Buy or Sell Francisco Lindor and More MLB Players Signing Contract Extensions
The end of spring training generally brings a flurry of roster activity as teams settle on the 26 players who will break camp with the team.
It can also be when teams hammer out long-term extensions for their own in-house talent.
Many players prefer to avoid contract negotiations once the season starts so as not to be a distraction to themselves and their teammates, but spring extension talks can also lay the groundwork for the two sides to eventually come to terms on a new contract early in the season.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor is the biggest potential extension candidate in baseball after joining the New York Mets in a blockbuster deal a year away from free agency, but he is by no means the only All-Star-caliber candidate to sign on the dotted line.
Ahead, we've played buy or sell with the idea of 10 MLB stars signing extensions with their current teams before they hit the free-agent market.
Javier Baez, Chicago Cubs
1 of 10
Buy or Sell: Buy
Javier Baez has not been shy about expressing his desire to stay in Chicago.
"Obviously, I want to stay here. We won here, I've been here 10 years now and they know what I can do," Baez told reporters in February. "I want to stay here. I don't want to play for another team."
The 28-year-old has not set a hard deadline for extension talks, acknowledging that things could continue on into the regular season.
There are a few hurdles to overcome.
After struggling to a .203 average and 59 OPS+ last season, Baez needs to prove he's still the same player who posted a 5.8-WAR season in 2018 and a 6.0-WAR season in 2019.
There is also the matter of a crowded class of shortstops set to reach free agency alongside Baez next winter, potentially including Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager, Trevor Story, Carlos Correa and Marcus Semien. With so many alternatives, Baez might not have the negotiating power he would in a thinner free-agent class.
Signing an extension early in the season would guard against his having to settle for a short-term deal with another down year, much like Semien did this winter.
Michael Conforto, New York Mets
2 of 10
Buy or Sell: Sell
Is it even possible that a slugger playing in New York could be underrated?
After dealing with some injury issues and inconsistency early in his career, Michael Conforto has emerged as a bona fide star the past three seasons.
He hit .250/.356/.471 for a 125 OPS+ while averaging 30 home runs, 87 RBI and 152 games in 2018 and 2019 and then posted a phenomenal .322/.412/.515 line with 21 extra-base hits and 2.3 WAR in 54 games last season.
The 28-year-old will earn $12.25 million in his final year of arbitration this year before potentially hitting the open market for the first time next winter.
"To be completely honest, I've been so focused on preparing myself for this season," Conforto told reporters. "I can't lie and say that I haven't thought about it, but I'm trying to keep my focus where it needs to be, and that's on this team. So that's where we're at."
With the Mets likely more focused on extending Francisco Lindor, and Conforto a client of Scott Boras who notoriously tests the free-agent waters with his clients, an extension might not be in the cards. Of course, that doesn't rule out a reunion.
Carlos Correa, Houston Astros
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Buy or Sell: Buy
The Houston Astros watched one homegrown star walk in free agency this winter when George Springer signed a six-year, $150 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Will Carlos Correa follow suit?
The 26-year-old has been an elite-level performer when healthy, but staying on the field has been an issue throughout his career, and that makes a long-term deal a risky proposition.
While he played 58 of 60 games last year, he averaged just 98 games over the three previous seasons and has only played in more than 110 games once in his career.
There is no clear long-term replacement at shortstop in the Houston farm system, but they could slide Alex Bregman over from third base. He has played 129 games at shortstop in the majors, filling in for Correa when he has missed time.
The injury issues are likely going to cast a cloud over Correa's free agency, especially in such a robust shortstop market, so an extension might be in his best interest. To that point, it sounds like he'd like to get a deal done soon.
"If the Astros want to extend me, I would like to get it done before the season starts," Correa told reporters. "I feel good, my body feels great and I feel I'm going to have such a great season. Once the season starts, I don't want to be involved and distracted with those conversations."
If the Astros can get him for something close to the six-year, $120 million deal Xander Bogaerts signed with the Boston Red Sox, it would be a win for all involved.
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Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox
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Buy or Sell: Sell
In the aftermath of the Mookie Betts trade, the Boston Red Sox still have a strong offensive core led by a stellar left side of the infield in shortstop Xander Bogaerts and third baseman Rafael Devers.
Bogaerts, 28, already inked a six-year, $120 million extension prior to the 2019 season that kicked in last year, though he can opt out of that contract after the 2022 season.
There is no rush to extend Devers, who is under club control through the 2023 season, but his salary jumped from the league minimum to $4.575 million in his first year of arbitration eligibility, and he's only going to get more expensive in the years to come.
The cost certainty that comes with an extension could be appealing to a team in the process of retooling, and it may be able to buy out a couple of free-agency years on top of his remaining arbitration control.
Still just 24 years old, Devers hit .311/.361/.555 with 54 doubles and 32 home runs in 2019, and after a sluggish start to last season, he was again a high-level producer in the middle of the lineup over the final two months.
After failing to come to terms on an early extension with Betts, the front office might feel even more compelled to get a deal done with Devers before his value continues to climb and it risks losing him as well.
Then again, if Devers wants to bet on himself, there could be far more money available to him with more of what he showed in 2019. It's also fair to question whether the Red Sox are in a position to contend with the Yankees, Rays and Blue Jays right now or in the near future.
Lucas Giolito, Chicago White Sox
5 of 10
Buy or Sell: Buy
The Chicago White Sox stuck by Lucas Giolito while he struggled to an MLB-worst 6.13 ERA in 2018, and he rewarded their faith with a breakout 2019 season (14-9, 3.41 ERA, 228 K, 176.2 IP) and an even better 2020 (4-3, 3.48 ERA, 97 K, 72.1 IP).
The 6'6", 245-pound right-hander is everything teams look for in an ace, and with no lingering effects of the arm issues that plagued him early in his pro career, the White Sox can feel more confident in handing out a long-term deal.
The White Sox front office has approached both Giolito and top prospect Andrew Vaughn about extensions this spring, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
At 26 years old, he is just entering the prime of his career, and his salary will continue to rise after a jump up to $4.15 million this season in his first year of arbitration eligibility.
The White Sox have been aggressive in locking up Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert and Aaron Bummer in recent years, and there are few teams in baseball with a more appealing present and future outlook right now than the South Siders.
Expect the two parties to get a deal done sooner rather than later.
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
6 of 10
Buy or Sell: Sell
Aaron Judge has played in roughly 63 percent of the New York Yankees' games over the past three seasons.
Unless he's willing to sign a long-term deal for about 63 percent of his market value, the New York Yankees would be wise to steer clear of another megadeal for an oft-injured slugger. After all, Giancarlo Stanton is still owed nearly $200 million through the 2028 season.
Of course, if Judge ever does find a way to stay healthy, he's a legitimate MVP candidate and 50-homer threat, and letting a player with that potential walk is tough even with the injury risk factor.
The 28-year-old will earn $10.18 million this season, and he has one more year of arbitration in 2022 before the free-agency bell tolls.
There's no reason for the Yankees to rush into a potentially ill-advised deal. They can play out the 2021 season, see if he shows signs of turning a corner health-wise and then explore a long-term deal next offseason.
Francisco Lindor, New York Mets
7 of 10
Buy or Sell: Buy
The New York Mets are racing against the clock to sign Francisco Lindor to an extension.
"Like I said earlier, I will not be negotiating during the season," Lindor told reporters. "I will go to free agency. If something carries on during the season, it's not fair for me, it's not fair for the team. I got to give everything I got into winning baseball games. So if it doesn't happen in spring training, I will go to free agency. We'll talk in November, December, whenever free agency starts."
Last year, Mookie Betts signed his 12-year, $365 million extension with the Los Angeles Dodgers on the eve of Opening Day, so deals do get done at the eleventh hour.
It's easy to see billionaire owner Steve Cohen approving whatever it takes to get a long-term deal done with one of the best players in baseball, not to mention an extremely marketable, face-of-the-franchise type of player in a major market.
As long as he gets what he's asking for in terms of salary, there is no reason to think Lindor wouldn't want to stay with a Mets team that looks like a legitimate title contender.
Jose Ramirez, Cleveland
8 of 10
Buy or Sell: Sell
Jose Ramirez has already signed one extension with Cleveland, agreeing to a team-friendly five-year, $26 million deal prior to the 2017 season during which he promptly exploded offensively to finish third in AL MVP voting.
That contract includes a $9.4 million salary in 2021 and could stretch two additional years with club options in 2022 ($11 million) and 2023 ($13 million).
Despite that remaining team control, there have been some rumblings of a potential new deal this spring, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
"Ramirez's long-term deal has paid enormous dividends for Cleveland—and it would love to do another, according to sources," wrote Passan. "Ramirez, 28, has resisted. Cleveland isn't losing sleep over it."
A new deal wouldn't be anywhere near as team-friendly for a player who is undoubtedly one of the best offensive performers in the game.
He hit .292/.386/.607 with 16 doubles and 17 home runs last season, finishing in the top three in AL MVP voting for the third time in four years.
It's hard to see how the penny-pinching Cleveland front office could afford a new extension.
Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers
9 of 10
Buy or Sell: Buy
While the Mookie Betts trade and Trevor Bauer signing are notable exceptions, the Los Angeles Dodgers have focused much of their spending in recent years on retaining in-house talent.
Kenley Jansen, Justin Turner and Clayton Kershaw were all signed to new deals in free agency, while Max Muncy signed an extension and the team bought out two of Walker Buehler's team-control years with a two-year, $8 million deal in February.
That would seem to point to prioritizing an extension for impending free agent Corey Seager.
The 26-year-old hit .307/.358/.585 with 15 home runs and 41 RBI last season, logging a career-high 152 OPS+ in the process, and he hit his way to NLCS and World Series MVP honors.
With Francisco Lindor setting a strict Opening Day deadline for the Mets to negotiate an extension, Seager could wait for Lindor to sign and set the market at shortstop.
Lindor is a better defender and has been worth roughly 11 WAR more over the course of his six-year career, but Seager is a year younger and his stock is at its peak after last year.
Don't expect a deal to get done this spring, but Seager still feels like a safe bet to be wearing a Dodgers uniform in 2022.
Trea Turner, Washington Nationals
10 of 10
Buy or Sell: Buy
As soon as Fernando Tatis Jr. signed his massive 14-year, $340 million contract, speculation began on whether a similar long-term extension for precocious Washington Nationals superstar Juan Soto could also be in the works.
The Nationals shouldn't hesitate to lock up Soto if given the chance, but Trea Turner should be their top priority for an extension.
Turner, 27, will be a free agent after the 2022 season, and he is fresh off the best season of his career.
The speedy shortstop hit .335/.394/.588 with 15 doubles, 12 home runs and 41 RBI while leading the NL with 78 hits on his way to a seventh-place finish in NL MVP voting.
That .588 slugging percentage and a 157 OPS+ represented a significant spike in his power production, and he remains a 30-steal threat who can manufacture a run on the basepaths.
With one of the thinnest farm systems in baseball and no clear long-term shortstop replacement in the pipeline, Turner needs to be locked up, whether it's this winter or next.
All stats courtesy Baseball Reference and FanGraphs.
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