The Kansas City Royals have had quite an active offseason, making several moves to strengthen their roster. They added veteran pitchers Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, as well as relief pitchers Chris Stratton and Will Smith. In addition, they signed free agent outfielder Hunter Renfroe and made trades for pitchers Kyle Wright and Nick Anderson. However, their biggest move by far was securing their franchise cornerstone, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., to a record-breaking 11-year, $288.8 million contract.
This type of long-term deal has become increasingly popular in Major League Baseball, with the recent signing of center fielder Julio Rodriguez by the Seattle Mariners for 12 years and $209.3 million being a comparable example. Small to mid-market teams, like the Royals, are turning to this strategy as the price tag for established superstars in free agency continues to rise. Their goal is to draft and develop their own stars and sign them to long-term contracts early in their careers.
