Jonathan Schoop had a breakout season in 2017, and the Baltimore Orioles apparently would like to keep him around for a while.
MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported on Wednesday that the Orioles and Schoop have begun contract extension talks. He later amended his report with a less optimistic tone, saying another source said the talks are preliminary.
Sources: #Orioles, All-Star 2B Jonathan Schoop have begun extension talks. Schoop is coming off a career offensive season and is eligible for free agency after ’19. Any deal likely would need to be north of Jean Segura’s 5-year, $70M contract. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 30, 2017
On Jonathan Schoop: Separate source denies anything of substance has been discussed between the parties regarding an extension. If any contact has occurred, it remains preliminary.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 30, 2017
Schoop, 26, is under team control for the next two seasons and isn’t set to hit free agency until 2020. But by locking him up now, the Orioles are hoping to get a potential bargain on future years of production from Schoop in exchange for guaranteed money.
The Orioles had their highest payroll in ever in 2017, with the opening day figure over $164 million, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. They just signed Chris Davis long-term, and they also have to worry about Adam Jones and Manny Machado becoming free agents after next season. They have three position players they would definitely want to retain, and probably not enough money for all of them. Many reports have suggested they won’t be able to afford Machado. Perhaps Schoop will be more within their range.
