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The Rockies and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar have agreed to a long-term contract extension that can run by means of at the very least the 2030 season. The 22-year-old Tovar will earn $63.5MM over the seven assured years of the deal, and the Rockies maintain a $20.5MM membership possibility on his companies for the 2031 season. Tovar is represented by the Rimas Sports activities Company, and the extension might be official as soon as the shortstop passes a bodily.
Tovar was already beneath membership management by means of the top of the 2028 season, and this subsequent extension will now add at the very least two and perhaps three extra years to his time in Colorado. As a consequence of Tovar’s younger age, he’ll nonetheless be in his prime when eligible without cost company, as he’ll both be 29 or 30 years previous on the finish of the deal relying on whether or not or not the Rox train their membership possibility.
Tovar entered the 2023 season as a consensus top-25 prospect within the sport. The teenager made the membership’s Opening Day roster because the beginning shortstop final yr however bought off to a troublesome begin earlier than heating up in the direction of the top of April. Tovar managed to hold that sizzling streak into the All Star break, hitting a strong .283/.314/.479 with 9 residence runs throughout that 65 sport stretch. Sadly, nevertheless, Tovar struggled within the second half and hit a paltry .246/.277/.386 the remainder of the best way. Whereas Tovar’s 66 extra-base hits hinted at actual energy potential, the teenager struck out in 27% of his journeys to the plate whereas strolling simply 4.1% of the time. That undisciplined strategy left him with a wRC+ of simply 70, 30% under league common and fourth-worst amongst all certified hitters within the majors final yr.
Tough as Tovar’s rookie season could have been, his age and prospect pedigree make it straightforward to think about him discovering one other gear offensively within the coming years, and his glove is already nothing wanting elite. Tovar’s protection at shortstop was price a whopping 16 Outs Above Common final yr, which ranks within the 99th percentile of all MLB fielders per Statcast. Fielding Bible’s Defensive Runs Saved was equally impressed with Tovar’s work within the area, as his +12 DRS ranked behind solely Anthony Volpe, Wander Franco, and Dansby Swanson amongst main league shortstops final yr.
Glovework of that caliber is usually a carrying software that enables gamers to stay productive general within the majors leagues even when they battle on the plate. That’s significantly true at shortstop, the place robust defensive gamers can put collectively star-level manufacturing with even common offensive contributions. For the Rockies, that leaves this deal as a considerably much less dangerous association than it may appear on the floor; in spite of everything, the deal is considerably just like the eight-year, $70MM pact the Pirates and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes agreed to on the heels of a 2021 marketing campaign that noticed Hayes publish a 85 wRC+ in 96 video games. That deal maxes out at $82MM over 9 years if Pittsburgh workout routines its membership possibility, an identical dedication to the $84MM over eight years Tovar will earn if his membership possibility is exercised by the Rockies.
For Tovar, in the meantime, the deal locks in life-changing cash whereas nonetheless affording him the chance to hit the open market in his prime. In fact, in signing the deal he additionally forgoes the chance to hit free company in his mid-20s, a route which has led different gamers reminiscent of Bryce Harper and Manny Machado to large paydays price $300MM or extra. Alternatively, Tovar would absolutely have to interrupt out and turn out to be at the very least an above-average hitter within the majors to command a deal of that form of caliber. Whereas such an enchancment with the bat can’t be dominated out, it’s definitely comprehensible for the 22-year-old to prioritize monetary safety, significantly on a deal that can nonetheless provide him a second chunk of the apple following his age-29 season.
With Tovar now locked up for at the very least the subsequent seven seasons, the Rockies have now set into place a transparent constructing block for the membership’s future. On the heels of the primary 100-loss season in franchise historical past, the membership spent cautiously in free company with short-term agreements for gamers reminiscent of Daniel Hudson, Cal Quantrill, and Charlie Blackmon. That strategy leaves little optimism for a 2024 membership that seems to be buried behind 4 extremely aggressive groups within the NL West. Even so, with Tovar and one other rising teenager in Nolan Jones beneath long-term group management and a farm system rife with thrilling prospects like Amael Amador and Chase Dollander, it’s definitely potential that brighter days lie forward for the Rockies. With the membership’s longest extension for the reason that one afforded to Nolan Arenado previous to the 2019 season now in place, Tovar is now all however sure to be a serious a part of that future.
Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extrabase. first reported the extension, the seven-year time period, and the overall worth of the contract if the membership possibility is exercised. MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. reported the extension’s $63.5MM worth over the seven assured years.
Photograph courtesy of USA In the present day Sports activities Photos
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