New trend of locking up young players changing MLB's landscape

Author:
Tom Verducci
Publish date:
Feb 25, 2014

Freddie Freeman, who is just 24, signed an eight-year, $135 million extension with Atlanta this offseason. — Freddie Freeman, who is just 24, signed an eight-year, $135 million extension with Atlanta this offseason.
John Bazemore/AP

Then we can start looking ahead to the 2015-16 free-agent class. On track to hit the market are seven players who still will be in their 20s: Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Mat Latos, Neftali Feliz, Austin Jackson, Rick Porcello and Jhoulys Chacin. And you also have a bunch of players who will play in 2016 at age 30: Chris Davis, Matt Wieters, David Price, Dexter Fowler, Yoenis Cespedes, Ian Desmond and Jordan Zimmermann. Sounds like a great free-agent market, right? Just wait. It's two years and many more extensions away.