Colt Emerson, you are buying dinner for the team tonight.
The Mariners just set the record for the largest contract given to a player who hasn’t set foot in the majors yet, handing out an 8-year, $95 million deal with incentives up to $130 million to Colt Emerson, the #1 prospect for the Mariners and the #7 prospect overall. The previous record was held by the Brewers’ Jackson Chourio, with 8yr/$82mil. Emerson’s deal also includes a ninth year club option and a full no-trade clause.
Is this a good deal? Are the Mariners taking a huge risk on a guy with no major league time yet? Who even is this Colt Emerson guy anyway besides an objectively cool name?
Last season, across three levels of minor league ball, Emerson slashed .285/.383/.458 with 16 home runs, an 11.8% walk rate, and a 17.5% strikeout rate. Emerson sees the ball well and has consistently performed over three levels of minor league ball, and is already raking to start the year in AAA Tacoma.
Colt Emerson is in a great place to fit in the new Mariners look. JP Crawford, bless his heart, is getting old and is in the last year of his contract, so this contract for a young, highly touted shortstop prospect is all but the nail in the coffin for JP next season. We here in Seattle all wish the best for the captain but recognize when it is time for the younger generation to step in.
It has been a good few weeks for minor league contracts, with the Brewers locking up their own SS prospect Cooper Pratt for 8yr/$50mil. Teams are trusting in their young talent and I’m glad the Mariners are part of it. Seattle has an extremely strong pool of talent waiting in the minor leagues, especially on the pitching side with dual aces in Ryan Sloan and Kade Anderson, but Colt Emerson is the true star on offense. Locking down the shortstop of the future is a great move, and showing that the team is willing to hand out contracts is a good look.
If (when) Colt gets called up this season, it might throw some confusion into the infield. Daniel Kramer reported that the plans would be to keep JP Crawford at shortstop this season, while having Colt Emerson play third base, leaving Brendan Donovan as a floating island. He has to play every day but there’s no secure spot in the field for him? If this Emerson contract means his ascension to the big leagues is soon, I worry for the well-being of Mariners fans watching Crawford, Emerson, Donovan, and Cole Young get mixed and matched every day. It’s good to have the problem of too much talent, but it is still a problem.
Confusion aside, Colt Emerson is a real talent who I am excited to see make his big league debut probably soon. The hype around him is building rapidly, and I’m holding my breath hoping he’s a Julio Rodriguez and not a Jarred Kelenic.
Go M’s,
Henry “I hate losing to the Yankees” Neiman