Franmil Reyes was a beloved member of the Cleveland Guardians.
It was hard not to love the big slugger with a smile on his face and as much raw power as anyone in baseball.
He hasn’t played in Cleveland in four seasons now, but Reyes’ baseball journey hasn’t stopped.
These days, he plays in Japan — and he just signed the biggest contract in Nippon Professional Baseball history.
Franmil Reyes Record Contract
Reyes has signed a four-year extension with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, according to MLB insider Mike Rodriguez.
Rodriguez reports that the deal is for four years and $40 million. That makes him the highest-paid player in NPB history, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
Reyes has become a star in Japan to earn this contract.
Each of the last two seasons, he has slugged 32 home runs.
This campaign was Reyes’ best yet as he also hit .313 and put up a .946 OPS in 128 games, doubling 27 times in addition to his 32 homers while driving in 82 runs.
Reyes turned 31 in July, and the native of the Dominican Republic seems likely to keep bringing his prolific power to the packed stadiums in Japan’s high-level NPB for years to come. It’s regarded as the second-best baseball league in the world, and Reyes looks right at home.
Franmil Reyes Career Timeline
Reyes is 31 years old now, having spent nearly half his life in professional baseball.
He signed out of the Dominican Republic with the San Diego Padres when he was 16 years old and first reached the majors with the Friars.
He then went to the Guardians in a trade, and he did his best slugging for Cleveland.
From there, Reyes got time with both the Chicago Cubs and the aforementioned Kansas City Royals.
In his final couple seasons, he also spent a good chunk of time at Triple-A Columbus, Triple-A Omaha and Triple-A Rochester. He couldn’t quite get past his swing-and-miss issues in his final years stateside.
He has found incredible success in Japan, though, which raised the question of what Reyes’ future might hold.
Now it’s clear — Reyes has no intentions of returning to MLB. He’s happy in Japan and has a record-setting contract to prove it.
The Guardians’ fanbase that grew to love Reyes will simply have to root him on from afar. Even though he isn’t doing his mashing in a Cleveland uniform anymore, it’s cool to see Reyes finding continued success in a sport that can be so unforgiving amid struggles. Reyes is hitting homers and surely smiling a lot, and that’s the best side of baseball.
Guardians’ Fan Favorite Signs Record-Setting $40 Million Contract