MLB players and their love at first signature
The ticket rules. It is the apple of discord, which destroys the most solid of relationships, those that few intuited that they were going to break. The best bidder … almost always wins. He just happened with the “jump” of Juan Soto del Bronx to Queens, a fact that destroyed many hearts.
But, who said that everything is lost, there are still rare notice that for X o y reason they have preferred to stay faithful to the team with which they built a fruitful relationship. They have been tempted, but not convinced (until now). On Valentine’s Day, we dedicate some lines to those players in a single shirt, with only one love.
In good times, such as when it had a 143-51 mark, effectiveness of 2.25., 0.938 of Whip and 53.7 of War between 2011 and 2019, and in the bad ones, as in 2024, Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers are inseparable.
An icon of the Dodgers, Kershaw agreed another one -year contract with the, as has done since 2022, for which it could be his last season. He had rejected the player option for 2025, but nobody had doubts that at some point he would be a Dodger. Little has to do with money, not even with the need for a left -handed opener in an overcrowded angeline rotation.
This relationship began in 2006 when Kershaw was selected in the seventh turn of the 2006 draft round, with a $ 2.3 million bonus. Kershaw met all expectations and did almost everything: three Cy Young awards, an MVP, Roberto Clemente, 212 victories. Its effectiveness of 2.50 is the best among active openers and is 32 strikeouts to become the fourth left -hander with more than 3,000 fan.
The Dodgers made sure to fulfill him. After winning his third Cy Young in 2014, he was held with a 7 -year and $ 215 million contract that kept him as the richest MLB player between 2015 and 2018. Then they gave him an extension of three years and $ 93 million in 2019. His part, he made sure that no one will use the number 22 in Chavez Ravine. (Hiram Martinez)
There are players who have remained faithful to their first and only love in baseball and the most prominent case is Mike Trout, an atypical star in the current ball. Because wearing 14 seasons with the Los Angeles Angels uniform – without having played a series of championship and less a world series – reflects a deep love to the franchise that has “mistreated” with the lack of sports successes.
Although some will say that Trout has $ 426.5 million green reasons to be faithful until 2030. Will it be able to continue in love or look for a new opportunity with another franchise that guarantees sports happiness? (Luis Salazar)
The history of perseverance of José Altuve is more than told. The stars rejected him twice and still continued to insist until he signed for a few insignificant $ 15 thousand. That was an insistent courtship that ended in one of the largest love stories of Houston’s professional sports, as well as one of the most profitable pacts in the entire history of professional sport.
Astros is Altuve, Altuve is the stars. One word cannot be separated from the other, the 5’5 “Chiquilín (1.65 meters), which almost no one saw future in MLB, became the heart of the franchise, leading them to win two world series (2017 and 2022), in addition to uninterrupted presences in postseason since 2017.
Lusing the Houston sweater, Altuve was MVP in 2017, seven times he won the silver bat, once the gold glove, three batters, nine All Stars and was MVP of a championship series.
And for you to have an idea of how reciprocal it is the love they profess in Houston, which with Alex Bregman’s departure to the Boston Red Sox, Altuve is the only asset that management has not let go of the nucleus of the team that won the 2017 World Series and began an almost despotic domain in the American League, participating in seven consecutive championship series (2017-2023) and four world series (2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022). (Damián L. Delgado Averhoff)
Aaron Judge has a kind of love affairs and loyalty relationship with New York. The city, the fans and the charm of the Yankees brand are some of the factors that were combined so that ‘the judge’ preferred to stay in the large block from the 2023 season, despite receiving much more juicy offers than that of New Yorkers to move to San Diego or San Francisco.
Many thought that at the end of the 2022 season, turned into one of the fat fish of free agency and after rejected an extension of seven years and $ 213.5 million in the early calendar, Judge would prefer the giants, as he grew up and He grew up in Linden, California, 100 miles away from San Francisco, as a student of the State University of Fresno; However, the charm of the ‘city of skyscrapers’ could more.
Judge signed a great 2022 that was a coup of authority for the Yankees to fight to stay with him at the end of the season, WAR leaders (10.5), home runs (historical 62), races produced (131), obp (.425) , races (133), among others. This resulted in a juicy nine -year agreement and $ 360 million. This 2025, ‘The Judge’ will live the third of those nine years, surely, supported by a hobby that has it in his heart. (Vania Ravelo)
The arrival of Fernando Tatis Jr. to San Diego in a change that involved the then AS of the combined, James Shields, is one that has left many positive things for the Dominican and for the franchise.
At present, parents do not look complete if on the pitch is not “the child.” Knowing that, the team and the player have made a great commitment to a huge contractual extension for 14 years and $ 340 million, which will keep the player for a long time within the franchise that gave him the opportunity to become a major league player .
Despite various health situations, as well as a suspension, there are no doubt about Tatis ‘love for the parents’ shirt, as well as the love of fans by the player. Simply and simply, there are unions that make sense and that of Tatis Jr. with the parents, it is one of them. (Juan A. Recio)
When a team chooses you in the international market for prospects, believe in you and gives you the biggest contract in the history of the franchise, that is proof that the organization appreciates you and wants you to become one of the icons in its history .
How has Rafael Devers paid his organization’s commitment?
Being one of the best offensive forestrings in MLB, as well as the protagonist in the most recent championship of the team. There are no doubt that the devers and Boston was ‘love to the first signature’.
Rafael Devers is one of the most respected batters of major leagues and that has built it with an organization that in recent years has not had its best performance. However, one of the light points in each of those difficult seasons has been the consistency of the Dominican who, by signing his massive contractual extension with the Red Sox, sent a clear message that he trusts what he wants to build there. (Juan A. Recio)
Fidelity manifests in many ways, but it is not easy to imagine someone who fulfills them to a greater extent than Ronald Acuña Jr. in their relationship with the braves. The natural right gardener of Venezuela developed within the ranks of the Atlanta organization since for the first time signed a professional contract at 17 years of age and has not only remained firm, but has expressed, with words and facts, facts, His will to stay there.
In an era in which the dance of the millions in the major league baseball dances at an accelerated pace, Acuña chose to sign, from early on his career, a long and proportionally “cheap” contract ($ 100 million for eight years in 2019) And subsequently he has seen his desire to renegotiate, not to leave but to extend his duration.
But if someone does not convince someone yet for factors such as loyalty, stability, permanence, duration and others, it is enough to review whether or not they have fulfilled their “promise”: rookie of the year 2018, more valuable player 2023, founding and unique member of the unique of the Club of the 40-70 (home runs and basis stolen in a season) among many others. Do you need more? (Jaime Vega Curry)
For one of the most suffered franchises of the major leagues, there is no deeper and more sincere love letter than the constant presence of the Dominican before José Ramírez.
For a long time one of the most underestimated players in sport, Ramírez debuted in the largest in 2013 with Cleveland (when they were still the Indians) and developed wearing the colors of the team until he became all-star and face of the team now known as The Guardians.
He helped the team arrive at the World Series in 2016 and since then has participated in five postseason, despite the economic difficulties of the franchise to maintain their stars. Except Ramírez, who season after season is there in the prelude. The names around him have changed from his debut at age 20, but his love for the team – and vice versa – he has never hesitated. (Víctor O. López)
