The San Diego Padres are keeping their priorities in order, proof of that came on Saturday, with a new extension of infielder Jake Cronenworth. Cronenworth signed a seven year deal with his original contract heading into arbitration, and free agency eligibility in two years. Now, he’s locked down long term.

Cronenworth didn’t make his big league debut until his age-26 season and was going to hit free agency going into his age-32 season. The deal, first reported by @dennistlin, locks up another core player for the Padres as they chase their first championship.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 1, 2023

Complete contract details haven’t been released, but a source reportedly told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com that the contract is worth $80 million.

If the amount is accurate, it wouldn’t be shocking. The Padres have been huge spenders the past two seasons in particular, to become competitive with their division rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In 2022, they made the groundbreaking Juan Soto trade, the largest trade of the deadline. They’ve also signed star players such as Xander Bogaerts, Joe Musgrove, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. to large deals.

Their building is paying off as they inched themselves closer than usual to a World Series last season, and it’s important to keep the reliable players they have around.

Jake Cronenworth has Been a Rock in San Diego’s Development

The Padres are a particularly interesting team because they aren’t perfect, but if they could play at their fullest potential every single day, they’d be, quite possibly, the best in the league.

Last post-season, they beat the Dodgers out of the playoffs in the NLDS, which was a shock considering they hadn’t won a series against them all season. The Dodgers have been thought of as the more dominant team, as they’ve been big spenders as well, but the Padres are coming up quickly as the underdogs.

Now, with a mix of the top veterans in the league being signed to San Diego long-term, they’re likely to win a championship within the next few seasons. Cronenworth will likely become a huge leader on the team as this is only his fourth season and he’s already been on two All-Star teams.

Over his career thus far, he’s slashed .255/.337/.429 for an OPS of .766.

He’s able to play multiple infield positions, but second base has proven to be his best, with a great DRS of seven, OAA of seven and RAA of five. He has a total WAR of 9.6 and defensive rating of 9.9. This early in his career, he likely hasn’t hit his prime yet, which are all promising signs.

San Diego made an extremely smart move by keeping him around long-term, especially as the market is bound to get more and more expensive.

-Rylie Smith

@RylieS_14

*Photo courtesy of MLB.com*