The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Young stars in spotlight — during season and after it
Five elite shortstops could become free agents in offseason.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — Regardless of how the coronavirus shapes the course of the 2021 season, shortstops seem likely to be at the center of it all from beginning to end.
On the first day of full squad workouts, the San Diego Padres announced the record deal they committed to Fernando Tatis Jr. By the last day of the World Series, five of the game’s elite shortstops could be free agents, depending on what happens between now and then.
Next year’s free agent class, one identified and planned for by executives for years, currently includes Chicago Cubs defensive wizard Javy Baez, Houston Astros superstar Carlos Correa, New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, Los Angeles Dodgers standout Corey Seager and Colorado Rockies slugger Trevor Story.
All of them will be under 30 years old at the start of the 2022 season. All of them have been All-Stars. All but Correa have been All-Stars more than once. Three of them have won World Series titles. And, more than eight months before free agency begins, they are already fielding roughly as many questions about their futures as they are ground balls.
Spring training allows time for speculation and room for projection. When the reality of a season hits, those conversations are often less welcome. Correa and Lindor both made that point last week, when both addressed reporters at ballparks a short drive apart, and both said they probably will not negotiate an extension if one isn’t in place by the start of the regular season.
“If the Astros would like to extend me, I would like to get it done before the season starts,” Correa said. “Once the season starts — I feel so good, my body feels so great, I feel like 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.”
Cleveland traded Lindor to the Mets in January rather than commit to an extension, a deal that probably boosted his chances of getting an extension but also complicated the process. By the time reporters were asking about his future, Lindor still needed help finding the practice fields and was still getting used to all the blue and orange.
He said he and the Mets haven’t had time to talk about an extension yet, but when they do, he wants those conversations to lead to a deal or stop on opening day. Acting Mets general manager Zack Scott said his feelings about negotiations are “the sooner, the better.”
“Obviously have to get to know the organization, get to know the people, and they have to get to know me,” Lindor said. “If something comes up we’ll see in the future, that is between my agent and (team President Sandy Alderson) and the rest of the staff.”
“I have never been scared about free agency,” he added later. “So it’s not like I have got to rush to sign a deal.”
Seager avoided arbitration with the Dodgers, settling on $13.75 million for the 2021 season. Dodgers team President Andrew Friedman has been coy about Seager’s future with the team, which has plenty of young stars worthy of long extensions soon and may have to choose among them. Seager’s agent is Scott Boras, notorious for urging players to wait until free agency and maximize their value rather than take anything resembling a hometown discount.
Baez, too, is one of a cohort of Cubs World Series stars who probably are not going to be able to coexist there financially long-term. Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo are both free agents after this season.
Story told reporters Tuesday that he has not begun extension conversations with the Rockies, either. Shortly after the deal that sent Nolan Arenado to the Cardinals, Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich said that selling off one star did not mean the team was going to sell off Story, too. But as for the shortstop’s longterm future, after watching the tumultuous end to Arenado’s once-promising Rockies tenure, a major extension is no sure thing.
Lingering beneath their individual cases is the Tatis deal, which seems likely to shift the shortstop contract paradigm — though in what direction it pushed it depends on one’s point of view.
When compared to other young superstars’ mammoth extensions, Tatis trails only Mike Trout and Mookie Betts — rare generational stars, likely future Hall of Famers — in total value.
But the deal is less earth-shattering in terms of average annual value. Tatis’ deal pays him an average of just more than $24 million annually — $11 million less per year than Trout or his Angels teammate Anthony Rendon. The deal George Springer signed with the Blue Jays, for example, pays him $25 million annually. Tatis’ teammate Manny Machado averages $30 million.