The Seattle Mariners have made a very bold move by signing young shortstop Colt Emerson to a big contract. He is just 20 years old and has not yet played a single game in Major League Baseball, according to the reports by ESPN.
The team has given him an 8-year deal worth $95 million. According to Spotrac, this is the biggest contract ever given to a player who has not played in the MLB yet. It also breaks the previous record held by Jackson Chourio of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Everything we know about the deal
The deal was first reported by FanSided and then by ESPN. This deal is expected to be finalized Tuesday afternoon. According to a reported deal, Emerson will earn $95 million over eight years. The contract also includes an option for a ninth year and bonus clauses that could increase the total value to more than $130 million.
He also has a full no-trade clause, which gives him strong control and security, even though he has not played in the MLB yet.
This is only the 10th time a player without any MLB experience has received a long-term deal like this, and it is the biggest one by a large margin.
However, the deal is not confirmed by the Brewers yet and is not officially confirmed.
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Who is Colt Emerson?
According to CBS, Emerson was picked 22nd overall in the 2023 MLB Draft from a high school in Ohio. He is now 20 years old and has spent the last few years playing in the minor leagues, where he has performed very well.
In 227 minor league games, he has a batting line of .288/.398/.445, along with 23 home runs, 56 doubles, and 37 stolen bases, according to FanSided. Last season, he hit .285/.383/.458 with 16 home runs and 78 RBIs while playing at three different levels, from Class A to Triple-A, according to ESPN.
Right now, he is playing at Triple-A Tacoma, where he has started the 2026 season strongly, getting 5 hits in 14 at-bats, including one home run in his first three games.