Wander Franco has just secured the bag. The 21-year-old shortstop has agreed to a massive 12-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays that guarantees Franco around $185 million. That deal could end up in the $225 million range if Franco receives his 12th-year option. That would make Franco's deal the 24th $200 million contract in MLB history.
Rays lock up Franco in huge contract extension
It was a stunning move by the Rays, who are not known for lavishing their players with big money contracts. The Rays have given out just a combined $348 million in free agency since their inception in 1998. Franco's contract, which is now the biggest in Rays history, blows away Evan Longoria's six-year, $100 million extension he signed following the 2012 season.
Franco's extension is also the biggest contract ever given to a player with less than a year of service time. His mammoth deal dwarfs the eight-year, $100 million contract that the Atlanta Braves gave to Ronald Acuna Jr back in 2019 when he was just 21 years old.
The Rays decided to lock up their franchise player before the current collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1. Tampa Bay did not want to risk it with Franco, who could not become a free agent until 2027. With the extension, the Rays will have Franco under their control until the year 2033. Franco's 11-year term would cover the Rays remaining six years of team control and five free agent years, with a club option for an additional sixth free agent year.
Franco was baseball's consensus No. 1 prospect the past two seasons, and he definitely showed his talent during his Triple-A campaign this year, batting .313 in 40 games. The Rays decided to call up Franco in June to make his MLB debut, and he made a huge impact in Tampa Bay's surge down the stretch.
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Franco's stellar 2021 season lands him mammoth deal
Franco hit .288 with seven home runs, and 39 RBIs in 70 regular-season games played in 2021. He saw the ball well in the final 31 games, striking out only five times during that stretch. Franco reached base 43 consecutive times as a 20-year-old, tying the record set by Hall of Famer Frank Robinson.
He was not fazed in the postseason, batting .368 against the Boston Red Sox with two homers and four RBIs in four American League Division Series games. Franco's efforts nearly earned him the Rookie of the Year award as he finished third in the voting.
Franco's signing cements Tampa Bay's standing as a force in the AL East division. The Rays have won more games than any other team in the American League over the past three seasons, even reaching the World Series last year. They posted a 100-62 record this season but were eliminated by the Red Sox in the ALDS.
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