Shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres reached a deal on Wednesday for a $ 340 million contract extension for 14 years, a source familiar with the deal told ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The $ 340 million extension is the third largest contract awarded in MLB history, only behind Mike Trout’s $ 426.5 million extension in 12 years with the $ 365 million extension from Angels and Mookie Betts in 12 years with the Dodgers.
The 14-year contract is considered the longest in MLB history.
Tatis, 22, joined the first All-MLB team and won a Silver Slugger award after hitting 0.277 with 17 home runs and 45 RBIs in the 2020 shortened pandemic season. He finished fourth in the NL MVP vote.
As a newcomer in 2019, Tatis reached 0.317 / 0.379 / 0.590 with 22 homers and 53 RBIs.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, the 38 home runs of Tatis’s career as a shortstop in 143 career games (he has a home run as a designated hitter) are the most by a shortstop in his first 150 career games in the era modern (since 1900). He is also the only player of the modern era to register at least 35 homers and 25 stolen bases in his first 150 career games.
With Manny Machado having signed a 10-year, $ 300 million contract with San Diego ahead of the 2019 season, the Padres are the first team to sign multiple players for $ 300 million deals.
Tatis is the third player aged 22 or younger to sign a $ 100 million contract, joining Trout, who signed a $ 144.5 million contract in 2014 at 22, and the Atlanta Braves’ outlaw, Ronald Acuna Jr., who signed a $ 100 million extension in 2019 at age 21