The Seattle phenom ascended to stardom in record time and already has the bag to match — take a closer look at the Mariners’ Julio Rodríguez contract.
In 2022, Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez burst into the scene after being called up from the minors. His dazzling displays of power — remember his star turn in the Home Run Derby? — and speed heralded a bright future for the young MLB star. The Mariners organization saw this clear as day, quickly locking him up on a hefty extension: 12 years and a base value of $209 million.
Should the team pick up a club option in the back half of the deal, he’ll be under contract in the PNW well into the next decade — but there’s more to this extension than the years and dollars you’ve heard reported.
Boardroom takes a closer at the intriguing salary particulars behind the Mariners’ Julio Rodríguez contract.
Julio Rodríguez Contract Details & Salary
All dollar figures via Spotrac.
Years: 12
Type: Pre-arbitration extension
Total value: $209,300,000
Average annual value: $17,441,667
Signing bonus: $15,000,000
Free agency: 2035
Annual contract extension salary figures:
2023: $19,300,000
2024: $10,000,000
2025: $18,000,000
2026: $18,000,000
2027: $18,000,000
2028: $18,000,000
2029: $18,000,000
2030 club option: $18,000,000
NOTE: If Mariners decline the 2030 option, the remaining five years on the contract convert to player option years worth a total of $90 million.
2031: $18,000,000
2032: $18,000,000
2033: $18,000,000
2034: $18,000,000
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The base value of his deal is seven years at $119.3 million, with $90 million in option years taking the total value to $209.3 million over 12 seasons. In addition, Rodríguez’s contract is loaded with clauses and bonuses:
- If Rodríguez has two top-four AL MVP finishes through 2028, the extension increases in total value to $240 million over the eight seasons ending in 2030
- The maximum the player can earn through 2032 — via winning two AL MVP awards or placing in the top five four times through 2028 — is $350 million over those 10 seasons.
Rodríguez can also supercharge the value of his five player option years (2030-2034) based on performance:
- If he has a combined total of eight Silver Sluggers and All-Star nods, his five years increase from $90 million to $100 million
- With one AL MVP win and two All-Star selections, the value increases to $120 million over those five years.
All told, this means that Rodriguez’s deal actually clocks in at a max value of 12 years and $470 million, more than double its effective value on paper as reported. It would require an incredible display of superlatives over the next several years, but forgive us if we don’t count out this kid prematurely.
Julio Rodríguez’s Career Earnings
MLB SALARY EARNINGS THRU 2023: $22,500,000
TOTAL SALARY EARNINGS THRU 2033 SEASON (no escalations reached): $212,500,000
TOTAL SALARY EARNINGS THRU 2034 SEASON (max escalators reached): $473,500,000
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