Jim Bowden draws up hypothetical Chase DeLauter extension Guardians brass would love 

While this isn’t usually the time when MLB players tend to sign long-term extensions, everything’s been thrown out the window lately thanks to the rash of young players signing extensions. 

From Seattle’s Colt Emerson agreeing to a contract before appearing in the big leagues to Pittsburgh's Konnor Griffin signing an extension of his own not long after making his MLB debut, MLB front offices seem to be more aggressive in their pursuits of locking down young talent. 

The Cleveland Guardians have plenty of players who fit the criteria for that contract, ranging from budding stars like Parker Messick to top prospects like Travis Bazzana. 

But the player with the most intriguing case for a long-term contract is perhaps Chase DeLauter, who made his debut during last year’s postseason and is off to a roaring start this year. 

Earlier this week, former MLB general manager Jim Bowden wrote a story for The Athletic (subscription required) where he laid out hypothetical contracts for a variety of players across MLB. And, in the category for rookies with little to no service time, he had DeLauter, who had a hypothetical eight-year, $90 million contract. 

That would be the perfect kind of contact for DeLauter, who has all the skill in the world and stands out as an obvious choice for a player who could benefit from a long-term contract given his checked injury history. 

Guardians are in perfect position to offer Chase DeLauter a long-term contract

DeLauter’s started to catch fire again after a mid-April slump and is now slashing .257/.345/.485 with five home runs and 18 RBI. He’s also shown great control of the strike zone, as he has 14 walks compared to 13 strikeouts. 

The Guardians have been dreaming about DeLauter’s talents for the past three years, and he’s been able to turn those dreams to reality so far this season. 

But the reason the team had to spend so much time dreaming about him was due to that aforementioned injury history, as he’s played in just 166 minor and major league games since being drafted. 

A long-term contract would give him an extra layer of protection if he continues to struggle with injuries while also giving the Guardians a chance to lock him down for an affordable price. 

Bowden’s hypothetical deal would pay DeLauter a little more than $11 million a year, which would make him the third-highest paid player on the Guardians’ current roster behind José Ramírez and Tanner Bibee. 

The Guardians operate with one of the tightest budgets in baseball, but the team’s new ownership group flexed its financial muscles during the offseason by inking Ramírez to another long-term extension. Not only would this DeLauter contract be cheaper, but it would also help the Guardians get ahead of the curve. 

Even though every contract negotiation requires a bit of back and forth, Bowden’s contract suggestion would be a great starting point for any talks between the two sides.

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