Rockies Sign Outfielder Charlie Blackmon to Extension

There were many baseball free agents who did not fare very well financially during the past several months since the 2017 season ended. Mike Moustakas rejected an $18 million qualifying offer from the Kansas City Royals and wound up having to settle for a $5 million contract from the Royals for one year. There were many other players who discovered that the huge offers were just not there. Charlie Blackmon had a huge season for the Colorado Rockies in 2017. He finished second in the voting for the National League most valuable player award. He was scheduled to be a free agent after the 2018 season. However, that will not be happening after he signed a contract that will pay him $108 million over six years.

This was a very interesting contract that might officially signal a change in the way that Major League Baseball players decide their futures. Prior to a few months ago, a player of Blackmon’s status would have not signed an extension when he was so close to becoming a free agent. He would have hit the open market, explored his options and signed with the team that paid him the most. However, Blackmon and his agent clearly saw the writing on the wall. They know that a huge contract might not have been waiting for Blackmon after the 2018 season. This is especially true if his numbers faltered. This made Blackmon jump at the chance to take a guaranteed $108 million when it was offered to him.

Other agents applauded the deal and said that it was a very smart decision on Blackmon’s part. But what does this mean for the future of baseball? Will we see more star players sign contract extension instead of waiting for free agency for a huge contract that might not be there? Only time will tell.

Washington Nationals superstar Bryce Harper is expected to sign a contract unlike anything seen before in professional sports. He will get his money. However, players like Blackmon need to be more careful. Another factor that would have gone against Blackmon is the fact that he would have been entering free agency at the age of 32. He decided that it was better not to leave all those millions of dollars on the table when nothing is certain anymore in the world of free agency. Blackmon might have just started a trend of players opting to play it safe.