Wander Franco signs 11-year, $182M extension with Rays

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Wander Franco signs record 11-year, $182 million extension with Rays

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 11/23/21

Wander Franco is not yet old enough to purchase alcohol in the United States, but the 20-year-old stud shortstop just agreed to a contract extension that will keep him with the Tampa Bay Rays past his 21st birthday and all the way into his 30s.

Source confirms: Franco deal is 11 years, $182M. Club option for a 12th year. Escalators based on MVP finishes. First with terms: @JeffPassan. On it: @TBTimes_Rays, @hgomez27 and @YancenPujols.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 23, 2021

Franco signed with the Rays organization in 2017 when he was just 16 years old and made his MLB debut in June 2021.

In 308 plate appearances across 70 games this past season, Franco finished with seven home runs and 39 RBI, while scoring 53 runs and posting an excellent strikeout-to-walk ratio of 37 to 24. Franco also posted a .288/.347/.463 slash line and finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting.

From late July through the end of September, the native of the Dominican Republic reached base safely in a historic 43 straight games. The streak tied Hall-of-Famer Frank Robinson for the longest in MLB history by a player 20 years old or younger.

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