Nick Markakis Gets $66M Extension
January 19, 2009 by Stephen Kersey
Filed under News, Transactions
Although the Baltimore Orioles weren’t able to land free agent target Mark Teixeira this offseason, they recently gave Nick Markakis an extension to keep him in the fold for the foreseeable future. The 25-year-old Markakis is viewed by many as the team’s best player and a player that can be built around.
The extension for Markakis calls for him to make a little bit more than $66 million over six seasons. There’s also a seventh year of the deal that can be voided by either side, plus incentives that could push the total value of the contract to over $70 million.
Last season, Markakis had his third straight solid season as an outfielder for Baltimore. He totaled 20 homers, 89 RBIs and 106 runs while hitting .306 with a .406 on-base percentage. In 2007, had 23 homers and 112 RBIs.
The 6-foot-2 left hander is likely to hit in the third spot and play right field for the Orioles this season.
