Mariners ink Julio Rodríguez to huge contract extension

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Julio Rodriguez's rookie season just keeps getting better.

First the 21-year-old Seattle Mariners centerfielder made the All-Star team. Then he put on a show during his second-place finish in the Home Run Derby. And now he's getting a lucrative extension, the Mariners confirmed on Friday. 

Rodriguez's 14-year deal reportedly will guarantee him over $210 million and could exceed $400 million, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.

If Rodriguez does receive more than $200 million in guaranteed money, it will become the largest contract for a player with less than one year of Major League service time, topping the 11-year, $182 million deal that Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco signed in November.

Rodriguez, who signed with the Mariners as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2017, is making $700,000 this season, per Spotrac.

The American League Rookie of the Year candidate is hitting .269 with 20 home runs, 64 RBIs and 23 stolen bases, becoming the 12th rookie to record a 20-20 season. His emergence has helped the 68-57 Mariners remain in contention for the postseason, with a 2.5 game lead over the Baltimore Orioles for the third and final AL Wild Card spot.    

What are the current MLB Wild Card standings?

The Tampa Bay Rays currently hold the first AL Wild Card spot with a 69-55 record. They sit 0.5 games ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays, who are 68-55. The Mariners hold the third and final AL Wild Card spot, sitting one game behind the Blue Jays.  The Orioles are 2.5 games behind the Mariners, and the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox each are five games back.

In the National League, the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves hold the first Wild Card spot with a record of 78-48. The Philadelphia Phillies sit 7.5 games behind them at 70-55. The San Diego Padres hold the third spot with a record of 68-58, trailing the Phillies by 2.5 games. The Milwaukee Brewers are 1.5 games behind the Padres, and the San Francisco Giants are 5.5 games out.

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