Kevin Kiermaier Signs 6yr Extension with the Tampa Bay Rays

By Djack

ESPN: "The Tampa Bay Rays have agreed on a six-year contract extension with center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, sources confirmed to ESPN's Jim Bowden.

​News of the agreement was earlier reported by the Tampa Bay Times, which said the deal could be worth over $50 million.

Kiermaier, 26, hit .246 with 12 home runs and 37 RBIs last season for the Rays.

What he might lack in power, Kiermaier makes up for in with his defensive metrics. The winner of two consecutive Gold Gloves, Kiermaier led all center fielders last season with a defensive WAR of 3.0."

Kevin Kiermaier lands a solid long term extension with the team that drafted him, the Tampa Bay Rays. Kiermaier is a relic theses days, a player that's sole value is being a defensive force. Kiermaier without a doubt is the best defensive center fielder in all of baseball. His reaction time, his ability to track the ball while in full sprint, and his incredible ability to make insanely athletic plays are what makes him a guru with a glove. Even though he takes away a significant amount of hits with the way he plays the field, are his offensive numbers bad enough to make him a liability in the lineup?

Rays signed Kiermaier to a 6 year extension, so obviously they're sold on him being their center fielder for the foreseeable future. He'll probably also be their lead off hitter, except the thing is he's not much of a hitter. If he can keep his OBP above .330, his average around .260, and steal 25+ bases this could be an all time signing by the Rays. I mean the Yankees are paying Jacoby Elisbury more than double for the same offensive production and less defensive production, so the Rays could've done much worse.