Yet another Red Sox contract extension has consequences for the Mariners

Earlier in the week, the Boston Red Sox dropped a contract extension that had obvious implications for the Seattle Mariners. In short, how much Boston paid Garrett Crochet is relevant to how much the M's might need to pay to lock up Logan Gilbert and other core arms.

The Red Sox did it again on Wednesday, though this latest deal requires a more forward-thinking perspective on what it means for the Mariners.

Just five games into his career with the Red Sox, rookie second baseman Kristian Campbell agreed to an eight-year, $60 million contract that locks him into Boston through at least 2032. It's not quite Jackson Chourio's $82 million pact with the Milwaukee Brewers, but it is a hefty amount for a guy whose big league service time is close to zero.

Meanwhile, the Mariners have a whole bunch of talented infield prospects. How much do you want to bet at least one of them was paying attention when Boston announced Campbell's extension?

Could Colt Emerson get a Campbell deal?

If there's one Mariners prospect for whom Campbell's new deal could be a model, it has to be their No. 1 talent by MLB Pipeline's reckoning: Colt Emerson.

Also ranked as the No. 19 prospect in all of MLB, Emerson's profile has some similarities to Campbell's. Both began their pro debuts via the 2023 draft, with Emerson going at No. 22 in the first round and Campbell coming off the board in the fourth round. Just as Campbell had a solid hit tool going for him, Emerson's own hit tool is among the best in the minors.

This is according to Jim Callis of MLB.com, though Mariners fans who have followed Emerson's career won't need much convincing. He had a .393 OBP across three levels of the minors in 2024, followed by a huge stint in the Arizona Fall League that saw him slash .370/.436/.537 with nine doubles and 10 runs driven in.

The initial question with Campbell is whether he would ever develop any power, and he's $60 million richer now precisely because he has. He slugged .558 with 20 homers in a breakout 2024 season in the minors, and the ball has been jumping off the 6-foot-3, 210-pounder's bat thus far in the majors.

Power is a question mark for Emerson now, but the smoothness of his left-handed stroke and his bat speed generally lead to a belief that it'll become an exclamation mark. To this end, the Mariners may have been gazing at his future when he hit that long homer in spring training.

And should we mention that Emerson is still only 19? It sure seems relevant, and there's a non-zero chance that he could be in the big leagues by the time he's 20 next season.

If Emerson has a huge 2025 season in the minors — in which he'll ideally stay healthy after playing in only 70 games last year because of injuries — the Mariners will have to seriously consider locking him up before he's even played a game. It would be a risk, but the logic would have to be the same as what the Red Sox have applied to Campbell: $60 million is pennies for a young, star-caliber infielder.

The Mariners also have those other talented infield prospects

Beyond Emerson, also within Seattle's top 10 prospects are fellow infielders Cole Young (No. 3), Felnin Celestin (No. 5), and Michael Arroyo (No. 7).

The 21-year-old Young is the closest to the big leagues, and what he lacks in power he makes up for with bat-to-ball skills and defensive acumen. If the power comes and he eventually slots into second base, he could be a candidate for a Campbell-like deal in his own right.

Celestin, 19, and Arroyo, 20, also have upside. The former is a switch-hitter with legit power potential for a middle infielder, while Arroyo showed his offensive potential with a 23-homer, 18-steal season in the minors last year.

At the least, the phrase "food for thought" comes to mind with these three in the wake of Campbell's big deal with Boston. It's really Emerson whose interest should be piqued, and it would be unwise for the Mariners to wait to lay groundwork for a deal.

Fortunately, spending money on their own players is one thing the Mariners have been willing to do in recent years. There's little harm to be seen in that trend continuing into the future.