UPDATE: Christian Yelich has agreed to sign a seven-year contract extension worth just under $50 million with the Miami Marlins, according to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com.
--------------------------
The Miami Marlins are very close to a seven-year extension worth more than $40 million with left fielder Christian Yelich according to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. The 23-year-old could also receive bonuses or possible options on his contract.
Because Yelich is so young, this is a little bit of a risk for the Marlins, but it could potentially hold a huge reward. If Yelich does continue to be the type of player that he proved to be in the past two seasons, then getting him off the free agent market for seven years would be a great thing for a team that is looking to make a postseason push.
Compare this deal with that of Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo:
Yelich could possibly become one of the top outfielders in the game if he works on his power, but he is young so there is time. He has also won a Gold Glove thanks to outstanding defense. He has the makeup of a future MLB superstar.
The left-handed hitter batted .284/.362/.402 with 9 HR, 54 RBI, and 21 stolen bases over 660 plate appearances and 144 games.
During Spring Training of 2015, Yelich has slashed .421/.542/.474 over nine games and 24 plate appearances. He has had eight hits, no home runs, one RBI and two stolen bases as of March 18. It has been a very hot start for the youngster in his third season.