KEY POINTS

  • Fernando Tatis Jr. recently signed a 14-year, $340 million contract with the San Diego Padres
  • The shortstop made his professional debut in the MLB in 2019
  • Tatis Jr.'s deal with the Padres is the third-highest contract in the sport's history

Fernando Tatis Jr. recently signed a massive 14-year, $340 million contract with the San Diego Padres. The 22-year-old hopeful will not receive the entire amount stipulated in the lucrative deal, however, as he is bound to pay off the Big League Advance’s initial investment.

The historic deal is the third-highest paying contract in the history of the sport, as per the Associated Press. Tatis Jr. will receive several perks on top of his pay, including a full no-trade clause through 2028. The baseball player also got a massive $10 million signing bonus and will be given hotel suite accommodation on all road trips, Bleacher Report has learned.

Aside from the perks, Tatis Jr.’s contract with the Padres will give him annual salaries of $1 million for 2021, $5 million for 2022, $7 million for 2023, $11 million for 2024, $20 million each for the 2025-2026 seasons, $25 million each for the 2027-2028 seasons and $36 million each for the rest of the 2029-2034 seasons, according to Spotrac.

Despite the massive compensation, a percentage of Tatis Jr.'s income will go to paying off Big League Advance, a company that former minor league pitcher Michael Schwimer founded in 2016. The company invests in athlete prospects who have low salaries, similar to how a stock trader would invest money during the early years of a company that could have a promising future, the Associated Press explained.

The young athlete has played as the shortstop for the Padres since making his professional debut in 2019. Despite an untimely back injury, Tatis Jr. showed an amazing rookie season, earning third place in the league’s Rookie of the Year, as per Celebrity Net Worth. During his debut year, Tatis Jr. achieved an impressive score of 61 runs, 22 home runs and 106 hits in 84 games.

Only two other contracts in the MLB exceeded Tatis Jr.’s deal with the Padres. The second-highest deal is the 12-year, $365 million contract that Mookie Betts signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019. Meanwhile, the highest-paying deal in the sport’s history is Mike Trout’s 12-year, $426.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels that was signed in 2019.

Colorado Rockies v San Diego Padres
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 10: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres plays during a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on July 10, 2021 in San Diego, California. Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images