Royce Lewis is firmly in the Minnesota Twins’ plans for the 2025 season. But if the former No. 1 overall pick has a rebound year, it could put him in an interesting position after comments made by his agent Scott Boras at last week’s MLB Winter Meetings.
Speaking to reporters to announce Juan Soto’s 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets, Boras addressed the trend of players waiting for free agency instead of signing an extension earlier in their career and admitted that “select” players benefit greatly from hitting the open market.
“I think that adage is something that yours truly has been talking about for a long time with select players,” Boras said. “In situations, there’s a lot of players that have benefitted from signing early too. They’re in the right place at the right time. it really depends on the individual.”
MLB superstars have cashed in by waiting for free agency
The MLB system is flawed in that young players make $740k at the beginning of their careers. While that salary would look appealing to anyone sitting in the Grey Duck Deck at Target Field, it’s a contrast compared to some of their teammates, especially when they enter arbitration.
Small-to-mid-market teams have used this as leverage to sign players to long-term contracts. While the deals benefit the player by getting paid early, they also help the organization as it doesn’t have to deal with the mess of year-to-year arbitration hearings and the threat of being priced out when the player hits free agency.
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was one player who took the money, signing an 11-year, $287.7 million contract extension last February but other players such as Soto have benefitted from the opposite approach.
Soto declined a 13-year, $350 million contract extension from the Washington Nationals in 2022 and was traded to the San Diego Padres the following summer. After spending the last two seasons with San Diego and the New York Yankees, Soto was the subject of a bidding war that helped him land a contract that could be worth up to $805 million with incentives.
Shohei Ohtani’s recent contract (10 years, $700 million) also prices out smaller market teams, which creates a sense of urgency for teams to get deals done.
What does this mean for Royce Lewis’s future with the Minnesota Twins?
If everything goes right, Lewis could be on track to get paid when he reaches free agency in 2029. Lewis has spent more time on the injured list than on the field since making his major league debut in 2022 but showed promise after hitting .309/.372/.548 with 15 homers and 52 RBI in 58 games in 2023.
Lewis homered on Opening Day to begin his 2024 campaign but a severe quad strain put him on the injured list until June. Although he hit .276/.340/.644 with nine homers and 17 RBI in his first 23 games after returning from the injury, a groin strain put him back on the injured list before he hit .207/.270/.350 with six homers and 29 RBI in his final 58 games.
Lewis wasn’t the only player to fade down the stretch as the Twins blew a double-digit lead in the American League Wild Card standings and missed the playoffs. He also still has plenty of upside as he turns 26 next June. But if Lewis reverts to the player we saw in 2023, it could cost the Twins.
It’s why Minnesota tried to negotiate a contract extension with Lewis during last year’s Spring Training. Lewis, who is represented by Boras, declined the offer and would benefit from rehabbing his value with a bounce-back year in 2025.
Lewis could also benefit if the Twins go through with a plan to move him to second base, where his offensive production could make him a premium player.
Although the Twins have a positive relationship with Boras as he represents Carlos Correa and top prospect Walker Jenkins, Lewis’s contract extension will only get more expensive as time goes along. If Boras has his way, it may never happen as Lewis could look to cash in when he hits free agency.