The 2022 season is over. There are so many great moments in 2022. In particular, the Mariners eventually clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2001. Additionally, Julio Rodriguez made the Mariners Opening Day roster and he had a great start in his career. Moreover, Julio Rodriguez and the Mariners agreed to a long-term deal. He is expected to be a cornerstone player of the Mariners.
Julio Rodriguez inked a contract extension with the Mariners. In early twenties, he already became an All-Star. And, I’m wondering if he made the right decision. Perhaps, the deal is team-friendly?
Before going deep about Julio Rodriguez’s contract, let’s quickly review his performance.
Julio Rodriguez played 132 games for the Mariners in 2022, slashing .284/.345/.509 with 28 home runs and 75 RBI. Additionally, speed is his weapon as well. Julio Rodriguez stole 25 bases in 2022. His performance is surely memorable in his rookie season. And, that makes me think of another great outfielder. Ronald Acuna Jr. made his MLB debut in April 2018. In 2018, he played 111 games for the Braves, hitting .293/.366/.552 with 26 home runs and 64 RBI. Moreover, Acuna’s speed is also great. He had 16 stolen bases in 2018. Acuna certainly had a great rookie season and he won the 2018 NL Rookie of the year award. In April 2019, he signed an 8-year contract extension worth 100 million.
What happened after Acuna Jr. agreed to the contract extension?
He played 403 games for the Braves from 2019 to 2022. Acuna slashed .273/.371/.508 with 94 home runs and 232 RBI. Meanwhile, he had 91 stolen bases. Due to injuries, Acuna missed some playing time, in particular, he played only 82 games last season. In 2022, Ronald Acuna Jr. hit .266/.351/.413 with 15 home runs, 50 RBI and 29 stolen bases.
Julio Rodriguez’s contract is a little bit more complicated. His contract could max out at 470 million and will span from 7 to 17 years. But, let’s look at the base value, from 2023 to 2029, the base value of his contract is 119.3 million according to the great baseball reference website. Additionally, let’s make things easier. Now, Ronald Acuna Jr. is 24 years old and his salary is 15 million. Julio Rodriguez is now 21 years old. When he turns 24, he expects to receive more than 20 million.
Well, there’s little doubt that Acuna’s contract is a club-friendly deal. However, we have to remember that the situations between 2019 and 2022 are not exactly the same. Several players signed a team-friendly deal back in 2019. Now, the situation is not the same. Julio Rodriguez’s contract is not so club-friendly and there are several bonuses. However, there’s always a key concern about long-term contracts and that’s a player’s health. Ronald Acuna Jr. did miss some playing time these two years. Furthermore, Julio Rodriguez was placed on the IL twice in the 2022 season. The Mariners certainly don’t want to see Julio Rodriguez miss playing time and his health will be very important. Furthermore, back in 2020, Kyle Lewis won the AL Rookie of the Year award, but he only played 36 games for the Mariners last season. In 2022, Kyle Lewis only played 18 games.
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