Diamondbacks risky investment in young star already looking like a steal

Before the start of the 2023 season the Arizona Diamondbacks made a massive commitment to 22-year-old outfielder Corbin Carroll. The team signed him to an eight-year, $111 million contract extension despite the fact he had only played in 32 big league games.

Just a few months later that deal is already looking like a potential steal for Arizona.

Carroll is not only one of the biggest reasons the Diamondbacks find themselves on top of the National League West standings entering play on Sunday, he is also looking like one of the best outfielders in the league with unlimited potential.

His numbers through his first 61 games are staggering, as he's hitting .301 with a .949 OPS that is sixth best in the entire major leagues. 

He is hitting for power (13 home runs and a .565 slugging percentage) while also blazing up the base paths by going 18-for-20 on stolen base attempts. 

He does it all.

The Diamondbacks are loaded with young talent and were one of the on-the-rise teams to watch this season, and Carroll is the best of the bunch. 

Signing him to a long-term deal and giving the organization cost-certainty with him looks like it is going to be a brilliant move by Arizona's front office.

That strategy has become far more popular in baseball in recent years, as teams would rather take the risk to pay more now to potentially avoid handing out a mammoth contract (or losing their player) down the line. Had the Diamondbacks just let Carroll develop through his arbitration years it would have almost certainly cost them more money down the line. 

There is an element of risk to the strategy, but when it works out it is a huge win. 

The Diamondbacks now have their best player and franchise cornerstone locked in through his prime years at a fraction of what it should cost them. 

It makes you wonder if even more times will try to follow that path in the future. It also is enough to wonder if it might be a cautionary tale for players to not sell themselves short, because Carroll might have cost himself some money in the long run.