Two cautionary tales of MLB teams signing inexperienced prospects to long-term mega deals
With MLB executives increasingly signing teenagers to risky contracts, a few players washed out.
Two cautionary tales of MLB teams signing inexperienced prospects to long-term mega deals originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Two cautionary tales of MLB teams signing inexperienced prospects to long-term mega deals By signing top prospect Konnor Griffin to a mega-deal Thursday, the Pittsburgh Pirates joined a trending fraternity of franchises making long-term risks on position players who have yet to face an MLB pitch.
Griffin, who is expected to make his MLB debut Friday and start at shortstop against the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park, signed a nine-year, $140 million deal. The Seattle Mariners inked shortstop Colt Emerson to a record-breaking eight-year, $95 million deal on Tuesday. The financial record awarded to players with no major-league experience lasted nearly two days.
Emerson, who played at three different minor-league levels last season, entered 2026 as the industry’s No. 7 prospect. MLB teams roll dice with young prospects The front-office trend of signing elite-tooled teenagers to long-term deals can be seen as a cost-control measure, locking in prospective All-Stars for deals that last well into their prime playing seasons.
The practice has had mixed results. Here are two cautionary tales : Jon Singleton (2014) A 2009 No. 8 overall draft pick, the Houston Astros acquired the top prospect in 2011 and inked him to a five-year, $35 million max deal three years later.