Extending star prospects before they make their MLB debuts is becoming a common practice in the league.
In the past, it was considered extremely risky by teams.
Now, however, the potential future savings for squads implementing this practice outweigh the risk of paying these young players a bit too much considering they haven’t even played in the league yet.
The Detroit Tigers are the most recent organization to put this approach into practice.
They announced the extension of star second base talent Colt Keith on a six-year deal.
“Big pre-debut deal: The Detroit Tigers have locked up top prospect Colt Keith through 2032, guaranteeing him $28.6M for six years with club options worth $10M, $13M and $15M. There are another $15M or so in potential escalators. He should be Detroit’s Opening Day second baseman,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan tweeted.
Big pre-debut deal: The Detroit Tigers have locked up top prospect Colt Keith through 2032, guaranteeing him $28.6M for six years with club options worth $10M, $13M and $15M. There are another $15M or so in potential escalators. He should be Detroit’s Opening Day second baseman.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 28, 2024
Keith, 22, can play second and third base.
In 59 Double-A games in 2023, he hit a marvelous .325/.391/.585 with 14 home runs.
Then he was promoted to Triple-A, and in 67 games, he slashed .287/.369/.521 with 13 round-trippers.
Keith can hit for a decent average, has tremendous raw power, and does not strike out at an alarming rate.
He is a mature hitter who knows how to get the barrel onto the ball and generate power.
Now that he has been extended, he will likely be the Tigers’ starting second baseman in 2024.
With the deal, he gets life-changing money but potentially leaves more earnings on the table if he explodes and has the career that scouts and evaluators think he can have.
Both parties are risking things, but in the end, it’s a good pact for both parties.
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