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Two cautionary tales of MLB teams signing inexperienced prospects to long-term mega deals originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Two cautionary tales of MLB teams signing inexperienced prospects to long-term mega deals
By signing top prospect Konnor Griffin to a mega-deal Thursday, the Pittsburgh Pirates joined a trending fraternity of franchises making long-term risks on position players who have yet to face an MLB pitch.
Griffin, who is expected to make his MLB debut Friday and start at shortstop against the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park, signed a nine-year, $140 million deal.
The Seattle Mariners inked shortstop Colt Emerson to a record-breaking eight-year, $95 million deal on Tuesday. The financial record awarded to players with no major-league experience lasted nearly two days. Emerson, who played at three different minor-league levels last season, entered 2026 as the industry’s No. 7 prospect.
MLB teams roll dice with young prospects
The front-office trend of signing elite-tooled teenagers to long-term deals can be seen as a cost-control measure, locking in prospective All-Stars for deals that last well into their prime playing seasons.
The practice has had mixed results. Here are two cautionary tales:
Jon Singleton (2014)
A 2009 No. 8 overall draft pick, the Houston Astros acquired the top prospect in 2011 and inked him to a five-year, $35 million max deal three years later. Singleton didn’t come close to earning the bonuses, hitting .171 in 114 games over the 2014 and ‘15 seasons.
From 2015-23, Singleton did not dress for a major-league club. His comebacks in ‘23 with the Milwaukee Brewers and ‘24 with the Astros proved short-lived.
Scott Kingery (2018)
After dominating Double-A level pitching in 2017 and standing out during the next spring training, Philadelphia Phillies officials acted swiftly to sign Kingery to a six-year, $24 million contract.
The 5-foot-9 infielder started Opening Day and finished his rookie campaign with a .226 batting average. As a sophomore, Kingery hit .258, proving to be his career peak. After mostly struggling through the COVID-19 campaign, he appeared in only 16 MLB games in ‘21 and ‘22. His career ended with a fWAR of –0.3.
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