Runs Produced Newsflash: Alejandro Kirk and Cal Raleigh Sign Big Money Extensions
Kirk and Raleigh cash in
Two well-known catchers signed notable contract extensions this week, a few days before Opening Day launches.
Alejandro Kirk (#18 in our final preseason rankings) signed a five-year contract extension worth $58 million with the Blue Jays. The deal keeps him in Toronto through the 2030 season.
This deal surprised me a bit as Kirk has had a couple of down years after a great 2022 season. That year at age 23, Kirk hit .285/.372/.415 and added 14 home runs and 63 RBI.
The last two years were not as strong:
- 2023: 8 HR/43 RBI and .250/.334/.358
- 2024: 5 HR/54 RBI and .253/.319/.359
The Blue Jays also had Gabriel Moreno and Danny Jansen on the roster during Kirk’s career but in the end, they kept Kirk, which speaks to the continued confidence they have in him. They must have also seen enough in the second half of last season and this spring to keep him in town long-term.
After the All-Star break in 2024, Kirk hit .269 with three home runs and 30 RBI. Kirk also gets on-base at a respectable rate for a catcher (.344 OBP in his career). He strikes out less than many other catchers, including the guy below that we’ll cover next.
From a fantasy perspective, you would like Kirk to get back up to that 15-home run range that he had in 2022, but he can be useful for his average and OBP numbers.
Cal Raleigh, #4 in our final rankings and perhaps #1 on the list of best nicknames in baseball with “Big Dumper,” also signed a big money contract this week. The 28-year-old Raleigh inked a deal worth $105 million over six years.
The Mariners rewarded for him for the power he’s provided over the last three seasons in Seattle. He is the opposite player of Kirk - a slugger that hits for power and also strikes out a lot.
Raleigh is a career .218 hitter with a woeful .296 OBP, but he makes up for those deficits with his power hitting. He’s cranked 91 home runs and knocked in 238 RBI over the past three seasons. Last season, he also won his first Gold Glove for his defense behind the plate. He finished 12th in AL MVP voting in 2024.
His deal reportedly includes a full no-trade clause and a player option in the final season of the deal (2031). The contract’s value will grow over time and his annual season income will eventually eclipse $20 million.
Per CBS Sports, Raleigh’s deal is the fifth largest contract ever given to a catcher.
That list is topped by Hall of Famer Joe Mauer at 8 years/$184 million and also includes potential Hall of Famer Buster Posey at 9 years/$167 million, so this puts Raleigh in exclusive company.
Among active catchers, the deal puts Raleigh at third in total contract size behind Will Smith and J.T. Realmuto. Kirk comes in at number six behind Sean Murphy.
In the fantasy realm, Raleigh should continue to provide bop and power while hurting your ratios.
These deals will dictate the future contracts of other big-name catchers hitting the market, such as Adley Rutschman and William Contreras, who currently make $5-6 million a year, and who will both be arbitration eligible next season.
Expect those deals to be even larger than Raleigh’s.
