Julio Rodriguez contract is actually a steal for the Mariners
By Rylie Smith
The Seattle Mariners are working on finalizing a big contract with rookie Julio Rodriguez. The contract may appear to be huge, but it’s actually a steal.
The Seattle Mariners are working on finalizing a big contract with rookie Julio Rodriguez worth $210 million, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Seattle could end up paying Rodriguez as much as $450 million. The contract may appear huge on the surface, but it’s actually a steal for Seattle when considering the yearly value.
Julio Rodriguez's new contract guarantees him $210 million over 14 years, and could be worth $450 million over at least 20 years with club and player options.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) August 26, 2022
Ken Rosenthal laid out the logistics of it all:
Julio Rodríguez’s deal with the Mariners, as @JeffPassan said, will include a base of $120M for the first eight years. From there, it grows to a minimum of $320M if the Mariners exercise their option or $210M if the team declines and Rodríguez exercises his player option.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 26, 2022
If Mariners decline option on Rodríguez, he can then decline player option and become a free agent entering age 30 season. But if he performs at high level, Mariners likely will exercise, assuring him a minimum of $320M. Option length will be 8 or 10 years based on MVP finishes.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 26, 2022
Jeff Passan pointed out the most optimistic viewpoint for Rodriguez, however, which is that he continues improving and playing at a stellar pace, and cashes in on said incentives.
The likeliest outcome? Julio Rodriguez is a Seattle Mariner through 2037 and makes at least $320 million. Probably much more. And if he turns into the monster that he shown he is in his rookie season, it could be the most financially lucrative deal in American sports history.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 26, 2022
The extension is eight years, $120 million, bare minimum. Considering the average annual value, Rodriguez would earn roughly $15 million per year (minus the incentives included).
They are, however, paying him a generous amount. It’s certainly an upgrade from his current $700K and it’s more than most players earn.
Rodriguez is proving he deserves every penny.
Julio Rodriguez is making a strong case to justify his contract with the Mariners
Rodriguez, nicknamed “J-Rod,” is having a great season despite being completely new to the majors. He didn’t have the strongest start in his first month, but most rookies don’t. By the end of April, he was hitting .205/.284/.260. By the end of May, that significantly increased to .309/.339/.527.
He’s also beat some of Mike Trout’s records. According to Alex Mayer, “Julio Rodríguez is the fastest player (107 career G) in American League HISTORY to reach 20+ home runs & 20+ stolen bases, surpassing Mike Trout (112 G).”
Rodriguez moved quickly up the farm system and wasted no time coming to the majors. He played in the rookie league in 2019, then played Single-A and High-A in 2019. In 2021, he played High-A and Double-A before being called up to the majors in 2022.
J-Rod is certainly living up to his expectations, and he will likely have an impact on the Mariners for years to come.
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