Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco. (Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports)
Wander Franco landed a massive contract from the Rays but there are free agents out there who should command even bigger deals.
Wander Franco just signed a massive contract extension, guaranteeing him $185 million or more over 12 years with the Rays.
The young shortstop was one of the most heralded prospects in years and proved he was worth the hype with a strong rookie campaign. Now he’s raking in the money because of it.
Franco’s contract, which arguably left money on the table in the long term, is huge. There are other players out there who deserve even bigger deals.
3 2022 free agents who deserve bigger contracts than Wander Franco
Freddie Freeman — 6 years, $180 million
Freddie Freeman is considerably older than Franco, so he definitely won’t be in line for a 12-year deal. However, the figure should look plenty similar.
The 32-year-old is projected to land a contract worth around $30 million per year after rejecting an offer from the Braves at five years and $135 million. He’s looking for something closer to $180 million over six years.
Freeman is worth that kind of money. He just brought a World Series to Atlanta while batting .300/.393/.503 with 31 home runes and an NL leading 120-runs. He picked up his fifth All-Star nod along the way.