Cleveland Guardians Engaged in Extension Talks with Rosario, McKenzie, Kwan

The Cleveland Guardians reached an agreement with second baseman Andres Gimenez on a seven-year, $106.5 million contract extension Tuesday. Now, the club is working on extensions with a number of its young players, including shortstop Amed Rosario, outfielder Steven Kwan, starting pitcher Triston McKenzie and relief pitcher Trevor Stephan, The Athletic's Zack Meisel reports.

The Cleveland Guardians reached an agreement with second baseman Andres Gimenez on a seven-year, $106.5 million contract extension Tuesday. The club reportedly is not done working on locking up its young core to multi-year extensions.

According to The Athletic's Zack Meisel, the Guardians are engaged in advanced negotiations with a number of players on contract extensions. In addition to locking up Gimenez, the club has engaged in talks with shortstop Amed Rosario, outfielder Steven Kwan, starting pitcher Triston McKenzie and relief pitcher Trevor Stephan about a long-term deal.

The Guardians are in advanced negotiations with multiple players on contract extensions, sources say. Among the players they’ve discussed a deal with this spring: Andrés Giménez, Amed Rosario, Triston McKenzie, Steven Kwan, Trevor Stephan.

— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) March 28, 2023

The Guardians acquired Gimenez and Rosario in exchange for Francisco Lindor two years ago, as Lindor entered the final year of his contract. Now, the club is trying to lock up its double play combination for the foreseeable future. The Mets also received Carlos Carrasco in the deal, as the Guardians additionally acquired Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene in the trade.

Gimenez emerged as a star in 2022, placing second among American League players in Wins Above Replacement with 7.2, trailing just Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.

McKenzie similarly broke out in 2022, posting a 2.96 ERA over 191.1 innings pitched. Unfortunately, he will miss the start of the 2023 season with a shoulder strain that could keep him on the sidelines for up to eight weeks. He will be shut down from throwing for the next two weeks.

In Stephan's second Major League season, he logged a 6-5 ERA and 2.69 ERA in 66 appearances out of the bullpen. The Guardians have a strong bullpen that features Stephan, James Karinchak and lights-out closer Emmanuel Clase.

It appears the Guardians are attempting to follow a similar blueprint to the one that the Atlanta Braves set for Major League Baseball, signing a majority of its young core to multi-year extensions.

Last April, the Guardians agreed to a five-year, $124 million extension with superstar third baseman Jose Ramirez. Ramirez, 29, is under contract with Cleveland through the 2028 season.

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