The Padres announced they’ve signed infielder Jake Cronenworth to a seven-year extension. Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that it is an $80M pact over the seven-year time period. As beforehand reported by Dennis Lin of The Athletic, the deal doesn’t begin till 2024, so it received’t have an effect on the Padres’ luxury-tax calculation this yr. Lin provides that it features a restricted, eight-team no-trade clause. Cronenworth is represented by CAA Sports activities.
Cronenworth, 29, has proved to be able to enjoying second base, first base and shortstop in his huge league profession up to now. Though Cronenworth has by far performed second base essentially the most since arising in 2020, the Padres’ signing of shortstop Xander Bogaerts in December pushes him to first base for 2023. Cronenworth’s new contract runs via 2030, including additional long-term stability to an infield that already has Bogaerts and third baseman Manny Machado signed via 2033. A few month in the past, the Padres signed Machado to an extension, because the celebrity was in any other case anticipated to deploy his opt-out clause after ’23.
Cronenworth was drafted by the Rays within the seventh spherical in 2015 out of the Michigan, the place he pitched and performed infield. In December 2019, the Rays traded Cronenworth and Tommy Pham to the Padres for Hunter Renfroe, Xavier Edwards and Esteban Quiroz. After he received the Worldwide League batting crown in ’19, Baseball America rated the two-way Cronenworth as a 45-grade prospect. On the time they wrote, “Cronenworth is a heady participant who will get essentially the most out of his common instruments.”
The Padres requested Cronenworth to hit pause on the pitching concept in 2020, and he made their Opening Day roster in July of that pandemic-shortened season. The left-handed-hitting Cronenworth ended up getting the majority of the Padres’ innings at second base as a rookie that yr, at a time when Eric Hosmer was their first baseman and Fernando Tatis Jr. their shortstop. Cronenworth and Alec Bohm tied for second within the 2020 NL Rookie of the Yr voting behind Devin Williams.
The Padres signed Ha-Seong Kim in December 2020 and talked on the time about getting Cronenworth some reps within the outfield. That didn’t come to cross, however Cronenworth did spend time in ’21 filling in for Tatis at shortstop. He additionally earned his first All-Star nod and posted a 116 wRC+ on the season.
Cronenworth settled in at second base for 2022, making one other All-Star group although finally slipping a bit to a 109 wRC+. Cronenworth’s strong protection across the infield, above-average hitting, sturdiness, and flexibility led to 4.1 WAR in every of the ’21 and ’22 seasons. With precisely three years of service after ’22, Cronenworth inked a one-year arbitration deal for 2023 value $4.225M.
Cronenworth’s new seven-year deal, then, buys out his remaining two arbitration years plus one other 5 of free company. The seven-year time period is maybe essentially the most stunning aspect, as it can carry Cronenworth via the age of 36. Again in January, the Mets signed second baseman Jeff McNeil to an extension that additionally purchased out two arbitration years, however that contract purchased out two free-agent years with an possibility for a 3rd. One other level of comparability is the Rockies’ March 2022 extension for Ryan McMahon, which purchased out two arbitration years and 4 free-agent seasons.
Unexpectedly lengthy phrases and due to this fact decrease AAVs have been a theme all through GM A.J. Preller’s offseason. Robert Suarez acquired 5 years, Bogaerts obtained 11, Yu Darvish had 5 years added, and Michael Wacha signed what is taken into account a four-year deal.
Cronenworth’s new extension doesn’t have an effect on the Padres’ 2023 payroll, which at an estimated $276M at the moment sits above the third tax tier of $273M. Ought to the group finish 2023 above $273M, their high draft choose in 2024 shall be pushed again ten spots — along with the tax penalties owed as a third-time payer.
Cronenworth joins Machado, Bogaerts, Darvish, Tatis, Suarez and Joe Musgrove as Padres signed via no less than 2027. Earlier than accounting for Cronenworth, however together with Nick Martinez and the aforementioned six gamers, the Padres’ 2025 CBT payroll exceeds $137M. Kim, the Padres’ present second baseman, is signed via 2024.
A pair of big-name Padres are nonetheless on one-year arbitration offers: Juan Soto and Josh Hader. Concerning Soto, slated at no cost company after 2024, Lin writes, “There have been no indications that the Padres have engaged the star outfielder in severe talks a couple of doubtlessly record-setting extension.”
In a March article for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers, MLBTR’s Steve Adams laid out a Hader extension state of affairs that would cut back this yr’s luxury-tax hit, writing, “If the Padres need to preserve threading the artistic contract needle, providing Hader the longest (if not the most important) contract ever signed by a reliever would in all probability solely qualify because the fourth- or fifth-craziest transfer they’ve revamped the previous calendar yr.”
