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Mariners star Julio Rodriguez is signing long-term to stay in Seattle. First reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN, one of the brightest young stars in the game is finalizing a massive long-term extension that officially makes him the new face of the franchise for the Mariners for years to come.
As good a Friday as you might be having, it won’t come anywhere close to the start of the weekend Rodriguez is about to have. Per Jesse Sanchez of MLB, the new deal is expected to guarantee Rodriguez around $210 million 0ver 14 years, with there being the possibility that the rookie phenom could eventually earn as much as $450 million plus.
The new contract includes player and team options, per Passan. Here is the full breakdown from Passan in a Twitter thread that explains the complicated deal.
That’s a lot of dollars but, for anyone who watches a lot of baseball outside of the Mets, you can’t say that Rodriguez hasn’t earned it. The center fielder is in the midst of a historic rookie season where he has taken the game of baseball by storm and electrified Major League Baseball.
We’re still only in August but the 21-year-old has cemented himself in the conversation as one of the best young players in MLB right now, joining the likes of Juan Soto, Ronald Acuna Jr., Wander Franco, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Rodriguez has already proven that he’s an invaluable cornerstone the Mariners can build around for at least the next decade, if not longer.
Just earlier this week Rodriguez entered rare company having joined the 20-20 club with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. The rookie became just the sixth player in Mariners history to achieve a 20-20 season, joining: Rupert Jones (1979), Phil Bradley (1985), Alex Rodriguez (1997-99), Ken Griffey Jr. (1998-99), and Mike Cameron (2001-02).
Rodriguez also passed Mike Trout in becoming the fastest player in AL history to achieve the feat, doing it in just 107 games compared to Trout’s 112 games. Plus, only three other AL/NL rookies have achieved a 20-20 season in their first year in the big leagues: Mitchell Page (1977 A’s), Ellis Burks (1987 Red Sox), and Marty Cordova (1985 Twins).
Rodriguez’s 20th homer to accomplish the feat was a trademark blast from the rookie, traveling 400 feet with an exit velocity of 101.5 MPH. The uber-talented outfielder has come as advertised when it comes to his power, but it is his speed on the base paths that have also impressed. He is the complete package, a five-tool player that hasn’t needed any adjustment period in the big leagues.
There’s been plenty of historical moments for Rodriguez this year, including making a first career appearance at the All-Star Game. He also entered the 2022 Home Run Derby after a historical performance, mashing 32 homers in the first round before beating the Mets’ Pete Alonso with another 31 long balls. Rodriguez eventually fell to Soto in the final but it was another reminder of just how electric a performer Rodriguez is.
Rodriguez is currently hitting .269/.328/.471 with 20 home runs, 23 stolen bases, 19 doubles, three triples, 30 walks, 64 RBI, and a .799 OPS to go along with a 4.3 WAR. His underlying metrics are all incredibly impressive and the Mariners have been smart in giving one of the most exciting young players in the game right now a monster new deal that will make him the face of the franchise for a very, very long time. Plus, with the way Rodriguez is performing in what is only his rookie year, this deal could end up looking like a bargain after a few more seasons if the slugger continues on this current trajectory.
