There have been reports that the Padres are closing in on an extension with their star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. but there are reasons why they should be more patient.
Pío Deportes has reported that the San Diego Padres are in talks with Tatis on a massive extension that would be worth around $320 million over 11 years. It is expected to be made public this coming week.
Is Tatis worth $320 million? Based on his play on the field, yes he is. He would’ve given Pete Alonso a run for his money for Rookie of the Year in 2019 if he played the entire year. Last season he was in the MVP conversation before having a sluggish start to September.
But, General Manager A.J. Preller and Owner Peter Seidler should hold off on giving Tatis a mega-extension at this moment.
Why They Should Wait
$320 million is $20 million more than what they gave Manny Machado two offseasons ago. At the time, Machado proved his durability at third base. He had four straight seasons before he signed his contract where he played over 150 games to prove it along with two Gold Gloves and four All-Star Game appearances.
Tatis, on the other hand, is only 22 years old and has yet to play a full season in the major leagues. Tatis debuted on Opening Day in 2019 but then endured a hamstring injury at the end of April and had back problems when he returned.
Last season, he made it through the year healthy—playing in 59 out of San Diego’s 60 regular-season games—but that was a two-month season, not a six-month regular season.
It’s not like Tatis is going to be a free agent at the end of the season so the Padres don’t need to rush to lock him up. Tatis is under team control for four more seasons before he’s an unrestricted free agent.
If San Diego were to extend Tatis, not only would it limit the money they can spend elsewhere in the next few years when they’re projected to be World Series contenders for the first time in decades, but they are also taking a big risk.
It doesn’t hurt to be patient. The Padres already know that Tatis is a great talent. The one question that simply hasn’t been answered is if he can continue to play with reckless abandon for an entire season and still produce at a very high level.
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