Twins Video
Despite having played just over 100 big-league games, there are an infinite number of highlight moments for Royce Lewis. He has hit home runs at a prolific pace during the regular season. He has launched grand slams like he will eventually track down Alex Rodríguez. He has shown up in massive postseason moments. It has been a Joe Mauer or Kirby Puckett-style ascent toward superstardom.
Of course, the caveat for Lewis is that he has been hurt, and hurt often. Various ailments have cost him significant time. Fluke ACL injuries have been the biggest culprits, but soft-tissue maladies have derailed each of what would otherwise have been his two full seasons. The only thing that has stopped Lewis from performing thus far has been his body itself.
That’s not new for the Minnesota Twins. Byron Buxton falls in a similar situation, and the franchise appropriately paid the man. In agreeing to a seven-year deal worth $100 million, both sides took on a certain amount of risk. The franchise is hoping that Buxton stays healthy and outperforms the deal. The player is seeking to earn individual accolades that bump his pay to where health may have allowed it to be.
Would Scott Boras allow for something similar to take place with Lewis?
Boras is among the most influential agents in Major League Baseball. Beyond representing individual players, his reach permeates into the league itself. He is notable for getting his players the top dollar, no matter what that takes, and Lewis is among his most high-profile pre-arbitration clients.
That said, Boras has also taken some sizable losses of late. It's because of two deals falling apart that Carlos Correa is with the Minnesota Twins at all. Blake Snell and Matt Chapman both sat on the open market forever this past offseason. So did Cody Bellinger and Jordan Montgomery. Of course, established veterans are a different beast altogether, but Lewis is going to hit arbitration with, at most, 160 big-league games under his belt.
What that means is Lewis will be scrutinized through an arbitration system that awards longevity of performance. It doesn’t matter that the Twins' youngster has been incredible when he has played, given how sporadically he has played. There is also the possibility of another injury that keeps him further away from any expected payday.
Lewis will reach arbitration this offseason as a Super Two player, and although he got a $6.725 million signing bonus upon being drafted, it’s this first contract that would represent generational money. A full year younger, with better performance, and boasting a clean bill of health, Bobby Witt Jr. landed an 11-year deal worth nearly $300 million this offseason. Lewis won’t see that sort of money, but the parameters for an extension are there.
It stands to reason that Minnesota would be against going to 10 years on a contract for a player with a significant injury history. The questions as to how his body ages could be limitless. A six-year deal with options may be the sweet spot. That would take Lewis through his age-31 season, and buy out his first two years of free agency. Options could be tacked on to reward health and production on the back end, and it’s still possible he is paid handsomely on the open market, should he choose to take his talents elsewhere at that time.
Boras would be wise to argue for $20 million per season, but $120 million is probably too rich in the short term for Minnesota ownership. The Twins could counter at $100 million, but a $16.6 million AAV might not be enough to get it done. Minnesota would presumably need to backload the deal rather than adding to a 2025 payroll expected to decline. Still, though, this offseason may be the last chance for the front office to get something hammered out that doesn’t break the bank.
Due to his per-game production, Lewis should angle for a premium during his first year of arbitration. From there, he’ll quickly price himself out of anything the Twins would have initially been able to do. Getting Boras on board is part of the equation. Getting ownership on board is another beast altogether. Similar to what was done for Mauer, Buxton, and Correa, it makes sense for Minnesota to lock in their stars, and Lewis joining that group would be great to see.
Follow Twins Daily For Minnesota Twins News & Analysis
- Clare, Oldgoat_MN, Hrbeks Divot and 1 other
-
4
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now