APRIL 10, 2025 | SPORTS | By Miles Katzen
The festivities of opening week have passed, and now baseball fans embark once more on the true joy of baseball – more games than you could ever watch, every day, for five months. This second week of MLB action, though devoid of last week’s fanfare, contained interesting narratives nonetheless.
Contract extensions represent a massive degree of trust between an organization and a player, as they agree to work together for years in the future, and the team commits to many millions of dollars just to retain the services of one player. Teams and players typically like to agree on contract specifics before the season starts, so they don’t have to focus on contract talks midseason, but this was not the case this season. The first weeks have contained significant extensions for multiple star players.
First, just the day before opening day came a six-year, $105 million extension for star Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh. Since his rookie season in 2022, the switch-hitting backstop has been 16th in MLB with 93 home runs, a figure which tops all catchers. Raleigh is also coming off a 2024 campaign in which he was second among all players in defensive value. Seattle locks up Raleigh, conceivably the best catcher in MLB, for his prime years without paying a massive premium.
This week also brought a run of extensions to young players at the beginning of their careers. These contracts tend to carry more risk for the team, as these players have yet to prove themselves at the big league level, but also have a great deal of upside, as a team can wind up with control of a bonafide star in their peak years for a fraction of what they would otherwise be paid.
These contracts have increased in popularity in recent years, as they offer a way for clubs with constrained financial resources to compete with larger-payroll teams. The first of the extensions was for Diamondback Brandon Pfaadt, who inked a five-year, $45 million deal. Pfaadt signed this deal coming off a good but not great 2024 season, in which the righty started 32 games with an Earned Run Average (ERA) just below league average, but with peripheral stats that suggest he was unlucky.
Second came a pair of extensions last Wednesday. The Boston Red Sox signed second baseman Kristian Campbell to an eight-year, $60 million guarantee. This came just days after the sixth overall prospect in baseball made his MLB debut. Campbell has been off to a hot start, batting .364 with two home runs thus far.
Just hours later, the San Diego Padres signed reigning National League Rookie of the Year runner-up Jackson Merrill to a nine-year, $135 million contract. Merrill is in the top 12% of major leaguers in terms of offense, defense and base running, making him one of the most valuable players in all of baseball, and the Padres hope his value will increase as the outfielder adjusts to a full MLB season.
Last came two massive extensions to players nearing free agency. The Boston Red Sox struck again, extending star pitcher Garrett Crochet, acquired in an offseason trade with the Chicago White Sox, to a six-year deal worth a minimum of $170 million. After years of criticism from fans, the Red Sox have begun their reemergence as a MLB powerhouse. A strong start to the season, coupled with the third best farm system in MLB, and aggressive moves in the offseason have moved the Red Sox firmly into a window of World Series contention. Extending Garrett Crochet not only secures one of the best pitchers in baseball, but also signifies to the fans of the organization that the Red Sox are back as one of MLB’s best teams.
Perhaps the culmination of the recent flurry of extensions came just last Sunday, as the Toronto Blue Jays extended first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a 14-year, $500 million contract. This is the second largest contract in MLB history in terms of present-day value, and the fifth-largest contract in all of sports worldwide.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has emerged as one of the best hitters in MLB over the last five seasons, ranking 14th in offensive value. Guerrero has received MVP votes in three of the last four seasons, finishing in second place in 2021 and sixth in 2024. Toronto has been looking to secure a star for multiple seasons now, falling just short in free agency for both Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto, and the signing of Guerrero guarantees they will stay relevant for the foreseeable future.
Around the league, the Phillies (7-2) still sit atop the NL East after a big series win over the Dodgers, though the Mets (7-3) sit just a half a game back. The NL Central is led by the Cubs (8-5) with all four other teams at or below .500. The NL West is led by the Padres (9-2) with the Giants (8-2) and the Dodgers (9-3) just on their tail. The AL East is deadlocked in a three-way tie between the Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays (all 6-5) with the Orioles (5-6) just behind, in what should be one of the most contested divisions in baseball this year. The AL Central is led by the Tigers (7-4), and the AL West is led by the Rangers (8-3).