Notebook: Tatís Cashes in As Spring Training Commences

[Nash Walker]

A 22-year-old superstar signed a monstrous contract today as spring training commenced for a handful of teams.TATÍS SIGNS HISTORIC EXTENSION

 

San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatís Jr., once a Chicago White Sox prospect, is one of baseball’s most electric stars. He’s played in only 143 big-league games, hitting .301/.374/.582 with 39 home runs, 24 doubles and eight triples. He’s been coined by many as the newest face of Major League Baseball.

 

Tatís was set to make the league minimum in 2021. That’s not happening. Reports emerged tonight that Tatís has agreed to a 14-year, $340 million extension with San Diego. The deal is set to break multiple records. It’s the largest guaranteed contract to a pre-arbitration eligible player, per FanSided’s Robert Murray. It’s also the third largest extension in MLB history, edged out by only Mookie Betts ($365M) and Mike Trout ($360M).

 

The Padres are the first team in major league history to sign two players to $300-plus million contracts. San Diego’s current infield of Tatís, Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer and Ha-Seong Kim have signed contracts for nearly a billion dollars ($812 million).

 

Twins fans can rejoice that the White Sox traded Tatís for a 34-year-old James Shields in 2016. Shields went on to post a 5.31 ERA in 76 starts for Chicago.

 

A SPECIAL DAY

 

Hope springs eternal. The spring brings hope. Hundreds of players flocked to their respective camps today as preparation for the 2021 begins. Fans clamored for videos of their favorite pitchers and catchers long-tossing in the Florida & Arizona sunshine.

 

The Twins are set to report later this week but perhaps without Tyler Duffey and Andrew Albers, at least initially:

 

 

HOPE FOR FANS AT TARGET FIELD?

 

The Twins have teamed up with 3M, who is now the team's "official science partner," per a team-issued press release. The goal is for 3M to help the Twins in welcoming fans back to Target Field.

 

FANGRAPHS INTERVIEWS SABATO ...

 

David Laurila of FanGraphs interviewed Twins prospect Aaron Sabato, who ranked #8 on Twins Daily's prospect list. The 2020 first-round pick grew up playing middle infield and insists that he has more athleticism and will provide more defensive value than most are projecting.

 

"Obviously, I’m not going back to the middle of the infield, but whether it’s third or first — I know it’ll most likely be first — I can play a corner," Sabato said. "I think I proved to the coaches, and the staff, down in instructs that they didn’t draft a DH. They drafted a guy who could field, maybe an at elite level."

 

That was just one of the interesting anecdotes from the interview, which is well worth your time.

 

... AND RANKS SIX TWINS IN TOP 100 PROSPECTS

 

Eric Longenhagen unveiled FanGraphs' top 100 prospects for 2021. Six Twins were included on the list and one just missed.

 

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[Darius]

It must be a phenomenal time to a Padres fan. They’re doing recently what Twins’ fans have always hoped the club would do when the opportunity presented itself.

 

This is what a burning desire to win a World Series looks like. Furiously adding/locking up high-end pieces (you want to see what a legit World Series caliber starting rotation looks like?), instead of cranking up the PR machine to convince fans that the recent addition from the scrap heap was the smart and “efficient” move.

[notoriousgod71]

It would not surprise me to see San Diego trade Tatis within a couple years like most other "small market" teams do soon after signing a star player, whether it be Arenado, Stanton, or Knoblauch.

[Doctor Gast]

I'm afraid maybe SD could be going down the same path of Cubs, R Soxs and CO. Where they bite of more than what they can chew and pay for it for years without little to show for it. They might compete this year but it could jump up and bite them later.

[Twodogs]

I'm really pulling for San Diego right now. I think it was a little crazy to sign Tatis to such a large contract, he wasn't a free agent until 2025, but talk about a commitment to their fans, wow!!! I hope they are contenders for the next 5 - 7 years!!!

[big dog]

I find myself wondering how many teams Tatis will play for during this contract. I think three. Doesn't make it a bad deal, but it does make me think there ought to be a way to structure it differently that would work better than 14 years. Moving that contract is going to take a lot of future time and energy, and even if he's worth the money will one team be able to carry that for 14 consecutive years? Maybe, but I'll bet not.

 

Maybe in ten years every better than average player will make $25 million and this won't be anything unusual.

[Linus]

This provides a perspective on trading good prospects for older veterans. Just think of what the ChiSox would be with Tatis.

 

BTW I think the contract is foolish. One severe knee injury from rendering the franchise uncompetitive for a decade. Plus unless salaries go way up they just eliminated any surplus value in the contract from a trade perspective.

[Twodogs]

That's one prospect, most prospects never get out of prospect land. How many pitching prospects have the Twins had over the last 10 years? Pretty much none of them have panned out except one or two. I'm pretty sure San Diego's fan base is going crazy today. I think it is awesome that a team showed their biggest star that they want to commit to him. He will be 36 when the contract ends, who knows it could end up being cheap in 4 - 5 years where some people will be complimenting San Diego for getting a great deal on this contract. I think what San Diego has done this off season has been great, yeah if it works it will leave the Twins in the dust because they won't be able to keep up, so I can see why some people are scared, but I just like how ballsy San Diego has been all off-season. Doing the exact opposite of what everyone thinks. Trading away prospects for Darvish, Snell and Musgrove and now signing Tatis to a mega deal after having signed Machado to a mega deal. Go Pads!!!

[Trov]

 

This provides a perspective on trading good prospects for older veterans. Just think of what the ChiSox would be with Tatis.

BTW I think the contract is foolish. One severe knee injury from rendering the franchise uncompetitive for a decade. Plus unless salaries go way up they just eliminated any surplus value in the contract from a trade perspective.

Yeah that trade for Sox will go down as an all time worst, even if Tatis does not live up to the contract.  Shields did nothing for them.  Not sure where Tatis would have played but they would have found a spot.  

 

In terms of the contract, it is a huge risk, but now it is a fixed risk.  Sure he can have career ending injury, but insurance would cover that so that is little risk there, the bigger risk is injury that lowers his production.  I think it is not a bad contract for the team.  If it is the player they expect it is less than what you can expect he would get over that time.

 

I am not an expert, but think he falls under super 2.  At being MVP level if that continues he would be on Mike Trout level money by time he would be set to be FA at age 26.  This gives him basically an 10 year deal at that age while buying out his arbitration years. I bet if they waited he would be looking at much more, unless he does not progress at rate he has been. 

[KFEY93]

 

It must be a phenomenal time to a Padres fan. They’re doing recently what Twins’ fans have always hoped the club would do when the opportunity presented itself.

This is what a burning desire to win a World Series looks like. Furiously adding/locking up high-end pieces (you want to see what a legit World Series caliber starting rotation looks like?), instead of cranking up the PR machine to convince fans that the recent addition from the scrap heap was the smart and “efficient” move.

Preach!