CLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 07: Shane Bieber #57 of the Cleveland Guardians points to the catcher against the the Tampa Bay Rays during game one of the Wild Card Series at Progressive Field on October 07, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. MLB Power Rankings (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
MLB Power Rankings of the best contract extension candidate on every team.
Last week’s MLB Power Rankings took a look at the worst contract on every team’s roster. Some of those came via contract extension. They’re always a risk. Then there are those times when a contract extension with a youthful player turns into a bargain by the time he has made his fourth All-Star team.
Every team has at least one player worthy of a contract extension to some degree. This week’s MLB Power Rankings selects one from each organization.
Which young, old, and middle-aged players deserve a longer deal and a whole lot of cash from their team’s owner?
30) MLB Power Rankings: Colorado Rockies, Ezequiel Tovar
Despite the record and reputation, the Colorado Rockies have spent quite a bit of money on contract extensions. Many haven’t worked out so well. At the moment, they don’t have an obvious player who deserves a contract extension. Ezequiel Tovar, their 21-year-old shortstop and one of the best prospects in baseball, would have the best case. Although only a handful of games into his MLB career, buying out some of his arbitration years and hoping for the best is the best justification for a contract extension within the organization.
29) MLB Power Rankings: Oakland Athletics, Tyler Soderstrom
The situation with the Oakland Athletics is very different. Small spenders who have even less business extending players, their best candidate is prospect Tyler Soderstrom. He had a monster year in the minors last year and should be in contention for significant MLB at-bats this season. Oakland has bigger priorities than extending players, but if there is anyone they should consider, it’s this young up-and-coming future star.
28) MLB Power Rankings: Minnesota Twins, Alex Kirilloff
The Minnesota Twins are the last of the three teams with a very weak contract extension candidate. Ever since Byron Buxton got his, for better or worse, an obvious player hasn’t stood out. Young outfielder Alex Kirilloff might be someone to consider. It wouldn’t be a huge amount either. In fact, the Twins might not even want to go beyond the current team control. He has yet to break out in the majors in a big enough way to finish any higher in this week’s MLB Power Rankings.
27) MLB Power Rankings: Washington Nationals, Josiah Gray
Josiah Gray is a pitcher on the rise; or so the Washington Nationals hope so. He was given enough innings last year to lead the league in home runs allowed and walks. It’s not exactly putting him in a prime position to receive a contract extension. It’s not unusual to see a young pitcher struggle so badly. The Nationals don’t have too many players with a better case. Joey Meneses is already a little too old to rely on for long.
26) MLB Power Rankings: Boston Red Sox, Brayan Bello
Brayan Bello got some of the rookie jitters out of the way last year. Now that Rafael Devers got his contract extension from the Boston Red Sox, he seems like the next logical fit for the same. He’d be another player to buy out early on. He’s nowhere near the top of this list because that’s not always the wisest strategy, particularly for a pitcher. An alternative option could be Alex Verdugo although he seems destined to either get traded or test free agency in the near future.