Credit: Rob Carr / Getty Images North America
2.) Will anyone get an extension?
The Orioles have two players under the age of 25 who are candidates for an extension. Machado has stated publicly that he wants to stay in Baltimore. The third baseman, who really should be playing shortstop everyday next year, is arbitration eligible. He will get a nice raise this year, after hitting 35 home runs and really maturing as a hitter and a player in general. It’s time to get a deal with Machado done, no matter the other uncertainty on the roster. Machado should be a six-year, $100 million type of player when discussing an extension. He deserves that type of money. The Orioles have to up their payroll this offseason. It may seem like a good idea to push Machado’s extension another year down the road due to all the other uncertainty surrounding the team, but Machado is only going to get more expensive.
The other, more interesting extension candidate, is Jonathan Schoop. Schoop had one of the best half-seasons in the league, and put up 15 home runs in only 86 games. He’s still got a ton of work to do plate discipline wise, but his future is very bright. Getting Schoop on an extension early, before he really blows up, would save the Orioles a lot of money. There is some risk involved in buying into Schoop’s 86-game sample, but the payoff in the long-run should be worth the risk.
Leave a Reply