Wander Franco signs the biggest deal in the major league history with an 11-year contract worth $182 million with Tampa Bay Rays. Wander Franco and Tampa Bay Rays have sealed the deal with an 11-year contract worth $182 million. The said contract made the news on November 27, 2021, including a club option for the 2033 season. The deal can be worth up to $223 million if Franco chooses to exercise the club options and reach the incentives. The deal was a sign of the mutual trust that Wander and Tampa Bay Rays have for each other, and it is a day that should be celebrated, according to the Tampa Bay Rays principal owner, Stuart Sternberg.
Stuart Sternberg adds that the team is committed to growing their team much stronger than the other teams as the fielding teams are competitive year in and out. The team believes that the addition of Franco to the will play an enormous contribution to the team's overall win and will help maintain the standard of excellence for the Tampa Bay Rays. Sternberg sees this opportunity to strengthen their team after winning the AL East this year but later eliminated by Boston in the ALDS.
The signed contract is by far the most significant financial commitment of the team, a single player in the entire history of Rays. It is also considered the biggest deal in the major league history for one player that has not even played a year into the major league service time, which shows how much faith the team has for Wander Franco's abilities. Franco is the fifth player ever to be signed in long-term extension with Tampa Bay Rays, following Evan Longoria, the third baseman since 2008, the left-hander Matt Moore in 2011, the right-hander Chris Archer in 2014, and the most recent second baseman Brandon Lowe in 2019.
Franco has made his major league debut on June 22 and had hit a three-run home run. He batted .288 with seven homers, five triples, 18 doubles, and 39 RBIs in the 70 games he's played. He also finished third in the American League Rookie of the Year. In addition, wander Franco puts together a 43 game on-base streak that ties up the record with Cincinnati's Frank Robinson in 1956 for the longest streak in the major league history among all the players under 21. He also went 7 for 19, which is .368, with four RBIs and two homers in four postseason games.
Sources: MLB, Forbes, NBC Sports
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEq6CcoJWowW%2BvzqZmq6GTnXqxu9aeqZ%2BtnGTEorrDnqlmnqKWu6S7jKygoKajYq5ufZBmsJ6ZomKwsLrTq5icrF2strW0jK2YpqiRYq%2BixYyrmLKrXZu8s3mQcWlmpZmhuaq7zWg%3D