Massive Franmil Reyes extension makes forgotten Guardians slugger one of highest-paid overseas MLB players ever

In 2021, Franmil Reyes looked like he was going to be a part of the Guardians future when he posted an .846 OPS with 30 home runs. Instead, he was designated for assignment four months into the 2022 season while the Guardians turned into a postseason contender around him. 

While Reyes never turned into the kind of MLB slugger that season made it seem like he was going to be, he was able to use that prestigious power to become one of the most well-paid international players in Nippon Professional Baseball. 

On Sunday night, Reyes signed a four-year, $40 million dollar extension with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, making him the highest-paid player in NPB history. 

Three years ago it looked like Reyes’s career was approaching its end when he signed his first one-year contract with the Ham Fighters, but he was able to turn that contract into two more one-year deals followed by one of the biggest baseball contracts outside of North America. 

Franmil Reyes just became the highest-paid player in Nippon Professional Baseball

Reyes’ contract is coming on the back of a fantastic 2026 season where he slashed .313/.375/.571 with 32 homes and 82 RBI. Although the season marked his second straight 32 homer campaign, he set a career-high in pretty much every other counting category. 

That on-field dominance has corresponded with new heights for the Ham Fighters, as they’ve made it to the NPB’s Climax Series final stage in all three of Reyes’ seasons. 

Most of the time players use a tenure overseas as a stepping stone to return to MLB, and it's only fair to assume Reyes’ performance in Japan led to him getting some MLB interest. But, if he did, he elected to stay overseas and collect a record-setting payday. 

The Guardians bought high on Reyes and his majestic power when they acquired Reyes from the Padres at the deadline in 2019, and while he showed power in flashes (58 homers in four seasons in Cleveland), his inability to make quality contact became too much to ignore. 

Not only was Reyes hitting just .213 at the time the Guardians decided to designate him for assignment, he also had a strikeout rate of 37.1%. He may have had the power they desperately needed (and the pedigree of being a player the Guardians traded for), but they made the tough decision to get rid of him and give time to younger players.

Reyes followed that up with stints with the Royals and Cubs, but they both ended the same way as his time with the Guardians. 

The NPB isn’t on the same level as MLB, but Reyes’ accomplishments overseas are still incredibly impressive. And, not only are they impressive, but they also helped him earn a record-setting contract that could provide a new path for players looking to make a career overseas.

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