Seattle Mariners shortstop Colt Emerson, who has yet to play in the major leagues, agreed to an eight-year, $95 million extension, sources confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.
According to Spotrac, it’s the largest contract in MLB history for a player with zero service time.
The deal, which the Mariners announced was completed Tuesday afternoon, begins this season and goes through 2033 with a club option in 2034.
Emerson, 20, will remain at Triple-A Tacoma, where he is 5-for-14 with a home run after his first three games. But he was added to the team’s 40-man roster because of the deal.
Mariners manager Dan Wilson congratulated Emerson ahead of Seattle’s Tuesday night game against the New York Yankees.
“An incredible day for him, I’m sure,” Wilson said. “And, a great spring training. No doubt about it. And, what we have seen from him, he’s a great kid and a great player. And, it’s an exciting day for him.”
Emerson, who is ESPN’s No. 6 prospect for 2026, slashed .285/.383/.458 with 16 home runs and 78 RBIs at three levels last season, from Class A to Triple-A.
The 22nd pick in the 2023 draft out of an Ohio high school, the left-handed-hitting Emerson had a strong spring training, hitting .268/.340/.488 with 2 home runs and 8 RBIs while making several excellent plays in the field, cementing the belief that he can be an above-average defender at shortstop.
He has had strong walk and contact rates in the minors and projects as a 20-home run hitter in the majors, with enough raw power to exceed that total if he learns to lift the ball more often, but more likely to settle in as a high-average hitter with a good on-base percentage.
Wilson was most impressed by Emerson’s approach at the plate during spring training, as well as how he handles himself.
“It’s very reminiscent of a lot of guys that we have in this clubhouse,” he said. “Just the way, his desire to win. And, it’s really a great driver of who he is and how he plays this game. And, as we’ve talked about in spring training sometimes, he just plays with a little bit more maturity.”
While Emerson could hit his way into the majors this season, he’s widely expected to replace J.P. Crawford as the regular shortstop in 2027, as Crawford will be a free agent after this season.
When asked if he has talked with Crawford yet about Emerson, Wilson deflected.
“Hopefully we’ll get a chance to see [Crawford] when he gets back from his rehab,” Wilson said. “But, like I said, we’ve got a lot of focus on what’s going on here, and we’ll continue to do that.”
The Mariners also add Emerson to their core of position players locked up to long-term deals: Julio Rodriguez is signed through 2034, Cal Raleigh through 2030 (with a vesting option for 2031) and Josh Naylor through 2030.
It is the second big contract agreement for a shortstop prospect in as many days after the Milwaukee Brewers reportedly agreed to terms with Cooper Pratt on an eight-year, $50.75 million contract Monday.
FanSided first reported details of the deal, including that it can reach a maximum value of $130 million.
ESPN’s David Schoenfield and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
