Just a couple of days ago, I spent some time classifying some baseballs. Suddenly, I saw a card that helps me recall some memories. Several years ago, a sports card shop was opened. The card shop isn’t that far away from my hometown. Hence, one day, I decided to stop by the shop.
I said hello to the shop owner and asked him if there’s something interesting available. Then I saw some 2018 Topps Heritage High Number hobby packs available. Back then, the major reason to buy this card was probably to find some cool rookie cards. For example, Shohei Ohtani rookie card and Ronald Acuna Jr. card are included in this set.
Nonetheless, after opening the first pack or second pack, I found an interesting card. It’s a Scott Kingery action variation card. Back in 2018, Scott Kingery was a top prospect in the Phillies organization and in March 2018, he and the Phillies agreed to a 6-year deal. However, things didn’t go as both sides expected. Kingery only played 325 games for the Phillies and the last time he played in the majors was in 2022.
While seeing this card, I began to think about some contracts that some top prospects or rookies signed in 2018 and 2019. In particular, some players signed a 5+ years deal.
Also in March 2018, Paul DeJong, who finished 2nd in the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year voting, inked a 6-year deal with the Cardinals. DeJong blasted 30 home runs in 2019 and became an All-Star. Nonetheless, from 2020 to 2022, he finished each season with an OPS below .700. DeJong was traded to the Blue Jays in August 2023 and last November, he signed a 1-year deal with the White Sox.
In 2019, there were several interesting contract extensions. In April 2019, the Braves and Ronald Acuna Jr., who won the 2018 NL Rookie of the Year award, agreed to an 8-year deal. Additionally, the team and Ozzie Albies agreed to a 7-year deal. After agreeing to a contract extension, Acuna Jr. has become a 4-time All-Star and last season, he slashed .337/.416/.596 with 41 home runs and 106 RBI. Moreover, he had 73 stolen bases. With outstanding performance in 2023, Acuna Jr. won the 2023 NL MVP award. Furthermore, Ozzie Albies has been playing well after agreeing to a long-term deal. He was selected to the All-Star game in 2021 and 2023. Last season, Albies collected 109 RBI.
In addition, before the 2019 season, Eloy Jimenez and Brandon Lowe each agreed to a 6-year contract. Eloy Jimenez had a great rookie season, slashing .267/.315/.513 with 31 home runs and 79 RBI in 2019. However, Jimenez has never played at least 130 games in a single season by far in his career. Meanwhile, Lowe was selected to the All-Star game in 2019. Additionally, Lowe blasted 39 home runs and collected 99 RBI in 2021. Nevertheless, injuries limited Lowe’s contribution. By far in Lowe’s career, there are only 2 times that he played at least 100 games in a single season.
Finally, the Mariners and Evan White agreed to a 6-year contract in November 2019. However, he only played 84 games for the Mariners and was traded to the Braves on December 3, 2023. A few days after the trade, he was sent to the Angels. The last time that White played in the majors was in 2021.
Looking back at those contracts, it seems that the Braves front office truly made great decisions to keep Acuna Jr. and Albies in the team. And the team won the 2021 World Series title. Well, Eloy Jimenez and Brandon Lowe surely can hit, but injuries have truly bothered them. Unfortunately, Acuna Jr. missed some playing time due to injuries as well.
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