The Colorado Rockies have reportedly moved to secure a player that they see as a big part of their future.
The Rockies have reached a seven-year contract extension with shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, according to Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extrabase. The agreement also includes a club option, and Tovar could earn as much as $84 million over the course of the deal. Thomas Harding of MLB.com added that the guaranteed portion of the contract is for seven years and $63.5 million.
Tovar’s deal is for seven guaranteed years and a club option that could make him earn $84M, sources tell @ElExtrabase. Tovar will become a Free-Agent at 29 years old. https://t.co/rh9gPdGiCo
— Daniel Álvarez-Montes (@DanielAlvarezEE) March 24, 2024
The 7-year deal, starting this season, guarantees #Rockies SS Ezequiel Tovar $63.5 million, and the club option would take his earnings to $84 million if exercised. https://t.co/SKiHPtFnJk
— Thomas Harding (@harding_at_mlb) March 24, 2024
Tovar is fresh off his first full MLB season, which saw him establish himself as the Rockies’ everyday shortstop. He hit .253 with 15 home runs and 73 RBIs as a rookie, and also stole 11 bases.
By signing Tovar now, the Rockies are buying out the remainder of the infielder’s arbitration years, as well as at least his first two years of free agency. For Tovar, he gets a solid bit of guaranteed money to give up later potential earnings. He will still be able to hit free agency before he turns 30.
The Rockies have been in an organizational rut and have not posted a winning season since 2018. That has led one of their own players to question their future, but they are clearly hoping to be able to point to the 22-year-old Tovar as a developmental success.
