Chicago Cubs sign Starlin Castro to seven-year contract extension – MLB News
The Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, August 28, signed shortstop Starlin Castro to a seven-year contract extension, worth $60 million. The extension is being seen as one of the biggest for both the team and the young player whom the general manager called ‘a 22-year-old veteran’.
Castro will indeed be a great part of the club’s future at a time when they are in a rebuilding phase. With 11 of the 26 players being young, the Cubs have already traded many of their veteran players to pave the way for youngsters.
The young player from the Dominican Republic has had all the features of a player requisite to secure a place in the club’s future endeavours.
"Only the most talented players get to the big leagues at 20," Cubs' general manager Jed Hoyer said. "I'm sitting here with a 22-year-old veteran right now. That was a big part of our decision. The way it was looking, Starlin would be a free agent far too early. He's a big part of our future. We have four years of control of him after this year, and by doing this deal, we now have eight. He's one of the players we're building around."
Hoyer lauded the player for the talent he has exhibited at such a young age. The fact that he has already been a two-time National League All-Star speaks a great deal of the player’s potential and the power that he brings for the Cubs.
Having made his debut on May 7, 2010, he has already been leading the National League with 486 hits. "His talent got him here at a young age," Hoyer said. "He's still learning in the big leagues.”
Castro will have three years of free agency with this contract extension, covering four years of arbitration. The extension will bring a lot of benefits for the young player as well as the responsibilities that he will have to shoulder.
As the season nears an end, the Cubs will have a lot to make of the deal, having already secured a talented player who will play a key role in the team’s success in the future.
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