Kevin McGonigle will be right at home in Detroit for the next nine years after signing an eight-year extension worth $150 million. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

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Kevin McGonigle is undeniable. The 21-year-old infielder came into spring training trying to make a name for himself, and left with a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Then he smacked an RBI double in his first major league at-bat. By the time his big league debut was finished, he had four hits, two runs scored, and two RBI. With those four hits, he became just the second Tiger with that many in the team’s 125-year history (Billy Bean pulled off the feat in 1987 against the Royals).

The next day McGonigle went 1-for-3 with two more RBI. But it could have been more. San Diego center fielder Jackson Merrill robbed him of his first home run.

Through Detroit’s first 18 games, McGonigle – who finally hit his first big league dinger last Sunday at Comerica Park – is slashing .313/.421/.484 while playing above-average defense at both shortstop and third base. Manager A.J. Hinch thinks enough of the rookie to have him bat lead-off, second, and third in the order.

So, with that all as a limited prologue, the Tigers announced on Wednesday that they had signed the diminutive infielder (he stands 5’9”) to an eight-year, $150 million contract, which surpasses the nine-year, $140 million contract that Pirates’ rookie Konnor Griffin signed just over a week ago. And the deal is considerably more lucrative than the six-year, $28.6 million contract the team signed with fellow infielder Colt Keith prior to the 2024 season.

Whereas Griffin’s contract kicks in right away, McGonigle’s starts next season. According to MLB.com, the deal includes a $14 million signing bonus, and a major league minimum salary ($780,000) this year. Next season that will rise to $1 million, then increase to $7 million in 2028, $16 million in 2029, $21 million in 2030, and $22 million in 2031. The final three years will be at $23 million each, but there are (currently undefined) escalators totaling a potential additional $10 million over those final three seasons, which would/could push the ultimate value of the contract to $160 million.

The deal includes one additional piece of protection: while McGonigle couldn’t get a no trade clause, he did get a $5 million kicker each time his contract is assigned to another organization, which disincentivizes the Tigers to let him go. But, in the event things go sideways in Detroit, McGonigle will get a nice five million dollar check for his troubles.

The current deal follows Colt Emerson’s extension with Seattle (which, unlike McGonigle’s contract, included a no trade clause), Cooper Pratt’s long-term contract with Milwaukee, and the aforementioned Konnor Griffin deal in Pittsburgh. McGonigle’s contract with Detroit buys out his two rookie seasons after this one, three arbitration years, and three free agency years. And, with at least $150 million in his pocket, the infielder will still become a free agent in time for his age-30 season.

Super-agent Scott Boras (who negotiated Pratt’s contract) believes that these deals – both the quantity and their value – is an indicator of how well the sport is doing and how much money the owners have to spend on players, both young and old. Others, including ESPN’s Buster Olney, believe that these rookie (and sometimes pre-rookie) extensions are the owners’ attempt to have cost certainty over the next decade while locking in deals that will have to be grandfathered into whatever CBA is eventually negotiated with the MLBPA prior to next season, including a potential salary cap. Of course, it is possible both are correct. Either way, Kevin McGonigle, who can barely drink legally, now has generational money.