What might a contract extension for Reds' third baseman Kyle Farmer look like?

Kyle Farmer has become one of the more beloved players on the Cincinnati Reds. Every fan throughout Reds Country loves Farmer's hustle and leadership, but others question his true value to the team.

Farmer is oftentimes lovingly referred to as a "ballplayer". There's an appreciation among the fanbase for how Farmer goes about his business. The Georgia native plays through injury and puts in a workman-like performance night in and night out.

But, with so many young infielders currently in the Cincinnati Reds farm system, Farmer's future with the ball club is a bit cloudy. Provided the two sides can agree to a mutually beneficial deal, the Reds should sign Farmer to a contract extension during the offseason.

Why the Reds should sign Kyle Farmer to a contract extension.

Kyle Farmer was the Cincinnati Reds MVP last season. While it's not necessarily a compliment to be the most valuable player on a team that lost 100 games, Farmer hit .255/.315/.386 and led the team in home runs (14) and RBIs (78). Farmer's OPS of .701 in 2022 is incredibly close to his career-OPS of .704.

In short, that's who Farmer is. He's a versatile infielder who's going to play his heart out every night and get the most out of his God-given abilities. There are also things that Farmer does in a game that are not reflected in a box score. Those intangibles make the 32-year-old worth more than a stat line might suggest.

Kyle Farmer, according to MLB Trade Rumors, is in line to make an estimated $5.9M in 2023 through arbitration. The Cincinnati Reds third baseman is also under team control through the 2024 season as well and will be in line for a raise.

Of the 30 major league franchises, there are very few who would have Farmer occupy any role other than a utility player, and even fewer would be likely pay the projected salary of nearly $6M. But for the Reds, Farmer is a starter and a respected member of the clubhouse.

What might a contract extension for Reds' 3B Kyle Farmer look like?

When it comes to contract extensions, it's commonplace for clubs and agents to look for what is referred to a "comps" or comparable contracts that have been recently agreed upon. When looking to find a comparable player to what we've seen from Kyle Farmer, perhaps using Leury Garcia's contract with the Chicago White Sox is a good comp.

Garcia signed a contract extension with the White Sox during the offseason last year. The contract was a three-year/$16.5M deal that will take Garcia through the 2024 season. Garcia has been a plug-n-play utility player for Chicago since 2013.

Garcia isn't going to wow many fans outside the South Side of Chicago with his career slash line of .253/.293/.350. But the 31-year-old is a versatile fielder who brings value to that particular franchise. And at price tag of $5.5M per season, the White Sox are more than happy to have Garcia in the fold.

That's the type of contract the Cincinnati Reds should attempt to work out with infielder Kyle Farmer. A deal that gives Farmer financial security, but doesn't handcuff the franchise either. Should one of the young infielders eventually outplay Farmer for a starting spot, then Cincinnati has a veteran backup who's more than capable of filling in when needed.