Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez is on the verge of signing a contract extension with Colorado according to multiple sources. A pending physical will confirm the deal.
Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post reported (and Carlos Gonzalez’ media team confirmed) a 7-year $80 million contract extension for last year’s breakout slugger. Reports of the long-term extension originally surfaced in CarGo’s home country of Venezuela a month ago, but the Rockies denied each new report immediately.
Now it looks like the small-market Rockies have locked up their two biggest bats for most of the next decade. Colorado signed shortstop Troy Tulowitzki through the 2020 season with a $160 million extension dealt at the end of November.
While Tulowitzki’s 10-year contract was the eighth largest in baseball history, Gonzalez bucked some trends with his relatively inexpensive signing.
Carlos is represented by super-agent Scott Boras, who has never given up potential free-agent market-mauling in favor of an extension. Gonzalez could have waited until 2014 to hit free agency, considerably driving up his price tag on the open market.
However, Carlos was making so little on his existing contract that this extension through 2017 will pay him considerably more through 2014 than he would have otherwise made. Boras made Gonzalez an exception to his rule as a result, and the Rockies made an exception to a rule of their own by taking on twin long-term deals for position players.
Now, with shortstop and left field locked up, the Rockies can focus on filling holes at catcher (barring a resurgence from disappointing farm product Chris Iannetta) and first base (after the inevitable exit of veteran Todd Helton.)
At the very least, Colorado fans can rest assured that the formerly frugal Monfort brothers are willing to stake their ownership of the Rockies on two productive young hitters that may form the best 1-2 punch in baseball for years to come.
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