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With roughly 10 percent of the regular season over, Yardbarker Major League Baseball writers are eager to spend other people’s money.
Here are prime candidates for contract extensions for each NL team. (Statistics are through Sunday, April 13.)
NL East
ATLANTA BRAVES | RHP Spencer Schwellenbach | The Braves are known for locking up their young stars to long-term, team-friendly extensions, and Schwellenbach should be no exception. He leads the league in ERA (0.45) and has 19 strikeouts in 20 innings.
MIAMI MARLINS | 1B Matt Mervis | Trading for Mervis in the offseason looks like a good deal for the Marlins early in 2025. In 11 games, he has five homers, 10 RBI and a .294 batting average, perhaps cementing himself as a part of Miami’s future.
NEW YORK METS | SP David Peterson | The easy answer here is 1B Pete Alonso, but Peterson has had a solid run with the Mets and earned an extension. In 24 starts since 2024, the 29-year-old has a 2.88 ERA in 137.2 innings.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES | DH Kyle Schwarber | It’s hard to believe it has been nearly four years since Schwarber signed a four-year, $79M deal with the Phillies. Philadelphia would be foolish not to extend the two-time All-Star, who has 137 home runs and a .839 OPS in 480 games with the club.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS | LF James Wood | The Nationals should follow in the Braves’ footsteps and lock up Wood while he’s young. The 22-year-old former top prospect looks like the real deal, with five homers, 11 RBI and a .977 OPS in 15 games this season.
NL West
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS | 1B Josh Naylor | Scheduled to be a free agent next year, the 27-year-old could be the next solid Diamondbacks first baseman, following in the footsteps of Paul Goldschmidt and Christian Walker. Acquired from the Cleveland Guardians this offseason, Naylor slashed .322/.397/.475 in his first 68 plate appearances with the Snakes.
COLORADO ROCKIES | CF Brenton Doyle | There hasn’t been much to talk about with Colorado’s offense, which has an MLB-low 40 runs. The 26-year-old, however, is a two-time Gold Glove winner who is also settling in with ease at the top of Colorado’s lineup (team-leading three homers).
LOS ANGELES DODGERS | RHP Dustin May | The Dodgers are in a unique position in that they have already locked up numerous stars to long-term deals. Plus, starting pitcher Roki Sasaki isn’t scheduled to become a free agent until 2031. With that in mind, May is on a one-year deal and has played solidly for Los Angeles (11 innings, 0.82 ERA through his first two starts of 2025) after coming back from elbow and esophagus surgeries last season.
SAN DIEGO PADRES | RHP Michael King | Coming over in the Juan Soto trade from the New York Yankees, King has quickly become one of the top arms for the Padres. The 30-year-old finished seventh in last year’s NL Cy Young Award voting and is coming off his first career complete game, a two-hit shutout of the Colorado Rockies.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS | LHP Robbie Ray | The 33-year-old southpaw is under contract through the 2026 season, finishing a five-year, $115M deal. The 2021 Cy Young Award winner has just 10 starts in San Francisco after being traded by the Seattle Mariners before the 2024 season, but he has flashed enough potential for the Giants to make sure they keep him past next year. — Kevin Henry
NL Central
CHICAGO CUBS | Outfielder Kyle Tucker | The Cubs made a bold move to compete this season by trading 2024 All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes, No. 55 prospect outfielder Cam Smith and right-handed pitcher Hayden Wesneski to acquire Tucker for the 2025 season. However, the Cubs must prioritize re-signing Tucker to avoid an outcome similar to what the Yankees had with free agent Juan Soto, who signed with the Mets in the offseason.CINCINNATI REDS | RHP Alexis Diaz | Known for producing elite closers, the Reds appear to have their next bullpen standout in Diaz. After an All-Star season in 2023, he struggled in 2024 and has begun the 2025 season on the injured list, but his dominant two-pitch mix makes the 28-year-old a good extension candidate.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS | SP Freddy Peralta | Peralta has spent his entire career with the Brewers, debuting in 2018. A staple in the rotation and the team’s ace for the past two seasons, he holds the lowest hits-per-nine innings and strikeouts-per-nine-innings marks in franchise history.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES | Catcher Joey Bart | Since joining Pittsburgh in 2024, Bart has continued to improve. In 92 games with the Pirates, the 28-year-old is slashing .266/.341/.457 with 14 home runs and 50 RBI.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS | Utility man Brendan Donovan | In a lineup that has lost many pieces, Donovan has remained one of the few bright spots. In 15 games this season, he is batting .350 with two home runs, four doubles and 10 RBI. — Taylor Bretl
