ATLANTA — The ink from Ozzie Albies' new contract has barely dried, but that hasn't stopped a handful of Major League Baseball pundits and players from sounding off on the $35 million extension.
What's the problem?
On the surface, everyone's happy Albies – an All-Star at age 21 last season – will garner a pay bump this season; but they don't like how the Atlanta Braves may have low-balled their burgeoning star, locking him up to a long-term pact which would have looked cool in the 1990s ... but not by today's market standards.
Before the extension, Albies was set to earn $575,000 this year; and the pre-arbitration figure for 2020 likely would have been in the $600,000 range.
But with the new deal, Albies stands to accumulate $2 million by the end of next season.
So far, so good, right? Eh, maybe.
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At this moment, seven other second basemen (Robinson Cano, Jose Altuve, Ben Zobrist, Dustin Pedroia, D.J. LeMahieu, Jed Lowrie, Dee Gordon) are making eight figures this season; and it's easy to envision the Reds' Scooter Gennett joining the $10 Million Club in the coming months.
With the exception of Altuve, though, one could argue that Albies (24 homers, 72 RBI, 105 runs, 14 steals last year) already serves as the second-best player from the above listing; and at age 22, Ozzie could easily maintain (or improve upon) this subjective status for next 6-8 years.
And yet, at no point over the next eight years will Albies flirt with a salary range of $12-$15 million.
Hence, the outrage from pundits who believe the Braves are treating Albies like an eminently replaceable starter ... and not one of five players, since 1989, to amass 30 homers, 45 doubles and 10-plus triples before their 22nd birthday (hat tip to FOX Sports South's Zach Dillard).
TWITTER OUTRAGE
NOTE: Before reading this Tweet, just know that MLBPA president Tony Clark remains alive and well.
THE WAY BACK MACHINE
According to Spotrac.com, the go-to site for tracking MLB salaries, nine second basemen commanded salaries of $6 million or higher in 2011 – eclipsing Albies' average annual value for the next seven seasons.
Dan Uggla was among that cluster of highly paid second basemen in 2011.
Uggla entered the major leagues as a late bloomer with the Marlins (age 26), cracking 27, 31, 32 and 31 and 33 homers in his first five seasons, before being dealt to the Braves after the 2010 campaign.
A few months later, Uggla (a Rule 5 acquisition with the Marlins) signed a monster contract with Atlanta ... at five years and $62 million.
Granted, Uggla was one year away from free agency when the Braves doled out the major extension, compared to Albies, who wasn't originally scheduled for free agency until after the 2022 season.
However, when viewed another way, Albies (MLB debut at age 20) could make the All-Star team every year and flirt with 30 homers and 90 RBI for the next decade.
But thanks to Thursday's contract, he'll likely never rank in the top 10 for second base salaries.
Worst contract in baseball history? That's hard to quantify.
This much is true, though:
Sports agents are notorious for trumpeting market-setting or big-time contracts with their clients; but as of Friday evening, Albies' representation has yet to utter a single word of congratulations, via Twitter.
Perhaps fearing reprisal from an angry mob of armchair sports agents on social media, working indirectly on Albies' behalf.
