In a somewhat surprising move for this point in the offseason, it appears as though the Blue Jays have come to an agreement on a large contract extension with starter José Berríos!!!! So let’s talk about it! ⚾ But first let me take a second to try to earn a living. Because if you’d like to receive an immediate email every single time I post something on the site, or would like to upgrade to a paid membership in order to support what I do and help keep these posts free for everybody, you can do all that with just a couple of clicks and I would be eternally grateful to you if you did! ⚾
Wow. This is remarkable on a number of levels. First, it feels like another marquee free agent signing, just a year earlier. Second, it validates the trade. If Berrios had walked after next year and either or both of Martin/Woods Richardson turned into good players, we'd always be lamenting that trade. Third, it's for 7 years! That's what probably got the deal done. Even with an opt out after 5 as per the other comment, the contract is still a steal if he continues to perform at his usual level. It's a big win. Now they just have to find another stud starter or two. Is there much precedent for a contract this length for a young starter with his kind of pedigree?
Wow. This is remarkable on a number of levels. First, it feels like another marquee free agent signing, just a year earlier. Second, it validates the trade. If Berrios had walked after next year and either or both of Martin/Woods Richardson turned into good players, we'd always be lamenting that trade. Third, it's for 7 years! That's what probably got the deal done. Even with an opt out after 5 as per the other comment, the contract is still a steal if he continues to perform at his usual level. It's a big win. Now they just have to find another stud starter or two. Is there much precedent for a contract this length for a young starter with his kind of pedigree?
Passan reporting that he has an opt out after 5th year. Which is fine. If he's pitching like such a boss that he opts out, we're laughing.