Shohei Ohtani is adding a newcomer to his family lineup.
The 30-year-old Los Angeles Dodgers superstar posted on his Instagram account Saturday that he and his 28-year-old wife, Mamiko Tanaka, are expecting a baby in 2025.
“Can’t wait for the little rookie to join our family soon!” it said.
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The photo showed the couple’s beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that was covered by a baby emoji.
Ohtani, recently named The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the third time, announced in February that he had married Tanaka, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan. The news from the intensely private player stunned Ohtani’s teammates and his fans.
The start of the new year brings another opportunity to attend some of the biggest and most historic sporting events from all over the world.
This past year was filled with once-in-a-lifetime experiences, from Game 1 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees to the gold medal match of the men’s basketball tournament at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
What will 2025 have in store for the ticket-buying sports fan in 2025? Let’s take a look at all the bucket list games, tournaments, and events you can attend next year:
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January
Rose Bowl, Jan. 1 Location: Rose Bowl; Pasadena, CA
Australian Open, Jan. 12 – 26 Location: Melbourne Park; Melbourne, Victoria
UFC 311, Jan. 18 Location: Intuit Dome; Inglewood, CA
CFP championship game, Jan. 2 Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium; Atlanta, GA
February
WWE Royal Rumble, Feb. 1 Location: Lucas Oil Stadium; Indianapolis, IN
NFL Pro Bowl, Feb. 2 Location: Camping World Stadium; Orlando, FL
Super Bowl LIX, Feb. 9 Location: Caesars Superdome; New Orleans, LA
Daytona 500, Feb. 13 – 16 Location: Daytona International Speedway; Daytona Beach, FL
NBA All-Star Game, Feb. 16 Location: Chase Center; San Francisco, CA
The start of the new year brings another opportunity to attend some of the biggest and most historic sporting events from all over the world.
This past year was filled with once-in-a-lifetime experiences, from Game 1 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees to the gold medal match of the men’s basketball tournament at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
What will 2025 have in store for the ticket-buying sports fan in 2025? Let’s take a look at all the bucket list games, tournaments, and events you can attend next year:
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January
Rose Bowl — Pasadena, CA — Jan. 1
Australian Open — Melbourne, Victoria, Australia — Jan. 12 – 26
UFC 311 — Inglewood, CA — Jan. 18
CFP championship game — Atlanta, GA — Jan. 20
February
WWE Royal Rumble — Indianapolis, IN — Feb. 1
NFL Pro Bowl — Orlando, FL — Feb. 2
Super Bowl LIX — New Orleans, LA — Feb. 9
Daytona 500 — Daytona Beach, FL — Feb. 13 – 16
NBA All-Star Game — San Francisco, CA — Feb. 16
SheBelieves Cup — Multiple locations — Feb. 20 – 26
March
Grand Prix of St. Petersburg — St. Petersburg, FL — March 8 – 10
CONCACAF Nations League final — Inglewood, CA — March 25
April
Women’s CBK Final Four — Tampa, FL — April 3 – 6
Men’s CBK Final Four — San Antonio, TX — April 4 – 7
2025 NFL Draft — Green Bay, WI — April 24 – 26
Masters — Augusta, Georgia — April 7 – 13
Grand Prix of Long Beach — Long Beach, CA — April 11 – 13
WWE Wrestlemania 41 — Las Vegas, NV — April 19 – 20
May
Kentucky Derby — Louisville, KY — May 3
PGA Championship — Charlotte, NC — May 15 – 18
FA Cup final — London, England — May 17
Indianapolis 500 — Indianapolis, IN — May 23 – 25
Women’s Champions League final — Lisbon, Portugal — May 24
Champions League final — Munich, Germany — May 31
June
French Open — Paris, France — May 25 – June 8
Belmont Stakes — Elmont, NY — June 4 – June 8
NBA Finals — Mutliple locations — June 5 – June 22
UEFA Nations League final — Location TBD — June 8
24 Hours of Le Mans — Le Mans, France — June 11 – June 15
US Open (Golf) — Oakmont, PA — June 12 – 15
College World Series — Omaha, NE — June 13 – June 23
Stanley Cup Finals — Multiple locations — June 13 – 15
July
CONCACAF Gold Cup final — Houston, TX — July 6
Club World Cup final — East Rutherford, NJ — July 13
Wimbledon — London, England — June 30 – July 13
Tour de France — Multiple locations — July 5 – 27
MLB All-Star — Atlanta, GA — July 13 – 16
The Open Championship — Portrush, Northern Ireland — July 17 – 20
WNBA All-Star Game — Indianapolis, IN — July 19
Women’s Euros final — Switzerland — July 27
August
SummerSlam — East Rutherford, NJ — August 2 – 3
Little League World Series — Williamsport, PA — August 13 – 24
US Open (Tennis) — Queens, NY — August 25 – Sept. 7
Big Machine Music City Grand Prix — Nashville, TN — August 30 – 31
Rickey Henderson, who is widely regarded as the best leadoff hitter of all time, passed away at the age of 65. The “Man of Steal” was undoubtedly the most dynamic baserunner in MLB history, would routinely have a major impact on the game with his ability to get on base and advance on the basepaths on his own.
In a career that spanned 25 seasons and nine teams, there was only one Rickey Henderson. The longtime Oakland Athletic tallied 10 All-Star appearances, three Silver Slugger awards, two World Series titles, an MVP, a Gold Glove and, eventually, a ticket to Cooperstown.
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So, just how dominant was Henderson? Here are some of the best numbers from his Hall of Fame career:
0: In one of the most unbelievable box score performances in MLB history, Henderson posted five steals and four runs, all while not registering a single at-bat and finishing 0-0. (He walked in all four plate appearances).
1: One of one, Henderson is the only player in MLB history to collect 3,000 hits and have 2,000 walks in his career.
2: One of only two players in the Modern Era to steal 100 or more bases in three different seasons, joining Vince Coleman.
5: He is one of just five players to have scored 100 or more runs in more than 12 MLB seasons, joining Hank Aaron (15), Álex Rodríguez (13), Derek Jeter (13) and Lou Gehrig (13).
10: Nicknamed the “Man of Steal” he lived up to the billing. He is the only player in MLB history to have 10 or more games in a season with three steals or more. Stealing three or more bases in 12 games in 1983 and 10 games in 1988.
12: A dynamo, Henderson led the American League in steals 12 different times, an MLB-record
13: Henderson compiled 13 different seasons in his career with 75 or more runs and 50 or more stolen bases, more than any other play in MLB history.
81: Known as the best leadoff hitter in MLB history, Rickey delivered the boom, connecting on 81 leadoff homers in his career, most in the game’s history.
755: As dynamic as any player ever to take the field, Henderson routinely created offense for his teams. His 755 games with at least one run scored AND one stolen base are by far the most in MLB history, 235 more than Ty Cobb (520) who has the second-most games.
1,337: From 1980-2000, Rickey Henderson swiped 1,337 bags, more than 500 more than any other player during that span. It was also more than the Red Sox had as a team in those 20 years (1,276).
1,406: Henderson stole a preposterous 1,406 stolen bases in his career, almost 500 more than any other player in MLB history. No other player has even reached 950 career steals in their careers. To put this in perspective, the top four active leaders in stolen bases who played last year (Starling Marte (354), Jose Altuve (315), Trea Turner (279) and José Ramírez (243) have just 1,191 stolen bases combined in their careers, more than 200 fewer than Henderson.
2,129: An underplayed aspect of his career, Henderson was a maestro in the batter’s box, working walks better than anyone in the game’s history. Nobody in MLB history has drawn more unintentional walks, including the walks king Barry Bonds, than Henderson (2,129).
2,295: One of the most productive players, Rickey still to this day has the MLB record with 2,295 runs scored in his career. Again to put that in perspective, that is more than Mookie Betts (1,071) and Jose Altuve (1,156) have combined.
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Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, MLB’s all-time leader in stolen bases and runs scored, has died at 65, per multiple reports.
The New York Post, San Jose Mercury News, Newsweek and TMZ were among those to confirm the news.
Henderson, a 10-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, stole 1,406 bases in his 24-year career — a record that remains intact to this day. In fact, that’s 468 more steals than Lou Brock, who is second all-time with 938.
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He is also MLB’s all-time leader in runs scored, having touched home plate 2,295 times in his career. And he ranks second all-time in walks to Barry Bonds.
Henderson led the league in steals 12 times, in runs five times and in walks four times.
The 1990 American League MVP, Henderson also holds the MLB single-season record for stolen bases (130 in 1982). He’s the only player in AL history to steal 100 bases in a season, having done so three times.
Henderson, a Gold Glove Award recipient (1981) and three-time Silver Slugger Award winner, was part of nine different clubs, but was most widely known for his time spent with the Oakland Athletics (1979-84, 1989-93, 1994-95, 1998).
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Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, MLB’s all-time leader in stolen bases and runs scored, has died at 65, per multiple reports.
Henderson, a 10-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, stole 1,406 bases in his 24-year career — a record that remains intact to this day.
He is also MLB’s all-time leader in runs scored, having touched home plate 2,295 times in his career.
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Henderson led the league in steals 12 times, and in runs five times.
The 1990 American League MVP, Henderson also holds the MLB single-season record for stolen bases (130 in 1982). He’s the only player in AL history to steal 100 bases in a season, having done so three times.
Henderson, a Gold Glove Award recipient (1981) and three-time Silver Slugger Award winner, was part of nine different clubs, but was most widely known for his time spent with the Oakland Athletics (1979-84, 1989-93, 1994-95, 1998).
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It took just one year for Juan Soto to set a new record for the largest contract in sports history. It’s anyone’s guess how long it will take before his deal with the Mets is surpassed.
Soto’s 15-year, $765 million pact didn’t even include any deferred money, making it worth about $300 million more than Shohei Ohtani‘s $700 million agreement with the Dodgers.
Over the years, athletes’ salaries have skyrocketed amid billion-dollar television deals. In 1979, Nolan Ryan became the first pro athlete to earn $1 million per season upon signing with the Astros. Now, dozens of NFL players make more than $1 million per game, while the highest-paid NBA players are approaching that figure for a day’s work.
But the largest overall contract values primarily belong to baseball players. Soto became the 17th player across the four North American professional sports leagues to have a deal worth at least $300 million; 15 of those are in MLB. Interestingly, every player who’s signed a $300 million deal is still active.
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Here’s the complete list.
(Note: these values are based on data from Spotrac.com)
His $70 million average annual value is the largest among the four major sports leagues.
$680 million of the contract is deferred, with annual payments of $68 million beginning in 2034, which lowers the present-day value of the deal to $460,814,760.
Mahomes has restructured his contract on multiple occasions. He restructured in 2023 to receive $208.1 million between the 2023 and 2026 seasons. He restructured again during the 2024 offseason to help the team create cap space.
Tatis agreed to the extension ahead of the 2021 season following his second year in the league, making it the third-largest contract in MLB history at the time.
His $24.3 million average annual value is the 40th-highest in MLB.
Stanton signed the extension when he was with the Miami Marlins following his 37-home run season in 2014, making him the highest-paid player in baseball at the time.
His $25 million average annual value is tied for the 33rd-highest in baseball.
The Yankees were interested in trading for Kyle Tucker. They instead landed Cody Bellinger. It came at a much different cost and should yield a different type of return. The Cubs, of course, were involved in both transactions featuring the multi-time All-Stars.
That prompted the following debate between our MLB writers:
Deesha Thosar: There are a few different ways of looking at this, but my answer is Bellinger to the Yankees — particularly because they essentially got him for free. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman sent only 30-year-old right-hander Cody Poteet to Chicago in exchange for Bellinger. The veteran righty has a 3.80 ERA in 24 games (13 starts) across three years in the major leagues between the Marlins and the Yankees, and he’ll simply serve as another depth arm on the Cubs’ pitching staff. Sure, Poteet’s 2.22 ERA in 24.1 innings last year — which included four solid starts while Gerrit Cole began the year on the injured list — was valuable for the Yankees’ rotation.
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But the trade agreement to part ways with Poteet, versus a top prospect in the Yankees’ farm system, was as easy of a decision for Cashman as whether to wear a coat in New York during the winter.
Bellinger’s versatility in the field is a focal point of this trade. Last season, the former MVP award winner appeared defensively at all three outfield positions (49 games in right field, 48 games in center and one game in left) and played a good chunk at first base (22 games). Depending on the flurry of activity in the Yankees’ front office the rest of this offseason, manager Aaron Boone can play Bellinger in center, right or first base to fill whichever roster deficit is left by the time Opening Day rolls around. As of right now, Bellinger makes the most sense at first base or center field, because Aaron Judge can move back to right and Jasson Domínguez can continue to increase his reps in left. But if the Yankees sign either Christian Walker or Teoscar Hernández, for example, Bellinger can take over at the remaining positional hole.
So, we know the deal made sense for the Yankees from a roster standpoint, but it was fair from a financial scope, too. New York will pay Bellinger $25 million in 2025, with the Cubs handling the remaining $5 million of his previous pact, and the Yankees will pay him $22.5 million in 2026 if he doesn’t opt out. If he does, the teams will split his $5 million buyout.
All of which is to say, the risk here primarily lies in the financials. It seems impossible to predict which version of Bellinger the Yankees will get in 2025, especially after his offensive numbers dipped in 2024. But since Bellinger is only one year removed from his comeback campaign with the Cubs (4.4 fWAR, 136 wRC+ in 2023), the Yankees are betting they can help him get back to that form. If Bellinger hits anywhere close to his All-Star potential, then he’s a steal for the Yankees.
Tucker is, of course, a huge get for the Cubs, but since they had to give up three players, including top third base prospect Cam Smith, to the Astros for a one-year rental, the Bellinger trade was a layup for the Yankees and a sensible payroll-shedding move for Chicago that should let it address other areas of need.
Rowan Kavner: I like both trades, but I’d favor the Cubs given that they got the better player and the star they desperately needed. Tucker, who buttresses the Cubs’ collection of above-average talents, is very likely going to be the best player not named Juan Soto wearing a different uniform in 2025. Tucker might have been overshadowed by other standouts in Houston, but he slots in right behind Aaron Judge, Soto and Mookie Betts for the most wins above replacement accumulated by an outfielder over the past five seasons.
Tucker is also one of just seven big-leaguers who has been worth more than 4.0 WAR each of the past four years, which speaks to his consistency. That he managed to do so again in 2024, despite playing in just 78 games, speaks to his ceiling. At 28 next year, the Cubs are getting one of the best players in the sport still in his prime. His salary, which will likely be somewhere between $15-16 million in his final year of arbitration, should represent a considerable bargain.
Of course, getting the better player in question required surrendering more. The Cubs could afford to part with Isaac Paredes to open the path for top prospect Matt Shaw, but losing 2024 first-rounder Cam Smith — who immediately becomes the Astros’ best prospect — was significant. So, if you’re strictly judging these two trades by who came and went, I can understand favoring the Bellinger deal. No disrespect to Cody Poteet, but he was not going to factor significantly into the Yankees’ plans in 2025.
The Yankees needed help in the outfield and at first base and an injection of talent into a lineup now missing Soto, and Bellinger checks each of those boxes, even if he didn’t produce to the level of his $27.5 million salary last season (which is why he didn’t opt out).
After an unceremonious ending to his L.A. tenure, the 2017 Rookie of the Year and 2019 NL MVP bounced back in his first season in Chicago in 2023 by sacrificing power for contact. He cut his strikeout rate nearly in half while finishing 10th in MVP voting, though he considerably outproduced his expected numbers. In 2024, he came back down to earth. Still, he should help in the Bronx, where his left-handed bat figures to produce more home runs than it did at Wrigley Field. In a barren center field market, the Yankees found a solid player to roam the position without losing any significant pieces.
But neither team should be done yet. The Yankees need more offensive help, and the Bellinger addition will look better if they can also add one of the top corner infielders on the market. The Cubs, meanwhile, need to use the money they saved in the Bellinger salary dump to add more pitching. So, we should have a better answer to this question in a couple of months!
Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.
Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the trade had not been announced. Chicago will send the Yankees $5 million as part of the trade, the person said.
The 29-year-old Bellinger, whose father Clay helped the Yankees win World Series titles in 1999 and 2000, is owed $27.5 million in 2025 under the first of two player options as part of an $80 million, three-year contract. The two-time All-Star also has a $25 million player option for 2026 with a $5 million buyout that would be payable in equal installments on Jan. 15, 2026, and Jan. 15, 2027.
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Bellinger batted .266 with 18 homers and 78 RBIs in 130 games this year. He was on the injured list from April 24 to May 7 with a broken right rib.
He drove in 33 runs in his last 39 games of the season, but Chicago finished with an 83-79 record.
Bellinger, who plays first base and center field, made his major league debut in 2017 and spent his first six seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was the NL MVP in 2019, batting .305 with 47 homers and 115 RBIs in 156 games. He also helped LA win the World Series in 2020.
He was cut by the Dodgers in November 2022 and signed a $17.5 million, one-year deal with Chicago a month later. He regained his form with the Cubs, hitting a career-best .307 with 26 homers, 97 RBIs and 20 steals in 130 games last season.
Bellinger is a .259 hitter with 196 homers and 597 RBIs in 1,005 games. He turns 30 in July.
Poteet, 30, made his major league debut with Miami in 2021, had Tommy John surgery on Aug. 17, 2022, returned to the mound with Kansas City’s Triple-A Omaha farm team on Sept. 23, 2023, was released by the Royals and signed with the Yankees last January. He went 3-0 with a 2.22 ERA in four starts and one relief appearance during a season in which he was sidelined between June 12 and Sept. 25 by a strained right triceps.
For two consecutive offseasons, an MLB player has received the biggest contract in sports history.
Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million pact with the Dodgers obliterated Mike Trout’s previous record ($426.5 million). Juan Soto‘s $765 million agreement with the Mets represents an even bigger jump when you factor in present-day value and the fact Ohtani deferred $680 million over the span of two decades.
So, who’s next?
Well, it is unlikely that Soto’s deal will be eclipsed anytime soon, or at any point by a current MLB player. But there are future free agents who could challenge other contract records and join the $300 million club by the end of the decade.
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Here’s an early look at some of the top free agents in each of the coming years.
The Blue Jays star first baseman headlines next offseason’s free-agent class. The 25-year-old returned to MVP-caliber form in 2024, slashing .323/.396/.544 with 30 home runs, 103 RBIs and a 166 OPS+.
Guerrero will be only six months older than Soto is now when he hits the open market, putting him in line to earn a rich, long-term deal. It likely won’t match the record length of Soto’s deal (15), given Vlad’s fluctuations in performance, but he could become just the fourth MLB player to receive a $400 million deal.
Some could argue that Tucker is the better player between him and Guerrero, as his baseline of hitting has been higher and he’s a plus defender and baserunner. The former Astro slashed .289/.408/.585 with 23 homers, 49 RBIs and 181 OPS+ in just 78 games last season, putting him on a near-MVP trajectory. Should he produce at that level in his new Cubs uniform over a full season, he could be primed for a bigger payday than Vlad. It’s also interesting to consider that nearly all of Excel Sports Management’s top clients (Dansby Swanson, George Springer, Trevor Story) have switched teams in free agency in recent years, with Clayton Kershaw being an exception.
Somewhat working against Tucker: He’ll be 29 by the start of the 2026 season.
The two NL West aces figure to be the best pitchers on the market next offseason. Only two pitchers have ever received a contract north of $300 million, though that could change once Corbin Burnes signs this winter.
Cease, who’ll be 30 by the start of the 2026 season, has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past three seasons, posting two top-four Cy Young finishes. Gallen, who will also be 30 by the start of the 2026 season, has a pair of recent top-five Cy Young finishes.
Both pitchers are represented by Scott Boras, making it likely they hit the open market next winter. If both have strong seasons in 2025, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Boras is able to negotiate two more $300 million deals.
Skubal is coming off a pitching triple crown season and is the consensus choice for the best pitcher in baseball. While he won’t hit free agency for another two years upon turning 30, he could still be in line to command the largest pitching contract in MLB history, given the lack of miles on his arm. He’ll just need to maintain his 2024 level of performance.
A pitcher, no matter how good, won’t pose a threat to Soto’s record. But it seems possible for Skubal to earn more on an annual basis than anyone in baseball outside of two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani. He’s also a Boras client, which means they’ll likely be fighting for that mark.
Crochet will be 27 in the 2026-27 offseason, a relatively young age for an All-Star ace to become a free agent. However, Crochet has expressed a desire to get an extension done. When he was a rumored trade candidate ahead of the deadline in July, he expressed that he would only pitch in the postseason if he had an extension in place.
Initial reports following his trade suggested that the Red Sox and Crochet could work out an extension in the near future. It would certainly be for nine figures, but could come in lower than he’d get on the open market two winters from now.
If the countdown wasn’t already on for the Orioles’ young core to produce, they have a few seasons before one of their top homegrown players hits free agency. Rutschman will hit free agency in the 2027-28 offseason, shortly before his 30th birthday. The two-time All-Star has regressed a bit at the plate but his positional value will make his negotiations interesting. Whether he extends with the Orioles or reaches free agency, expect Rutschman to exceed Joe Mauer’s record eight-year, $184 million extension for a catcher.
Something to note, Rutschman’s agency (Beverly Hill Sports Council) helped negotiate the extension Jackson Chourio received before he even played an MLB game.
Similar to Rutschman, Contreras could also threaten Mauer’s contract record for catchers. The two-time All-Star will also be turning 30 that offseason and has been a slightly better hitter than Rutschman, if not quite as good on defense. Just don’t expect him to fetch that megadeal from the Brewers.
It’s possible that the player who receives the largest contract in the 2027-28 offseason is a pitcher. Gilbert, who’ll be 30 when he’s eligible for free agency that year, has been among the AL’s best pitchers since 2022. When you consider his effectiveness (league-leading 0.887 WHIP in 2024) and durability (league-leading 208.2 innings pitched in 2024), he might have a strong chance at joining the list of $300 million pitchers.
A year after Rutschman is due to hit free agency, Henderson is also scheduled to hit the open market. Henderson stands as the best candidate to threaten Soto’s record in the foreseeable future. The 23-year-old is arguably the best shortstop in the game already, slashing .281/.364/.529 with 37 homers and a 159 OPS+ this past season. Those numbers are better than what Soto put up at the plate in his age-23 season. Henderson will be 27 when he finally hits free agency, putting a lengthy and lucrative extension in play. His agent? Boras.
Star shortstops have long been paid at the very top of the market, putting Henderson in line for a fascinating negotiation should he continue at his current pace.
Alvarez would be a free agent next winter had he not signed a six-year, $115 million extension with the Astros midway through the 2022 season. Alvarez will be 31 when he hits the open market, but he could still cash in given his consistent and prolific production. Only Aaron Judge has a higher career OPS+.
Soto can opt out of his current deal after five seasons upon turning 31 years old. He’ll have already earned $255 million from the Mets, who could void the opt-out by committing to another $550 million over the ensuing 10 years, which equates to a $4 million annual raise.
Barring another extension, Acuna can get his first taste of free agency in the 2029-30 offseason. He’ll be turning 32 that winter, at which point he’s unlikely to set any records on the open market. Had the former MVP and Rookie of the Year not extended one year into his career (and not torn his ACL twice), he might have been the best candidate to negotiate a deal in Soto’s range.
Strider, who has a team option for the 2029 season, could also join his teammate Acuna in free agency in the 2029-30 offseason. He’ll be 31 then, still allowing fort a long-term payday. Of course, the more immediate concern for Strider, whose career got off to a blazing start, is making a full return from Tommy John surgery.
The 21-year-old Merrill was a standout in his 2024 rookie campaign, producing a 127 OPS+ with plus defense in center field. That earned him an All-Star selection. Five years from now, such all-around excellence could earn him hundreds of millions.
With rocket arm strength, speed and power, EDLC has quickly emerged into one of the game’s most electrifying players. His rare ability to hit for power and lead the league in steals could certainly earn him a rich contract. He’d only be 28 when first eligible for free agency. The key for the Boras client will be eliminating the high variance in his play and growing into a more consistent, dependable hitter.
The 2029-30 offseason marks the first player option in the massive extension Rodríguez signed near the end of his magnificent 2022 rookie season. He’ll be 29 by then, but still young enough to net another long-term payday.
2030-31 offseason and beyond
Pirates ace Paul Skenes can be a free agent in the 2030-31 offseason at 28 years old. He might already be the most talented pitcher in baseball, and his historic rookie campaign puts him on a path to potentially setting numerous records on the open market.
Royals star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. joined the trend of young stars to sign long-term deals in recent years last offseason. His 11-year, $288.7 million extension allows him to become a free agent in the 2030-31 offseason, when he has a player option.
Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll signed an extension just prior to his 2023 Rookie of the Year campaign. He won’t become a free agent until the 2031-32 offseason, when he’s 31.
Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio became the first star prospect to sign a long-term extension before making his MLB debut last spring. That’s already proving to be a great gamble for the Brewers, as Chourio excelled in his rookie season. His eight-year $82 million deal includes two team options, but Chourio won’t hit free agency until at least the 2031-32 offseason, following his age-27 season.
Padres outfielder Fernando Tatís Jr. was at the forefront of the early extension trend. Prior to Soto’s deal, Tatís’ 14-year pact was the longest in history and keeps him from free agency until the 2034-35 offseason, when he’ll turn 36.
