Extensions have been all the rage this week.
Which leads to the obvious question: Who’s next?
Not all extensions are created equally. Some are designed to lock up young talent well in advance of arbitration and/or free agency, while others are meant to keep a potential free agent in his current uniform into the twilight of his career.
Here’s a look at 18 players (listed alphabetically) who could be candidates for the next notable extension:
Pete Alonso, 1B, Mets, age 29
Eligible for free agency after the 2024 season
Alonso ranks first in the Majors with 192 home runs and 498 RBIs since he debuted in 2019, belting no fewer than 37 homers in each full season he’s played (not to mention 16 homers in the COVID-shortened 2020 season). With each passing day, it seems less and less likely that the Mets and Alonso will reach an extension before Opening Day, and Alonso will probably test free agency. The Mets went this route with Brandon Nimmo, another homegrown player, a couple of years ago, and ended up re-signing him as a free agent. Even if Alonso doesn’t reach an extension, don’t rule out him staying with the Mets long term.
Alvarez slugged 25 home runs in 123 games during his impressive rookie campaign, ranking in the top five percent of the league in framing according to Statcast. As previously mentioned, the Mets will have a big decision to make with Alonso, but locking up Alvarez – who isn’t even arbitration-eligible for two more years – as their long-term answer behind the plate would give New York certainty at one of the most demanding positions on the field.
Bo Bichette, SS, Blue Jays, age 25
Eligible for free agency after the 2025 season
We’re going to slightly break our alphabetical order here to group these two together since their situations are so similar. Toronto’s two franchise players are both slated to become free agents at the end of the 2025 season, so while it might be a stretch to think the Blue Jays will be able to sign both Bichette and Guerrero Jr. to extensions before they hit the open market, it’s quite possible they could make a push to get a deal done with one of them. Which player would the club prioritize? That’s the nine-figure question.
Alex Bregman, 3B, Astros, age 29
Eligible for free agency after the 2024 season
Having extended Altuve through his age-39 season, the Astros could now look to secure Bregman’s services beyond 2024, as he’s set to become a free agent at the end of the year. Bregman is in the final year of the five-year, $100 million extension he signed in March 2019, and the Astros lifer has been a key component to Houston’s success since 2016. Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Josh Hader and Cristian Javier are all signed through at least 2027, but the Astros could have Justin Verlander’s $43.3 million salary coming off the books at the end of the upcoming season – he will earn a $35 million player option for 2025 if he throws 140 innings and finishes the year healthy, so at worst, his contract would end after 2025 – giving them some flexibility to lock up Bregman.
Corbin Burnes, RHP, Orioles, age 29
Eligible for free agency after the 2024 season
Baltimore acquired the 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner last week, finally landing the ace the Orioles have been looking for. But will he call Camden Yards home for more than one season? Burnes seems likely to test free agency given the contracts that top starting pitchers are commanding, but the Orioles are in the unique position of being a contender with a low payroll, giving their new ownership group a chance to make a splash by locking up Burnes with a long-term deal.
Evan Carter, OF, Rangers, age 21
Eligible for free agency after the 2029 season
Josh Jung, 3B, Rangers, age 25
Eligible for free agency after the 2028 season
Carter and Jung played an integral role in Texas’ World Series run last fall, and while the Rangers have Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Jacob deGrom locked up at big…
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