This offseason is one that should create major change in the way some teams operate. Major contracts for David Price with the Red Sox (seven years, $217 million) and Zack Greinke with the Diamondbacks (six years, $206.5 million), must have made a few teams look at their young talent differently.
Here are three players who should be offered sizable contracts immediately, before they hit arbitration and eventually unrestricted free agency.
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Matt Harvey, Mets
Harvey, 26, is one of five possible aces on the Mets. He’s one of the hardest throwing young pitchers in the league, and he’s currently the most marketable player on the team aside from “Captain America,” David Wright.
The Mets sure do have a plethora of young arms, so locking up Harvey right now doesn’t appear to be absolutely essential. But they should. Because Harvey is the most proven starter they have aside from Jacob de Grom. Harvey has already been through the struggle of Tommy John surgery and emerged in 2015 as good as ever, posting a 13-8 record along with a 2.71 ERA.
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Harvey’s fastball remained consistent at 95 miles per hour, and he made 29 starts. He also went 2-0 with a 3.04 ERA in his first postseason. When Harvey hits unrestricted free agency he could potentially dwarf the deals Price and Greinke signed because of his age. The Mets should show some good faith right away.
Dallas Keuchel, Astros
Keuchel, even moreso than Harvey, should be locked up ASAP for as long as possible. There is the possibility that Keuchel would take a bit of a discount to get his megadeal early; taking a little less after a 20-win, Cy Young season seems foolhardy, but not if Houston makes the contract worth his while.
The Angels did it with Mike Trout, signing him to a six-year, $144.5 million deal that looks like an absolute steal compared to the monstrosity Giancarlo Stanton signed in Miami (13 years, $325 million). Trout surely would have collected even more had he hit unrestricted free agency. Pitchers’ salaries are ballooning just as much these days, and they aren’t as valuable as the everyday players, so any discount for a top player is worth it.
Dellin Betances, Yankees
These days a star reliever like Betances is worth almost as much as a frontline starter. He’s going to hit arbitration in 2017, and he will eventually be worth a ton when he hits the open market.
Betances has racked up 266 strikeouts combined over the last two seasons, and he is in line to become the Yankees’ closer if they use Andrew Miller to acquire young starting pitching. Craig Kimbrel is on a four-year, $42 million contract; Betances, 27, will make that seem miniscule if he maintains his pace.
The Royals won the World Series -- and reached two straight -- largely because they had one of MLB’s best bullpens. The Yankees reached the postseason this year in much the same way, and locking up Betances for the long haul makes all the sense in the world.
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