Posted on Sat, Apr. 12, 2008

How would you feel about leaving millions of dollars on the table? That’s potentially what Chris Young and Fausto Carmona, two of the game’s brightest young stars, did last week.

They cashed in some of their prospective free-agency years — the richest of a ballplayer’s life — by taking the guaranteed money now. Young, Arizona’s brilliant outfielder, signed for $28 million with club options that could make it $39.5 million. Carmona, Cleveland’s 19-game winner from last year, gets $15 million guaranteed with options that could make it $48 million.

“We are aware of the risk and know we left a lot of money on the table,” said Jorge Brito, Carmona’s agent. “But given what this means for Fausto and his family, and the security he now has, we think it’s worth it.”

Both players weren’t scheduled to become free agents until 2012, so these are get-out-your-telescope deals. They have so little experience, such a short track record, that neither side can be sure what’s fair.

If Young took it to free agency, maybe he could’ve had Alfonso Soriano money — eight years, $136 million.

If Carmona went to the open market, maybe he’d be paid like Barry Zito — seven years, $126 million.

Now, nobody should be passing around a hat for Young or Carmona. Depending on how they handle their wealth, the money they’re now guaranteed could give their families security for generations.

But it’s also possible they just cut their earning potential.

Much has been made of the abundance of young stars in baseball, and this is the financial byproduct. It’s the small- and middle-market teams’ best and only weapon in keeping stars beyond the six years built into the collective bargaining agreement.

Carl Crawford signed a deal that will end up paying him $33.5 million and postponing his free agency two years. He would’ve hit the open market this winter and commanded much more than the $18.25 he’ll make the next years assuming the Rays pick up team options.

“At the time,” he said, “I wasn’t in the position to turn down $33 million.”

There is a plethora of young stars who fit the profile of signing one of these deals. Washington’s Ryan Zimmerman, Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun, Minnesota’s Delmon Young, and Seattle’s Felix Hernandez, just to name a few.

If the deals are signed, they would join Grady Sizemore, Curtis Granderson, Troy Tulowitzki and Ian Kinsler, among many others, to take the guaranteed millions and put off free agency.

The trend generally started about a decade ago in Cleveland. Now the Rockies might be the most aggressive in signing one-, two-, and three-year players longterm. Besides Tulowitzki, the Rockies have locked up Aaron Cook, Brad Hawpe and Manny Corpas past free agency — and are working on Matt Holliday.

The D-Backs have plenty of young players they’ll consider for such a deal, but like most teams, won’t give out big contracts to anyone who happens to have a good year.

“We do believe in the concept,” said Arizona general manager Josh Byrnes. “But it is not as simple as that.”

---

---

Star news services contributed to this report. To reach Sam Mellinger, national baseball reporter for The Star, call 816-234-4365 or send e-mail to smellinger@kcstar.com.