The Royals have announced a four-year deal with second baseman/outfielder Whit Merrifield, as Jon Morosi of MLB.com first reported. The contract will guarantee him $16.25MM, Morosi tweets, and includes a club option for a fifth year
Merrifield earns salaries of $1MM, $5MM, $6.75MM, and $2.75MM, per MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan has the breakdown (Twitter links). While that may seem like an odd order at first glance, the front-loaded structure benefits the player by moving up his earnings (notably, in this case, in advance of the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement). The contract also comes with a $750K buyout on the club option, which can be exercised at $10.5MM. Rather than incentive pay, the deal includes $2MM in possible escalators in its final two guaranteed seasons, based upon plate appearances and awards.
Since Merrifield was already under control through 2022, his new deal will cover his final pre-arbitration season and his three arb-eligible years. Merrifield, a client of The L. Warner Companies, will also give up the rights to one prospective free-agent season via option. Of course, that’ll come after he has already reached his 34th birthday — a critical factor in understanding this agreement.
[RELATED: MLBTR Extension Tracker]
MLBTR profiled Merrifield as an extension candidate last March, explaining that he was a non-traditional, but nevertheless intriguing, potential target for a deal. The concept was rather simple, and remains largely the same now, though he has one more year of service and has further boosted his on-field value in the interim. For Merrifield, a deal offers a chance to ensure he locks in significant career earnings, cutting off the risks associated with his relatively advanced age — a factor that also significantly limits his future free agent upside. For the team, it’s an opportunity to achieve cost certainty and some savings for the arbitration seasons while also picking up control over an additional season of the two-time All-Star’s services.
In terms of the financial figures involved, there’s not a ton of cash at stake. For a player who remains a league-minimum earner even after hitting his 30th birthday, though, it’s a big chunk of change. Merrifield might have anticipated topping $16.25MM in his three seasons of arb to come, but not by a massive amount. Even reaching that level of pay would assume he’s at full health and continues at least to be worthy of regular playing time. Looking at a few recent second base comps, DJ LeMahieu earned exactly at that level ($16.3MM) over his three arb years. It’s certainly possible that Merrifield could have topped that with more campaigns like his 2018 effort. On the other hand, despite a higher first-year starting salary than LeMahieu, Joe Panik is now on track to earn a good bit less (he’s at $7.25MM through two seasons) after experiencing a setback season.
From the Royals’ perspective, the risk is limited and there are some clear benefits to this new pact. The broader state of the franchise is also an important consideration, though. Although the club is coming off of a 58-win season and figures to miss the playoffs for the third straight year in 2019, it has consistently turned away trade interest in Merrifield. General manager Dayton Moore declared prior to last summer’s non-waiver trade deadline that the Royals “need [Merrifield] in our city and on our team.” Thus, the late-blooming standout’s extension will serve as the organization’s latest vote of confidence not only in Merrifield, but in its broader slate of MLB and near-MLB talent.
Cashing in on the affordable club control over Merrifield through a trade surely had its appeal as well. Indications are that such an approach was at least explored at the 2018 trade deadline and perhaps in the offseason as well, though Moore made clear more recently to rival orgs that Merrifield was staying put. Of course, the pact may not preclude the Royals from trading him in the relatively near future. The Padres, for instance, awarded reliever Brad Hand a team-friendly extension last January and then traded him to the Indians in July for an offer they simply couldn’t pass up. Such a quick flip seems less likely in this case, considering the Royals’ faith in Merrifield and the team’s desire to avoid a full-blown rebuild. Generally, though, the contract shouldn’t hurt Merrifield’s marketability, even if it doesn’t vastly increase the value of his control rights.
So, what are the Royals getting for their money? A ninth-round pick of the K.C. org back in 2010, the 30-year-old Merrifield has likely emerged as the Royals’ premier player in the club’s post-Lorenzo Cain/Eric Hosmer/Mike Moustakas era. Merrifield debuted with a respectable showing in 2016, albeit over just half a season (81 games, 332 plate appearances), before truly breaking out the next year. Since 2017, the righty-hitting Merrifield has accrued 8.1 fWAR (including 5.2 in 2018, tying him for 15th among position players) and slashed .296/.347/.449 with 31 home runs and 79 stolen bases in 1,337 PAs.
Merrifield didn’t offer much power in 2018 (12 home runs, .134 ISO), but he still logged a terrific 120 wRC+ on the strength of a league-leading 192 hits, a .304 batting average and a .367 on-base percentage. When Merrifield did reach base, he terrorized opposing clubs, evidenced in part by his league-high 45 steals on 55 attempts. He was also eminently durable, appearing in 158 games, and effective in the field. Merrifield earned plus defensive marks in 900-plus innings at the keystone and upward of 300 frames in the outfield, including 241 in center.
The broad profile is of a versatile, multi-functional player who’d clearly be of interest to every single team in baseball. That’s a remarkable state of affairs given where Merrifield’s career stood entering the 2016 season, which he opened at the Triple-A level for a third-straight time, on the heels of a mediocre .265/.317/.364 showing for Omaha in the prior campaign. The intervening development is a credit both to the Royals and Merrifield, so it’s only appropriate that team and player each seem to have a path to benefit from this new contract — modest though it may be in its overall impact.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Fascinating. Guess this why they were against trading him.
Why is this fascinating? lol. It doesn’t even extend team control
Or depending on how team friendly the deal is it actually might make him a more desirable trade target?
This guy gets it.
Kind of like how Preller cashed out Hand, traded him for Mejia, shortly after team-friendly extension made him more of an asset —Hand was a good, young lefty reliever controlled for multiple seasons.
The Hand extension ended team control AND was below market value. In this case he was already making no money and this doesn’t extend team control.
He had zero guaranteed dollars and now he probably has a guarantee somewhere around $20 million. That decreases his trade value, not increases it.
Way to ignore my comment, really manly of you. Bring back westcoastryan. He at least was entertaining.
@cubsfan2489
The irony is that there are some who might think your obsession with me — and WCR — (wcr in this thread?) entertaining, themselves
Why you so obsessed with me?
Wcr posted the same time I posted this, so obviously I didn’t know he had when I did. Don’t worry, he’ll prove to you why you are a troll. Actually makes me appreciate the fact and realization that he isn’t.
It’s the west coast in you, Ryan.
X do you have a Chris Jericho count down for the expiring time to edit comments?
This extension (if it is just 4 years straight up) doesn’t increase club control but it does give the Royals (or potential acquiring team) cost certainty on his remaining club control years. There is value in that. There’s also value in getting those years locked in for Merrifield. Also possible it includes a club option or two. That hasn’t been announced yet.
Thank you WCR!
One has to wonder if rebuilding Royals… extension change their stance on trading him!
What value is there? Home runs and RBI are a huge part of arbitration salaries. Being a well rounded, defensively strong player is the exact kind of skill set arbitration will suppress. This guy is not going to break the bank in arbitration unless he starts hitting home runs and he’s going to have terrible RBI and runs scored totals because he’s going to be playing on a terrible team in a terrible offense.
I have no vested interest in any of this so I don’t really care, but you’re just flatly wrong. This is a make good gesture by Dayton Moore to one of his best players, a al what he did with the catcher Perez. This is a fact not an opinion
I agree. Merrifield isn’t the type of player who typically gets paid. Barring a spike in his HR rate he wouldn’t have ever been prohibitively expensive thru arb. It makes sense for Merrifield to lock in considering his age and time until he’d actually hit FA. The royals know what exactly how much he costs now but depending on the price it’s probably a bigger win for Whit.
Looks like a good deal for KC. 15MM guarantee is a drop in the bucket.
Do you really not understand why you’re being downvoted into oblivion, joshua?
cubsfan, Talk baseball, not 13 year old girl drama. Shape up or ship the **** out.
Can you explain why I’m being downvoted
It’s very reasonable to expect him to start off at the 2.9 mil to 3.5 mil range for his first year of arbitration. And that number will only continue to go up over the next 4 years, thus making more than the 16.25 mil. Which could increase his trade value.
On top of the fact it wouldn’t be outlandish to see him go over 20 HRs this season (2017 he hit 19) and as you said HRs factor into arbitration totals, could see the number go up even more (making the deal even more team friendly)
A team friendly 4 year deal, that shows exactly what a player will make to some teams could be more valuable then an arbitration eligible player whose salary could sky rocket. Especially teams flirting with the luxury tax line.
I agree in part. However, he’s a young controllable player coming off a season where he led the league in hits and stolen bases for the second year in a row. Solid, if not spectacular, ball player.
SKbreesy gets it.
In MLB, 30 is no longer young.
nobody cares what you think about anything.
Yeah, because a team can’t extend someone to up their value and then trade him… oh wait, that happened, see Brad Hand… thanks for the exhilarating comment, X.
What happened to “Preller is an idiot for extending Hand because the Padres won’t contend for the next 10 years”?
Thank you for coming back! I still think he is. My opinion, hasn’t changed. Just pointing out to X that just because someone is extended it doesn’t mean they won’t be traded.
So he’s an idiot for signing a guy to a clearly team friendly contract? If not for that, the Padres would not have been able to get Francisco Mejia for him. You’d be much better off admitting that that was a smart move for Preller. He’s made plenty of bad ones, but that isn’t one of them.
It was smart. And it’d be even better if Mejia turns into JT and an extension.
JT isn’t signing an extension and if I’m Preller I just stick with Hedges and Mejia
I dunno why KC doesn’t trade him instead he’s around 30 years old, and his value will never be higher and they’re four years away from being good again. He will be declining most likely when they’re good again.
Extension doesn’t bar them from trading him. Having cost certainty on his remaining club control years might actually increase his trade value if they choose to go that route.
Depending how he plays Whit could be looking at a 3mil arb 7 Mill 2nd arb 10 Mill 3rd arb. Depending on production and such.
Royals lock him in at 4 years 20 Mill or so they get 2 cheaper arb years for overpriced pre arb and 1st arb year.
Having cheaper control during 2nd and final arb is a plus esp in negotiations which tend to me pricey.
any team would have him locked in no need to file and trial with one of your better players.
It’s a smart move and increases his value depending on the contract.
Thats who the N.Y Mets needed… plays an excellent center field thats never talked about
Anyone speculating about this being a way to increase his trade value knows nothing about Dayton Moore. Agree with it or not, he’s been very clear that Whit Merrifield will not be traded. This deal was the organization taking care of the player, plain and simple. Not saying that’s a good way to do business necessarily, but that’s what they’re doing.
It’s very nice of him, but just a terrible way to do business.
Well at least there’s one player they won’t be losing as soon as his arb years expire.
Are you being sarcastic? He’s got 1 more year (2019) left before he hits his arb years. So if it’s a flat 4 year contract, he’ll hit FA in line with what would have been his chance to go to FA.
He’s a great player and I love his running game. Not many players concentrate on aggressive base stealing nowadays
Possibly franchises dissuade players from aggressive base stealing these days. Injury concerns in the era of high salaries. Distraction concerns for the thumpers at the plate. Risk/reward ratio on stealing bases is thrown out of whack at the pro level.
Like driving a Range Rover, one would be much more cautious than need be, due to the astronomical costs involved.
At best there might be 5 people writing for MLBTR or posting in the Comment section that understand the philosophy of the KC Royals – how they treat their players; and how players, coaches, and front office staff feel about being a part of the organization.
Do not recall one person leaving since Dayton Moore settled in that had a bad word to say about their time there.
_ _ _
As for Whit…….
Plays a quality 2B, CF, and LF. In 2018 he led all of MLB in hits and stolen bases. While he’s not SUPERSTAR like Harper and Machado, he is a solid, consistent ballplayer that comes to play every day, is not only low-maintenance – he joins Salvy and Alex as team leaders that set the example for young teammates as to what is expected of them as a Royal.
A joy to watch play. Everyday.
KC has extended every single player they could for a long time now. From Zack greinke, Butler, Escobar, Ventura, Duffy, Perez. Every single man they could. This is in line with the “these are people not commodities” line Dayton Moore cast when he didn’t trade away in 2016. Can be a mixed bag of results. But plays right into the we are family line of thought he has.
How much joy will there be in Mudville when the now 30 year old Whit’s legs go and the team continues to lose 90+ games for his entire tenure with the team?
His game is built on speed and we have seen how fast those players decline starting at 30.
The smart play was to trade him. But then the Royals are used to losing. 30 years between playoff games?
Unless it’s really team friendly, this seems like an unnecessary risk. If his legs go, his value will go down quickly, especially at 30.
~$15m guaranteed
Yep not bad at all.
16.25
Pretty good deal for the Royals. Have to imagine he would have fetched a decent amount his first arb year assuming he produces similarly in 2019, which would have set him up well to continue being paid fairly well in arb 2 & 3 years.
Overall definitely looks like a win for the Royals
That’s a pretty good deal for the royals and gives this guy money in his pocket.
but but but he was going to be a cub for one fringe prospect. lol
My favorite player: hits, runs, and defends well and hustles. Good baseball.
Players whose game is based on speed never age well. Signing him to an extension that keeps him there through his age 34 season may not be the smartest idea. At least he is cheap. I think they would have been much better off trading him at his peak value.
Ben Zobrist says hello.
When did Zobrist steal 30 or 40 bags? For that matter when did he steal 25? Not really a speed demon at any point in his career. His game was never based on speed to the extent that Whit’s is. Both of them have had their career year, the best they ever did, at age 29.
Well whit was a 5.5 WAR player w his legs. When he inevitably gets slower his game could be similar to Zobrist and he could still have value as a 20-25 SB guy or potential less as he gets into his mid 30’s. This isn’t a deal where he needs to be a 5 WAR guy because he certainly isn’t getting paid that way. He’s a nice player on a very bad team. No a super star just a nice player who could still be a productive player with the inevitable decline of speed. He isn’t billy Hamilton or Michael Bourn, Merrifield can hit the baseball with a little bit of authority.
198 hits at no joke man
Good for Whit! But good luck cashing that 5th year option…..
Man, good deal for the Royals and a great deal for whatever team trades for him, but Whit just put up a 5.5-win season (worth around 50 million bucks) and is probably not going to see that amount of money in his whole career, because by the time he hits free agency he’ll be 34. He’s a tremendous player and tremendously valuable, especially because he’s cost controlled. Definitely an unfortunate career arc in terms of career earning potential, but a few years ago Merrifield was a marginal major-leaguer.
It will be interesting to see where Merrifield ends up; this Royals team is probably going to be quite bad – Whit was excellent, of course, but the team’s second-best player was a rule 5 pitcher who had some pretty rough peripherals, Mondesi had this amazing half-season but the walk/K stuff was horrific. Perez is the best defensive catcher in baseball but he now has a career .297 OBP and it’s trending down. The team signed a 28-year-old career pinch-runner to a major league contract. The pitching looks pretty terrible. Merrifield should fetch a haul; he’s not a player you rebuild around but he is a great player on a good team.
Whit is Zobrist only not a switch hitter. He gets a lot of steals, but he’s not a blazing speedster (at this point he’s maybe the third fastest guy in the starting lineup). He’s obviously fast, but he’s not a one-tool guy who’s entire game revolves around stealing bases. He swipes bags by being quick and picking spots
And not as versatile.. Zo can play every position except catcher. I doubt he’ll pitch any time soon.
Dave you and other people have to stop talking about things like a 5.5 WAR being worth 50 million bucks.There is no reality to that statement. Using a guide of 9 mill per WAR point. Puts Gregarious at 38 mill per year next year do you see that. It would make Trout worth 95 mill a year.Is that realistic.Of course not
That’s value; doesn’t ever mean that’s what the contract is. That’s how much value a player generates; by that measure Merrifield and trout and gregorius are tremendous values.
if he really signs for 30 mil then he is going to be a poster boy for the players union as to why the length of team control should be drastically shortened. The guy just put up an elite season with 5+ WAR and 3 years in the bigs. If this is the NFL or NBA he only has 1-2 years more control MAX and he will get a massive contract, but in baseball he won’t even be arb eligible until 2020. That’s crazy
Talk about a team friendly deal.
Yeah, it’s a bit puzzling for Merrifield to buy out his arb years like this; at 30 he may not ever hit a huge FA payday in his career, because he’ll be relatively old by the time he hits FA. He probably would have made quite a bit more going year-to-year through arb, assuming he continued to play well, but I guess I can see him not wanting to bet on himself like that. He was, after all, a 9th round draft pick who took a long time to get through the minors for a college draftee. He may see this as his only legit payday.
Very limited downside for Merrifield. This contract doesn’t increase the Royals’ club control. Possible he’d have made a bit more money rolling the dice on going the arbitration route but this way they don’t have the right to non-tender him.
Wouldn’t that depend on whether or not the club option is exercised?
Agreed.
Can someone explain why the salaries are like this: $1MM, $5MM, $6.75MM, and $2.75MM?
Shouldn’t it instead be like $1MM, $2.75MM, $5MM, and then $6.75MM?
I would guess it’s Kansas City not wanting to risk paying an injured or non productive Merrifield at the end of the contract.They can afford more now and don’t want to hamstring themselves when many of their younger players have developed and they might be able to compete
Definitely. Dayton Moore knows this team isn’t going to be competitive for at least 3 years. IMO you’d move Whitt now while his value was high but they’re hell bent on keeping the guy. This is how I’d structure it. Gives them the financial flexibility when they’re potentially competitive.
The structure is win for KC. If he declines, he’s not paid that much at the end. If he doesn’t decline that much, he becomes super valuable—cheap salary plus an option year.
Damn!! I was hoping we could get him in a trade for Trout
I wonder how the order of $1MM, $5MM, $6.75MM, and $2.75MM came to be, the last year on this order it’s a huge pay cut in terms of percentages. Most like is a misprint and should be $1MM, $2.75MM, 5MM and $6.75MM.
This was a total win for Royals….Merrifield should be making 7 -8 million over 5….Have no idea why he would agree to this contract…..
Whit would have made some good cash in Arb. Good deal for the Royals and they will likely deal him this year, especially if he starts like he ended last year.
Most of you gentlemen don’t know the first thing about Whit Merrifield or the Royals. The team is not bad, will contend this year, and Whit will be leading the way. The team roster was completely turned over last season, and they won in the 2nd half while doing so, Think what you want from the outside looking in. The team knew what is was doing last season, and many of the losses were due to what was left in the bullpen after we traded away veterans for prospects. The rotation is good, the position players are good and the bullpen will be stocked with rotation candidates that don’t make it, prospects coming up for depth and a couple of veterans that get added to hold those prospects back the first half. Whit will not be traded. And Dayton Moore purposefully built each years salary structure to accommodate the rest of his overall plans and budget for those years. Both team and player are positioned for success, win win for all of us.
The Royals won 58 games last year; they didn’t add 36 wins to that roster this offseason. They have a roster of fast guys who don’t get on base and don’t hit for power and a pretty dreadful starting pitching staff. This team is going to be very bad, although entertaining with all the running.
The only thing I know about Whit Merrifield is from Tigers/ Royals games. He has a great mix of skills. KC is very lucky to have him. As long as he doesn’t regress from here. Exciting player to watch, a pain in the neck to the other team.