Mariners Debut 20-Year-Old Colt Emerson After $95 Million Bet

12 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · May 17

Colt Emerson is set to make his MLB debut Sunday at age 20, with Seattle expected to use its top prospect as the everyday third baseman while Brendan Donovan remains on the injured list.
Nine homers and 11 steals in 44 Triple-A games helped force the promotion, giving the Mariners the spark they wanted after trying to carry Emerson onto the Opening Day roster.
A .255 average and 27.2% strikeout rate at Triple-A point to some risk, but his 86.5% in-zone contact rate and average power indicators have kept scouts bullish on his bat.
Seattle already showed unusual confidence by signing Emerson to an 8-year, $95 million deal in April, and his defensive flexibility could open paths to shortstop or second base if he hits.

Is Colt Emerson's $95M contract a genius move or MLB's next big cautionary tale?

How will this record deal for a rookie reshape the future of MLB player contracts?