Star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres agreed on a 14-year, $ 340 million contract extension Wednesday, a source familiar with the deal told ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The $ 340 million extension is the third largest contract awarded in MLB history and only follows Mike Trout’s $ 426.5 million extension over 12 years with the Angels and Mookie Betts’ $ 365 million extension over 12 years with the Dodgers.
The 14-year deal is considered the longest contract in MLB history.
Tatis, 22, made the All-MLB first team and won a Silver Slugger award after hitting .277 with 17 home runs and 45 RBI’s in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He finished fourth in the NL MVP voting.
As a rookie in 2019, Tatis hit .317 / .379 / .590 with 22 homers and 53 RBI’s.
According to research from ESPN Stats & Information, Tatis’ 38 home runs as a shortstop in 143 career games (he has one homer as a designated hitter) are the most shortstop in his first 150 career games in the modern era (since 1900). He is also the only player in the modern era to have recorded at least 35 homers and 25 stolen bases in his first 150 career games.
Now that Manny Machado has signed a $ 300 million 10-year deal with San Diego ahead of the 2019 season, the Padres are the first team to ever sign multiple players for $ 300 million deals.
Tatis is the third player aged 22 or younger to sign a $ 100 million deal, he joins Trout, who signed a $ 144.5 million deal in 2014 at the age of 22, and Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., who signed a $ 100 million extension in 2019 at age. 21.