The Tampa Bay Rays reportedly have extended young star Wander Franco to an 11-year contract. The contract comes with a lot of different contingencies. Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that the deal guarantees him $182 million, and is worth a maximum of $223 million. There is also a 12th-year option worth $25 million.
Passan also reports that there are $3M escalators for 1-5 MVP finishes starting in 2028. Franco’s contract will not have a no-trade clause. However, if he is traded, he will be given a $3 million bonus. If he remains with the Rays through 2031, he will have the ability to block any trade.
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times was the first to report the deal was close.
Franco, 20, had a great first year with the Rays. He entered the majors with a bang, by hitting a three-run homer in his first major league at-bat. His rookie season ended with a .288 batting average over 281 at-bats. During that time, he hit seven home runs and drove in 39 runs.
Even though he only played half the season, he finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. This season was enough to convince the Rays to give Franco the biggest contract in their franchise history. The previous largest contract was Evan Longoria‘s 10-year, $100 million deal.
