Royals Rework Whit Merrifield Contract

6:58 pm: Merryfield’s escalators depend on the number of days he spends on the injured roster, MLBTR has learned. As long as he spends less than 110 days on IL this year, he will receive $6.75 million in full in 2023.

6:19 pm: Members of the royal family announced this evening that they have agreed to restructure a contract with an outside player/player Wait Merryfield. The club proactively exercised its option for the 2023 team, and both parties added a mutual option covering the 2024 season. Warner Sports Management represents Merrifield.

MLB.com’s Ann Rogers reported the deal’s financial meltdown (on Twitter). Merrifield will earn $7 million in 2022 and $2.75 million in 2023 (with an additional $4 million in potential escalators). The deal also contains an $18 million mutual option for 2024 containing a $500,000 purchase.

It’s an unusual measure for the team to take, but the royals and Merryfield have had a very productive relationship for 12 years. The Kansas City organization is generally viewed as one of the most loyal organizations in the sport, and the Royals’ front office has been steadfast in maintaining Murrayfield even as it rebuilds in recent seasons. There is little question that Brass Club is fond of the University of South Carolina product, and that closeness presumably contributed to their decision to exercise his 2023 option a year ago.

Of course, there was not much doubt that he would be captured. Kansas City signed Murryfield a four-year extension guaranteeing him $16.25 million in January 2019. This was a very affordable deal that reflected his status as a late star, as Murrayfield didn’t break camp on the opening day roster until the 2017 – 28-year campaign. With no Having a path to free agency until his mid-30s, Merrifield opted to secure some guaranteed profits, while the club avoided a pay escalation privately by arbitration.

Under the terms of his previous contract, which was preloaded, Merrifield was set to earn $3.25 million this year with a $7 million club option that would have escalated to $11 million for 2023 had he avoided an extended stint in IL. As Mark Vinsand of MLB.com points out (on Twitter), the renegotiation more evenly spreads out the team’s commitments over the next two years, pushing Merrifield more upfront while clearing some payroll next season.

Kansas City salaries jump to about $97 million, Jason Martinez estimates Menu resource. The team’s 2023 commitments are down to nearly $36 million. Kansas City wasn’t rocking the 2022 campaign, but it’s a long-running competition at AL Central. With young players like Bobby Witt Jr.And the Nick Prato And the MG Melendez Set to arrive this year, the 2023 season and beyond should be consistent seasons to win now. The front office will have more money to work with in the upcoming off-season, while Murrayfield is undoubtedly happy with the immediate bonus (and insurance proactively exercising the option is guaranteed in the event of a catastrophic injury this year).