Extension Candidates

[CoasterProductions]

Which of the young Twins players deserve a contract extension the most? Here are some of the contracts that I signed in OOTP 24 (I may have lost my mind and turned into the Braves)

Royce Lewis: 11 years $183,000,000

Edouard Julien: 7 years $65,000,000

Brooks Lee: 9 years $69,000,000

Jhoan Duran: 7 years $70,000,000

Joe Ryan: 8 years $100,000,000

[Rod Carews Birthday]

Yes please, but I’m not in a huge hurry.  Give them another year.  Yes, I know if they become an MVP candidate the price goes up, but if they don’t develop they also don’t do us any good and they cost us payroll.  There are question marks about all of them.  I think that next winter would be a good time to do more extensions.  By then (we hope) the TV contract issues will have resolved and we will know quite a bit more about what we have in these young players (and others).  In this scenario, Julien and Ryan look like bargains.  The others I’m not so sure yet. 

 

[Cory Engelhardt]

I don't know that I'm in an enormous rush for any of them to be honest. But if we are naming players for this, Walker Jenkins would be up there for me, along with Brooks Lee. 

This could change depending on what else happens this offseason. But so many of the players have many multiple years of team control left. 

[farmerguychris]

I generally like the idea of signing likely stars to extended contracts early - But until the TV situation is settled I would not expect much movement on financial decisions that don't need to be made yet.

 

[DJL44]

4 hours ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

I don't know that I'm in an enormous rush for any of them to be honest. But if we are naming players for this, Walker Jenkins would be up there for me, along with Brooks Lee. 

This could change depending on what else happens this offseason. But so many of the players have many multiple years of team control left. 

I wouldn't give anyone a long-term contract until after I had to add them to the 40 man roster. Giving Royce Lewis a contract that early would have burned 2 years rehabbing knee injuries.

For me the extension priorities are Duran and Jeffers. Ober and Ryan are already controlled into their 30s. Julien and Lewis aren't even eligible for arbitration yet.

[Cory Engelhardt]

Jeffers is a good thought, with 3 years control remaining. I would love to get him to sign a 5 year deal.

What are you thinking with Duran? The Twins have 4 more years team control, so I’d want at least 6 years. 

I could see both happening though. Good point.

[DJL44]

2 minutes ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

What are you thinking with Duran? The Twins have 4 more years team control, so I’d want at least 6 years. 

Unless he wants to give a team friendly discount I'd focus on cost certainty through arbitration. I think I'd rather get a 1st round pick with a qualifying offer than pay any reliever market rate in his 30s.

[nicksaviking]

Unfortunately for Ryan, when his contract is up, he’ll be 32, and likely at the end of his useful pitching days. And as much as I like Duran, you can’t give a reliever 7 years. He might make More sense for one of those cost certainty deals that doesn’t buy out free agency year, or maybe ONE option year, not three.

I wouldn’t say no to Lewis or Julien, but Jeffers is closest to free agency and might be the best bargain.

[Mike Sixel]

Royce Lewis last played half a season of ball in 2019.....that's a heck of a gamble on that changing. 

[SteveLV]

Nothing needs to be done now.

[chpettit19]

I'm all for early extensions on guys you have strong faith in being part of your core. Especially when you're a team that loves to cry poor and complain about your revenue constraints. Lock guys up on cost controlled contracts through their age 32 or 33 seasons so you know where your payroll is, and you don't have to have big worries on the 25+ mil AAV deals down the road. 

Do you think Julien is a 130 OPS+ bat for real? Sign him to an 8 year deal right now and lock him up (assuming he'd be willing to sign that deal). Is Jeffers really a top 5 hitting catcher? 6 year deal this offseason. Lewis would be great to lock up, but he's incredibly hard to do a deal with because of the injuries (neither the team nor him are likely huge on the idea right now). Duran open to a deal? 6 years, let's go. Kirilloff is an interesting one. Healthy him has really shown he can hit, but do you have faith he'll ever be healthy? Does he? Could be a middle ground there with a creative contract to cover him for the next 6 or 7 years.

As others have pointed out, a number of their guys are already controlled into their early 30s so it's not so necessary to lock them up. Even Austin Martin will be controlled until he's into his 30s. The recent Twins prospect graduates have been a bit older when they debuted so there's not a ton of great extension options. Can certainly do some cost certainty things where you lock them up through their arb years with firm numbers to allow you to plan easier, and maybe tack on an option year, but those aren't as useful as the early career extensions where you can save some backend money and not have to pay anyone too large of amounts down the road.

[Brandon]

On 12/11/2023 at 4:32 PM, Mike Sixel said:

Royce Lewis last played half a season of ball in 2019.....that's a heck of a gamble on that changing. 

And I would make that gamble for the right price.  Not sure LEwis would.  But I would. Definitely!

[Brandon]

On 12/11/2023 at 2:49 PM, nicksaviking said:

Unfortunately for Ryan, when his contract is up, he’ll be 32, and likely at the end of his useful pitching days. And as much as I like Duran, you can’t give a reliever 7 years. He might make More sense for one of those cost certainty deals that doesn’t buy out free agency year, or maybe ONE option year, not three.

I wouldn’t say no to Lewis or Julien, but Jeffers is closest to free agency and might be the best bargain.

An extension for Ryan might be for cost certainty during his arbitration years.  Maybe we front load it a little to keep costs down when others are rising.  Maybe we add a team option for one year of free agency. This way the Twins can have an option to keep him should Lopez leave when his contract is up….Which should be at around the same time. Here is an on the spot, without research, inaccurate example of what I am talking about.  Ryan could in theory make 800k - 3 million - 8 million - 13 million and is then a free agent.  That is about 25 million.  Or we could sign him to an extension like a 4 year 20 million with a 5th year option and a 1 million buyout.  The salaries the next 4 seasons.  2 million, 4 million, 6 million 8 million.  With 1 million buyout and 22 million.  Now that’s not how the extension would actually be structured but something like that.