More young stars being locked up...Braun and Kazmir

[Joseph]

The Brewers signed Ryan Braun to a 45 million dollar, 8 year deal.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080515/..._brewers_braun

MILWAUKEE - Ryan Braun grinned. He had just agreed to the largest contract in Milwaukee Brewers' history.

"I really believe in the direction this franchise is headed," the NL Rookie of the Year said Thursday after his $45 million, eight-year deal was announced. "I'm extremely excited in our future."

Braun's contract, which runs through 2015, replaces the $455,000, one-year renewal the Brewers gave him in spring training. It includes a $2.3 million bonus this season and could increase to $51 million through escalators.

"How unreal is this?" said Braun's mother, Diane, who was looking on from the front row.

Braun hit .324 with 34 homers and 97 RBIs last season in 113 games after a May 25 callup. He entered Thursday with a .287 average, nine homers and 29 RBIs.

"For me, the opportunity to secure my future financially is something that really means a lot to me," the 24-year-old said. "I feel I was ready to make this commitment to the city of Milwaukee, to the fans and to the Brewers' organization. For them obviously to step up and give me this type of deal, this type of offer, is unprecedented and it means a lot to me."

The deal surpasses the $42 million, four-year contract the Brewers gave free-agent pitcher Jeff Suppan got before the 2007 season.

Braun said the money talks distracted him early this season.

"Anybody who says that contract negotiations aren't a distraction is not telling you the truth," he said. "It definitely comes into play, it definitely factors in and for me, it's just great to have that out of the way and just be able to focus on baseball and know financially I'm secure for the rest of my life."

General manager Doug Melvin said Braun made a commitment from the start, just like when he immediately signed after being selected with the fifth pick of the 2005 amateur draft.

"When we went into negotiations, Ryan wanted to be a Milwaukee Brewer for an extended period of time," Melvin said. "It wasn't about three years, it wasn't about four years. He wanted to be here that long a period of time — eight years."

Braun's power was never a question from the start, but his league-high 26 errors last season forced the team to move him from third base to left field. Braun has not had an error there in 39 games this season.

He becomes the first player with a long-term deal among the Brewers' young core, which includes Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, Rickie Weeks and J.J. Hardy. Braun hopes the others get long-term contracts.

"Obviously, we have a lot of great young players, and we have a lot of guys that enjoy playing with each other, enjoy being around each other," he said. "I certainly hopes this starts a trend."

Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio said he hopes for a "domino effect" with his other young players.

"Relative to the state of baseball, there's a little bit of a sea change here," Attanasio said as he was leaving the owners' meetings taking place about 5 miles from Miller Park. "There's been a number of young players now who are getting signed, and I think what you see is there's a real economic incentive on both sides to do something."

Braun has a no-trade clause for the next four years, then a limited no-trade clause allowing him to block deals to 12 teams from 2012-13 and six teams from 2014-15.

"We've done other long-term agreements before, but I was surprised at the complexity of this one," Attanasio said.

[Joseph]

Meanwhile, this AM the Rays locked up Kazmir through 2011 for 28.5 million with an option for a fourth year to 39.5 million.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080515/...G9fMYguZI_z7QF

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Tampa Bay left-hander Scott Kazmir agreed Wednesday to a $28.5 million, three-year extension through 2011, a deal with a club option that could raise the contract's value to $39.5 million over four seasons.

The 2007 AL strikeout champion is 36-30 with a 3.63 ERA in 100 major league appearances, including 99 starts. He began this season on the 15-day disabled list after straining his left elbow, but returned to the rotation on May 4 and is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in two starts.

"It's something we've been working hard to do over the past two years," Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said. "As we continue to win games and play in October, we envision Scott anchoring the staff for us."

The 24-year-old, 13-9 with a 3.48 ERA last season, was an All-Star in 2006. He is Tampa Bay's career leader in wins, strikeouts, starts and innings pitched.

Kazmir is earning $3,785,000 this season, and would have been eligible for free agency after the 2010 season.

"I knew coming into spring training that this is the place I wanted to play," he said, adding that he never gave a lot of thought to the possibility that he could command an even bigger contract as a free agent. "I wanted to win and play in October in Tampa Bay."

He gets $6 million in 2009, $8 million in 2010 and $12 million in 2011. Tampa Bay's 2012 option is for $13.5 million with a $2.5 million buyout.

Kazmir gets the use of a luxury suite for five home games each year, and he would receive am $800,000 the first time he's traded.

He will contribute $75,000 annually to the Rays Baseball Foundation in 2009 and 2010, $100,000 in 2011 and, if the option is exercised, an additional $100,000 in 2012.

Kazmir is the second young Rays starting pitcher to get a lucrative new deal this year.

Right-hander James Shields agreed to an $11.25 million, four-year contract in January. His deal includes three team options that could make it worth about $38 million over seven years, and performance bonuses could boost the value to approximately $44 million.

[Highlifeman21]

Less than $6 Mil a year for Ryan Braun?

Wow.

[toledodan]

if bruce comes up and proves anything up to the hype i would expect the reds to do the same for him.

[Chip R]

Less than $6 Mil a year for Ryan Braun?

Wow.

8 years, though. No club options at first glance.

All these deals to these young guys may put some pressure on the Reds to sign Bruce to a similar deal once he comes up and lives up to his billing. Walt did it with Pujols.

[Sea Ray]

Kazmir's deal strikes me as quite risky seeing as he's not yet proved that his elbow is healthy

[UKFlounder]

The last few years the Reds gave out extensions to Phillips, Harang, Arroyo, and even the 2 year deal for Dunn was different than they had operated in the past.

Granted, none of those are on the level of Brauns, Kazmir's, or the Longeria in terms of their youth and very early contracts, but I do believe this regime may be willing to do so if someone like Bruce appears to be worth it.

These type of deals are interesting gambles, but I tend to think they're worth it, especially to the team.

Time will tell, I suppose

8 years, though. No club options at first glance.

All these deals to these young guys may put some pressure on the Reds to sign Bruce to a similar deal once he comes up and lives up to his billing. Walt did it with Pujols.

[Caveat Emperor]

These type of deals are interesting gambles, but I tend to think they're worth it, especially to the team.

I wonder what kind of deal people would be clamoring for Austin Kearns to get, if he was just now making his debut with the Reds...

[oregonred]

I wonder what kind of deal people would be clamoring for Austin Kearns to get, if he was just now making his debut with the Reds...

Pokey Reese, Danny Graves and Scott Williamson also say hello

[Highlifeman21]

8 years, though. No club options at first glance.

All these deals to these young guys may put some pressure on the Reds to sign Bruce to a similar deal once he comes up and lives up to his billing. Walt did it with Pujols.

Fine by me.

Ink Bruce to a LTC after 2009, in the ballpark of 6 to 8 years and $36 to $56 Million

[paulrichjr]

This is making free agency almost a thing of the past. It is also allowing the young stars of many teams to stay with one team for a lot of years which helps the fans in my opinion. I really like these moves and while they might come back to burn a couple of teams they will help many others. Now if we could someone get Patterson to sign one and solidfy our leadoff spot for the next 5 years I could breathe a sigh of relief.

[Unassisted]

Even the lowly Royals are getting in on this trend.

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/con...7/c2719179.jsp

Royals give contract extension to Soria
05/17/2008 11:09 PM ET
By Dick Kaegel / MLB.com

MIAMI -- Nice birthday present for Royals closer Joakim Soria.

Soria, who will turn 24 on Sunday, received a three-year contract extension through 2011 followed by three option years, the Royals announced Saturday night.

The deal could be worth as much as $32,350,000 and keep Soria with the Royals through the 2014 season, agent Oscar Suarez said. The club holds the option for the last three years of the six-year agreement.

"It's a big deal for me, for my career and my family -- I just try to look at it like that," Soria said. "This is security for me and my family today and the future, and I can just worry about baseball."

The deal calls for salaries of $1 million in 2009, $3 million in 2010 and $4 million in 2011, he said. The base salaries for the option years are $6 million in 2012, $8 million in 2013 and $8.75 million in 2014.

But those figures could increase if Soria becomes a starting pitcher, a possibility that has been discussed by the Royals. Included in the deal are escalators based on innings pitched as a starter or, if he remains a reliever, games finished.

"It's a good deal for Joakim, it's a good deal for the club," Suarez said. "It's a vesting option [for 2012] and if he does the things I think he can do, it'll vest automatically and the last two years are a straight club option."

According to Suarez, the maximum Soria could receive would be $32,350,000 as a starter or $30,750,000 as a closer. That, of course, is if Soria vests in 2012 and the club picks up the options.

"We're delighted to get a long-term deal with Joakim," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. "It was important to us to potentially have Joakim through 2014.

"He's a very talented young pitcher and we're very happy to have him in a Royals uniform for a long time."

Moore said that Soria aggressively pursued the deal which was hammered out in the last 2 1/2 weeks.

Soria surged to prominence last season as an unheralded Rule 5 Draft choice, plucked from the San Diego Padres' system. He appeared in relief 62 times in set-up and closing roles, posting a 2.48 ERA and 17 saves.

This season began in sensational fashion with 16 1/3 scoreless innings -- just two-thirds of an inning shy of Hipolito Pichardo's club record of 17 shutout innings to start a season.

The streak finally ended on Friday night when the Florida Marlins' Jeremy Hermida belted a two-run homer. Even so Soria recovered to notch his 11th save in 11 chances, tying Al Hrabosky's club record (1978) for consecutive saves at the start of a season.

As Soria agreed to the contract, he had held opponents to a .088 average (5-for-54). He had a 1.04 ERA with 20 strikeouts and just two walks in 17 1/3 innings.

[Benihana]

I'd like to see the Reds do this with Bruce. I'd look for a Longoria-type deal. It's about the only way small market teams can hold onto their superstars for the long term, or at least without crippling the franchise.

[Unassisted]

I'd like to see the Reds do this with Bruce.

And I'd like for the Reds to see if Bruce can hit ML pitching for at least half of a season before they put him on the payroll for most of the next decade.

Aren't we glad the FO didn't handcuff themselves to Adam Dunn or Ryan Wagner?

[Benihana]

And I'd like for the Reds to see if Bruce can hit ML pitching for at least half of a season before they put him on the payroll for most of the next decade.

Aren't we glad the FO didn't handcuff themselves to Adam Dunn or Ryan Wagner?

No, I do wish they would have done a deal like this with Dunn. He would be signed for two or three more years at $8 MM per, instead of paying him $10-$14 MM the last couple years and losing him after this year. (And Dunn was not as good of a prospect as Bruce is.) I would like to see Bruce hit for half of a season as well, but then I'd look into locking him up.

As for Wagner, I'm not advocating doing this with any of the pitchers, especially a relief pitcher. Their deals should/will be structured differently, due to risk of injury.