The Rays were moving from expansion to AL contenders at the time, and the incredibly favorable contract for the Longoria team was an important milestone in that journey. Longoria`s six-year, $17.5 million contract certainly seemed a bit riskier at the time, as he had only appeared in six Grand League games when he signed. But the Rays` timing couldn`t have been better — Longoria won the 2008 AL Rookie of the Year award, leading the Rays to their first pennant while hitting 27 homers with 85 RBI and becoming an eternal All-Star and a face of the franchise at third base. Longoria finally received another six-year, $100 million extension in 2012. While every player can be a centerpiece for the Rays, Franco is already the face of the franchise, and locking him down was the only way to keep him realistic and long-term. Tampa will never win a free agent bidding war for an elite player, and they have a long history of trading players when they start to get expensive through refereeing. Franco could have found himself on the trading block in 3-4 years without this contract. This helps the team not have to bid against other teams when that player enters the open market. It is also common for teams or players to set deadlines to negotiate such an extension, as some prefer not to discuss extensions during the season. However, players who are under contract can theoretically get an extension at any time. When a young player reaches refereeing, it`s also a good time for teams to discuss contract extensions. It is common for teams to offer extensions that cover a player`s years of eligibility for arbitration and resolve potential disputes in arbitration without delaying the time when that player becomes a free agent. Anderson`s six-year, $25 million contract at the time was a record for the largest extension signed by a player with less than one season of service in the Big League. Anderson set a respectable .738 batting average in his first 99 games with the White Sox in 2016.
But the shortstop struggled to fulfill his new contract in `17 immediately, hit .257 and hit in more than a quarter of his record appearances, but two years later he turned things around on a large scale, grabbing the AL batting crown with a .335 average. Franco`s contract is by far the largest in Rays history in terms of overall warranty, surpassing Longoria`s six-year$ 100 million extension in 2012. However, Franco`s reported average annual value of $16.55 million is just below Longoria`s $16.67 million. Kiermaier ($53.5 million) and Snell ($50 million) are the only others to have signed contracts worth at least $50 million with Tampa. Contract restructuring is common in other sports, but rare in MLB. Technically, an MLB player can restructure his contract. However, the MLB Players` Association does not allow a player to restructure their contract unless it is to their advantage. In other words, the restructured contract should pay that player a sum of money equal to or greater than that of his original contract. The Rays wasted no time in blocking their 20-year-old phenomenon in the long run. After the No. 1 prospect made his baseball debut in 2021 with a historic streak of 43 games on base and a third rookie of the year, Franco and Tampa Bay agreed to an 11-year, $182 million contract extension that could turn in 12 years and up to $223 million.
Franco`s extension is the largest in rays franchise history, as well as the largest ever signed by a player with less than a year of service. The contract guarantees Franco $182 million over 11 years with a $25 million club option for a 12th season. There are also salary indexations linked to MVP voting results starting in 2028, and the contract can reach a maximum of $223 million. The deal does not include a no-trade clause (the Rays have never issued a no-trade clause), although Franco receives a $3 million bonus when traded. The Astros were still rebuilding when they signed Singleton on a five-year, $10 million contract and placed him on the big league roster. The deal made Singleton the first player in history to sign an extension before his MLB debut. The first baseman was the Astros` third prospect at the time, behind future star Carlos Correa and right-hander Mark Appel, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft. MlB contracts also require players to participate in “promotional activities” that “promote the well-being of the club.” In fact, players cannot perform publicly, give interviews or promote products without first obtaining permission from the club. .