MLB contract extension candidates: 10 players who could ink long-term deals this spring
This list includes Jazz Chisholm Jr., a recently traded ace and one of baseball's top prospects
By
Mike Axisa
•
10 min read
Spring training is fast approaching and so is extension season. MLB teams typically use November, December, and January to improve their roster. In February and March (and, increasingly, April), they shift their focus to retaining their own players. Count on more than a few players forgoing free agency and signing a long-term extension between now and Opening Day.
Among the players who signed long-term extensions last spring were Lawrence Butler (seven years, $65.5 million), Alejandro Kirk (five years, $58 million), Geraldo Perdomo (four years, $45 million), and Cal Raleigh (six years, $105 million). Garrett Crochet (six years, $170 million) signed his extension soon after Opening Day. More players will follow suit this spring.
As much as their teams would love to sign them long-term, there's no reason to expect reigning Cy Young winners Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal to sign extensions in the coming weeks. Ditto Scott Boras clients Hunter Brown and Jesús Luzardo. Here now are 10 others who will enter the spring among baseball's top long-term extension candidates (listed in alphabetical order).
1. Andrew Abbott, Reds
The Reds would surely love to sign star shortstop Elly De La Cruz long-term, though they tried last offseason and couldn't get it done. It will be tough to lock him up as a Scott Boras client. Abbott, who emerged as an All-Star and a more-than-worthy No. 2 behind ace Hunter Greene last year, might be a more realistic extension target. He relies on contact management (i.e. weak contact) more than blowing hitters away, and this is the Golden Age of contact management. Teams are more comfortable projecting pitch-to-contact guys than ever thanks to a wealth of pitch data and exit velocity data. Abbott is four years from free agency.
Possible contract: The Guardians signed Tanner Bibee to a five-year, $48 million extension with a club option last offseason, when he was also four years away from free agency. Bibee had a career 127 ERA+ in 315 ⅔ innings at the time. Abbott is sitting on a career 133 ERA+ in 413 ⅔ innings. The Reds will have to adjust upward a bit to account for that difference, otherwise Bibee's deal works as reasonable framework for an Abbott extension.
2. Drake Baldwin, Braves
No team has been more aggressive locking up young players the last few years than the Braves. Baldwin won NL Rookie of the Year last season and looks every bit the part of a middle-of-the-order lefty bat with good defensive chops. The Braves already have Sean Murphy signed long-term and making good money, though there's no harm in having two good catchers. There's a reason so few quality backstops become free agents. When teams get their hands on one, they tend to lock that guy up and keep him around for the long haul. Atlanta's history of signing players early in their careers suggests they'll try to do the same with Baldwin.
Possible contract: Baldwin is five years away from free agency and the Nationals signed Keibert Ruiz to an eight-year, $50 million extension at that service time level a few years ago. The fact Baldwin was so much better as a rookie than Ruiz means that isn't a good benchmark though. Something in the range of Lawrence Butler's seven-year, $65.5 million deal (with a club option) is more appropriate, though even then I'd say Baldwin's camp can push for more given his valuable position.
3. Jazz Chisholm Jr., Yankees
The Yankees do not extend players often, though Chisholm might be the best position player scheduled to hit free agency next offseason. He'll play the entire 2026 season at age 28, so he's very much in his prime, and his Yankee Stadium-friendly lefty swing and all-around play makes him a valuable contributor. It's not a good time to need a middle infielder. There just aren't many good ones set to hit the market the next few years and they will cost you a ton in a trade. Rather than wait and have to figure out second base after the season, the Yankees could act now to sign Chisholm, who's said he wants to stay in New York long-term.
Possible contract: Players who sign extensions a year before free agency typically get free-agent contracts. There's no discount. I would guess Chisholm and his camp are eyeing Willy Adames' seven-year, $182 million deal with the Giants. Adames signed his deal at age 29 and put up 12.7 WAR in the three years prior to free agency. Chisholm is at 10.3 WAR the last three years. He may not get Adames money, though his representatives starting extension talks there wouldn't be unreasonable.
4. Nico Hoerner, Cubs
Teams keep calling about Hoerner this offseason and it's easy to understand why. He's an excellent all-around player. He's also one of several core Cubs players set to hit free agency after this coming season, along with Ian Happ, Shota Imanaga, Seiya Suzuki, and Jameson Taillon. The Cubbies love love love Hoerner and have already extended him once, albeit to a short-term three-year contract that bought out one free agent year (he would have become a free agent this offseason otherwise). Trying to extend him again this spring isn't just a possibility; I suspect the Cubs will make a strong push to get a deal done.
Possible contract: As with Chisholm, another middle infielder a year away from free agency, the Adames contract is a reasonable benchmark for Hoerner. That's a seven-year, $182 million deal. Hoerner's lack of power (he's averaged eight homers per 162 games in his career) works against him and will limit offers somewhat. With his 29th birthday coming up in May, something like six years and $20 million per year might be more in line with market value. That's $120 million total.
5. Shea Langeliers, Athletics
The A's have been very aggressive locking up their top position players the last 12 months or so. Tyler Soderstrom (seven years, $86 million) signed earlier this offseason and last year Brent Rooker (five years, $60 million) and Butler (seven years, $65.5 million) inked deals that ensure they'll be around for the team's eventual move to Las Vegas. Langeliers, 28, has gotten better every year of his career, including slugging 60 home runs the last two seasons. Catchers with that much power are rare. I'm sure the A's would love to lock up reigning AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz, but he's five years away from free agency. Langeliers is three years away, creating a little more urgency.
Possible contract: Both Cal Raleigh (six years, $105 million) and former Athletic Sean Murphy (six years, $73 million) signed long-term deals at the same service time level as Langeliers. As good as he is, Langeliers' résumé does not compare to Raleigh's (even before Raleigh's 60-homer 2025), so Murphy is the better benchmark. Six years and $75 million or something in that neighborhood is a fair extension for Langeliers.
6. Kevin McGonigle, Tigers
McGonigle is arguably the best prospect in baseball, and the Tigers are willing to sign a player long-term before he's even made his MLB debut. Two years ago, they gave Colt Keith just less than $29 million across six years before he'd played his first big-league game. Signing McGonigle now would lock in potentially huge savings long-term and also clear the way to put him on the Opening Day roster (otherwise service-time manipulation could be in order). Still only 21, McGonigle had a .991 OPS with more walks (59) and extra-base hits (52) than strikeouts (46) in 88 minor-league games a year ago. He has not yet played in Triple-A, however.
Possible contract: There have been a few pre-debut extensions over the years and the only one that applies to McGonigle is Jackson Chourio's eight-year, $82 million contract with the Brewers. Like McGonigle, Chourio was a tippy-top prospect at the time, plus he'd only played six career games at Triple-A. Chourio set the market for an elite prospect with little to no Triple-A time.
7. Zach Neto, Angels
Since signing Mike Trout to a statue contract almost a decade ago, the Angels have signed just one player to an extension of more than three years: David Fletcher. That deal didn't work out so well. That's not a good reason to skip talks with Neto, however. He's a power/speed threat at a premium position, even if he may have to slide over to second base down the line. The Angels have been so disappointing the last few years -- seriously, how did they never once post a winning record with Trout and Shohei Ohtani? -- but you have to keep trying, and signing your best homegrown players long-term constitutes trying.
Possible contract: Neto is four years away from free agency and he's a Super Two, meaning he'll go through arbitration four times rather than three. That boosts his earning potential and negotiating leverage. Fellow Super Two Maikel Garcia signed a five-year, $57.5 million extension with a club option just a few weeks ago, when he was four years away from free agency like Neto. That's the perfect benchmark. Put the Garcia contract in front of Neto and see what he says, Angels.
8. Freddy Peralta,Mets
After an offseason of trade rumors, the Brewers finally parted with Peralta (and Tobias Myers) in a 2-for-2 trade that sent prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat to Milwaukee. It stands to reason the Mets made the trade with the intention of signing Peralta, who will be a free agent after the season, to a long-term extension. They are holding off on talks for now, though Peralta has said he's open to an extension in the past, and these things can change with one phone call. Five years ago the Mets traded for Francisco Lindor and signed him long-term soon thereafter. Expect them to try to do the same with Fastball Freddy.
Possible contract: Like I said earlier, players who are a year away from free agency tend to get free agent contracts. There is no discount. Ranger Suárez's five-year, $130 million contract with the Red Sox could work for Peralta. Tyler Glasnow signed for similar terms (five years, $136.5 million) after he was traded to the Dodgers one year prior to free agency.
9. Gavin Williams, Guardians
It was Cleveland in the 1990s that popularized signing players long-term before they reach free agency. They signed Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, and others to such deals back then. The practice continues today and Williams, who last year bounced back from a down and injury-interrupted 2024, looks to be next in line for an extension. He's four years away from free agency and that's the sweet spot for the Guardians. Tanner Bibee, Andrés Giménez, Corey Kluber, José Ramírez, Trevor Stephan, Myles Straw, and several others inked long-term contracts with Cleveland when they were four years away from free agency.
Possible contract: Bibee's five-year, $48 million extension with a club option works well for Williams. Same service-time level, same team, similar performance, too. Bibee had a career 127 ERA+ in 315 ⅔ innings when he signed his deal. Williams has a 118 ERA+ in 325 ⅔ innings. The biggest difference is Williams' 2024 shoulder issue, which could knock a few million off the top, but a Bibee-sized deal is a reasonable extension for Williams.
10. Bryan Woo, Mariners
We could have gone with Logan Gilbert (two years away from free agency) or George Kirby (three years away from free agency), but we'll go with Woo, who had a breakout 2025 season. He's four years away from the open market and has been the team's best starter the last two years. Frankly, it may be too late to extend Gilbert, who will have made close to $30 million playing baseball by the end of 2026. He presumably has enough security to bet on himself and play out these next two years before free agency. Woo had an injury late last season and might jump at the chance to lock in that first big payday.
Possible contract: Once again, I will reference Tanner Bibee's five-year, $48 million deal with a club option. He signed that last spring when he was at the same service-time level as Woo. I think the Mariners would give Woo the Bibee contract no questions asked right now. I would guess Woo's camp will push for more even though Bibee, who had a career 127 ERA+ in 315 ⅔ innings when he signed his deal, had outperformed Woo up to that point. Woo has a 118 ERA+ in 395 ⅔ innings.
