The baseball career of Fernando Tatis Jr is just at the growing stage. Yet, at just 22 years of age, the Dominican has made history, penning one mammoth of a contract extension of a 14-year, $340 million with the San Diego Padres.
The contract is the longest and third largest in the history of the MLB. Previously the longest deal was credited to Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees star who signed a 13-year deal with the Miami Marlins back in 2015.
Tatis’ deal ranks third in the league’s largest contracts of all time, behind Mike Trout’s $426.5 million, 12-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels in 2019, and the Mookie Betts who bagged a 13-Year, $392 Million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year.
Tatis, the prodigious shortstop arrived at Padres in 2019 coming from the Chicago White Sox. Since his arrival, the young Dominican has become a fearsome force in the MLB.
Tatis hit his first home run in April 2019, and despite ending the season early due to an injury, the youngster bounced back remarkably in 2020, leading the NL in power-speed number (13.4). He also clocked the highest average exit velocity (95.9), percentage of hard-hit balls (62.2), and percentage of barrels/plate appearance (12.5%).
The appreciation is likewise from the fans to the manager Jayce Tingler.
“I think the talent is undeniable,” Tingler told ESPN, “the more you’re around him, the organization, the scouts, the minor league guys, the major league coaches, his teammates — it’s just a consistent theme. His drive to win, his drive to improve.
Big League Advance, a major part of Fernando Tatis Jr’s mega extension
Despite etching his name in the history books with such a massive contract, Fernando Tatis Jr won’t be getting the full $340 million of the extension.
As reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, a part of Tatis’ contract will go to an investment company named Big League Advance, which invests in sportspersons in the minor league and offers them a one-time payment against a cut of their wage.
Tatis, when he was with the White Sox, joined hands with the company on 2018. While a Big League Advance deal is beneficial for the players who never makes it to the free agency, an MVP material like Tatis who just landed one of the biggest deals in sports is massively advantageous for the company.
