padres busy offseason continued on Wednesday night, when they gave Tatis, Jr. a 14-year extension worth $340 million. The deal was reported by FanSided’s Robert Murray.

Last season, Tatis, Jr. hit .277 with 17 home runs and 45 RBIs in just 59 games.

The Padres have put the rest of baseball on notice thanks to A.J. Preller

Preller received a nice extension this offseason for his work, which included trading for the likes of Blake Snell and Yu Darvish to bolster their starting rotation and then some. By re-signing Tatis, Jr. for the long-term, Preller is proving that the Padres aren’t just a blip on the radar, but rather intend on contending for the next decade-plus.

In terms of overall contract length, Tatis, Jr.’s takes the cake at 14 years. The overall value is third in baseball behind Mike Trout and Mookie Betts. The AAV is a different story, and as expensive as this contract is for the Padres, it might actually turn out to be a bargain if Tatis, Jr. continues to progress at this rate.

Per reports, Tatis, Jr.’s contract has a full no-trade clause and no deferred money, plus a $10 million bonus. It begins this season. The full NTC is huge for Tatis, who at 22 years old, is guaranteed that AAV until he’s 36. The Padres are willing to bet that by then, the powerful right-handed slugger will have repaid them with multiple World Series titles and more.