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FanGraphs | Dan Szymborski: Blake Snell signed a $50 million extension that will last potentially through his first free agent season, and now he is paid well above what his small raise would or should have been from the league minimum. He is likely to be a top-ten-ish pitcher moving forward, and if his good performance continues, he should still be in store for a big free agency payout when the time comes.
Baseball Prospectus | Rob Arthur ($): There is no evidence to support the claim that big contracts lead to higher ticket prices; most literature suggests that it’s merely related to how expensive he market allows them to make it. Most teams also only get about a third of their revenue, so there are revenue streams that offset contract costs in very significant ways, like increased merchandise sales and TV viewership numbers, both things that the Phillies should benefit from with Bryce Harper.
The Athletic | Eno Sarris & Brittany Ghiroli ($): The next big frontier in sabermetrics is wearable technology, but there will be debates between teams, Rob Manfred, and Tony Clark over who gets to own that data. If a team collects your personal information on a swing or even your sleeping patterns, that could set a precedent of surveillance that teams can use to their advantage and to players’ detriment.