Baseball super-agent Scott Boras had his periodic and unrequested "state of baseball finances” talk last week. Unsurprisingly, Kris Bryant and his Cubs future came up in the discussion. With Bryant and a few other Cubs on the verge of free agency, players getting extensions has been a bit of a topic. Which current Cubs players make the most sense for an extension?
In the Theo Epstein years, four players received long-term extensions: Kyle Hendricks, David Bote, Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo. For an extension to make sense, a few factors need to align. The player should have displayed long-term potential, but he also likely has to settle for less than a maximum-value return.