The American League is full of players who have done enough this season to make a contract extension feel less like a luxury and more like a smart next move. These are the kinds of core pieces teams build around: productive hitters, premium defenders, and a starter who keeps taking the ball. From Detroit to Seattle, a handful of clubs are staring at the same question - how long do they want to keep these players in-house?
Riley Greene has given the Tigers plenty of reasons to act. The 25-year-old has supplied solid raw power with 11 home runs and a .284 batting average, and he is still under team control for two more seasons.
Detroit would have every reason to try to lock him up before he reaches the free-agent market prior to the 2029 season. On June 30, Greene delivered a three-RBI night against the New York Yankees that included two home runs, and he also hit a milestone by becoming the third player in franchise history to post more than 85 home runs, 300 runs and 300 RBI before turning 26.
Toronto has a similar decision to make with Daulton Varsho. He signed a one-year, $10 million deal in the offseason, but this is his final season before free agency.
The 2024 Gold Glover has been one of the most valuable defensive outfielders in the game, leading all MLB outfielders in Defensive Runs Saved since 2023 with 64. He has added three Outs Above Average this season, which puts him in the 84th percentile.
Offensively, Varsho has been uneven, but he still gives the Blue Jays a left-handed power threat who is tied for third on the team with seven home runs. His ceiling showed up on May 13, when he hit a walk-off grand slam against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Shea Langeliers has also made a strong case in Oakland. The 28-year-old Athletics catcher launched his 20th home run of the season on July 1, giving him four straight seasons with at least 20 homers.
He signed a one-year, $5.25 million contract in the offseason, and with the Athletics already extending young players like Jacob Wilson, Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstorm and Lawrence Butler, Langeliers looks like the next name in line. His bat speed this season sits in the 87th percentile at 75.3 mph, and he remains the front-runner in Phase 2 of voting for AL All-Star catcher.
Baltimore has its own cornerstone to think about in Gunnar Henderson. The 25-year-old, a former Rookie of the Year, signed a one-year, $8.5 million contract in the offseason and continues to look like a franchise player in the making.
He has put up 16 home runs and six stolen bases while providing top-tier defense at shortstop, where he owns three OAA and 88.1 mph arm strength. Henderson is under club control through 2028, but getting a deal done now would let the Orioles keep him through his prime before free agency creates the chance for costs to rise.
Then there is Logan Gilbert, the Mariners’ steady hand in the rotation. The 29-year-old right-hander has a career 3.56 ERA and has been durable enough to become a fixture for Seattle.
This season, the 2024 All-Star has gone 6-5 with a 3.42 ERA and 107 strikeouts across 100 innings pitched. He signed a one-year, $10.927 million deal in the offseason, and the Mariners’ front office has already shown interest in keeping him long-term.
The complication is familiar for pitchers: the market can get tricky. Still, with his performance and his deep arsenal, Seattle has plenty to weigh as it looks at extending one of its homegrown arms.
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