Seattle Mariners Reportedly Near Agreement On Massive Extension With Julio Rodriguez

Mariners rookie Julio Rodriguez has put up serious numbers this season. Through 108 games, he has 20 home runs and an OPS just barely below .800. On Friday, it was reported that he had added another big number to his resume.

According to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez, who first reported the deal, Rodriguez and the Mariners are on the verge of agreeing to a massive extension.

And according to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the deal is for 14 years. Both he and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal confirmed the rough outline of the contract.

This would keep the 21-year-old Rodriguez in Seattle through his age-35 season. This type of contract, one that secures a place for a young, rising star for essentially the entirety of his career, is slowly growing more common.

The San Diego Padres signed Fernando Tatis, Jr. to a 14-year, $340 million contract that also keeps him in place through his age-35 season. The Tatis and Rodriguez deals are tied for the longest in MLB history. Varying circumstances have kept Tatis off of the field this season — most recently a PED suspension — but the wisdom behind these kinds of contracts for young, potential superstars is clear.

In Rodriguez’s case, he has shown in his rookie season that he has the ability to make a significant impact for the Mariners for years to come. At 21, he has already made his first All-Star appearance. This season, he has 19 doubles, 3 triples, and 23 stolen bases to go with his 20 homers. In all likelihood, Rodriguez has a long and productive career ahead of him, so it makes sense for the Mariners to keep him in Seattle.

For the short term, Rodriguez can help the Mariners with their 2022 playoff push. Going into the weekend’s games, Seattle’s 68-57 record would be good enough for one of the American League wild card spots. They are currently 2.5 games ahead of the Orioles in the wild card race. In their division, the Mariners are 12.5 games back from the Astros, so a wild card berth is their most likely path to the postseason.

The team has not yet confirmed the deal.