Today, while being interviewed on BBA Radio, Spuds star outfielder and team captain Dennis French revealed that contract extension talks have begun with Boise. "We've talked about it. No numbers yet," French told host Jimmy Dryden. "I'd be lying if I said I don't expect to be extended. I do. Not for what I've just done on the field but even off the field for what I've done for the organization. I've done everything they've asked me to do. I've done it at a high level each and every year."
French will be entering the sixth year of his rookie contract in 2042, with one more additional year of arbitration left. A player can only sign a six-year contract, the maximum length under league rules, once he has accrued at least five years of major league service time. French, who has just over four years of service time, will not meet the criteria for a maximum extension until early May. Until then, French can only sign an extension up to three-years. Sources believe Boise has been in contact with French's agent about a three-year deal over the course of last season but French's representatives were not interested in such a deal.
In 2040, rumors flew around that the Spuds were shopping French, with a few teams getting reportedly close. However, former Assistant General Manager Barrett Callahan had previously refuted that the team was close, but merely doing their due diligence that they do with nearly all players during the year.
Prior to Boise's final home game this past season, Boise owner Francis Nephi Grigg IV reassured fans during a meet-and-great that the organization is not intent on trading French, saying "I would love to have Dennis on this team forever."
What that new contract would look like is the big question now. French has been compared to some of the best players in recent league history, which means he could be looking at a deal north of $150M. Would the Spuds do that, even for a generational player like French? The front office's reluctance to offer long-term deals in free agency and extensions under General Manager Joe Lederer makes the on-going discussions worthy of speculation.
