Washington Nationals: Comparing Adam Eaton’s contract to Charlie Blackmon’s extension

Washington Nationals outfielder Adam Eaton has one of the most team-friendly contracts in the league. How does it compare with Charlie Blackmon’s recent extension?

Adam Eaton‘s skillset was a major part of why the Washington Nationals were willing to part with their top three pithing prospects to acquire him a couple winters ago. However, part of his value also stems from his extremely team-friendly contract.

Last year, Eaton made just $4 million. He does receive a raise in each of his four remaining seasons of team control, including a slight raise to $6 million this year, but his contract maxes out at $10.5 million.

Meanwhile, Charlie Blackmon just signed a five-year contract extension with the Colorado Rockies. Eaton and Blackmon are comparable players, so their contracts should theoretically be pretty similar, right? Unfortunately for Eaton, that is not the case.

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Blackmon, who was already slated to earn $12 million this year, will now receive a $9 million raise. So, this year, Eaton is being paid half of what the Rockies are paying Blackmon. Next year, despite getting a raise, Eaton will earn about a third of what Blackmon earns.

Based solely on their contracts, you would think Blackmon is significantly better than Eaton, but that is not the case. They are fairly comparable, and you could argue that Eaton is the better player.

As far as their stats and attributes are concerned, Eaton and Blackmon are reasonably similar. They are both above average defensive outfielders, hit for a high average and on-base percentage, and can steal 15+ bases.

Where the two differ is power. Eaton set his career-high in homers in 2015 and 2016, when he hit 14 each year. He hit two homers in 23 games last year before suffering a season-ending injury, so he was on pace to finish with about 14 homers once again.

Blackmon, on the other hand, has much more power. He hit a career-high 37 homers last year and represented the National League in the Home Run Derby.

However, Blackmon’s home/road splits are worth taking a look at.

As is the case for many Rockies, Blackmon is a much better hitter at Coors Field. Last year, he slashed .391/.466/.773 with 24 homers at home and .276/.337/.447 with 13 homers on the road. There is no arguing that he is a great hitter, but he does benefit from playing half of his games in the most hitter-friendly park in the league.

Sabermetrics also favor Eaton. In 2016, his last full season, he was worth 5.8 WAR. Blackmon, meanwhile, was worth 4.7 WAR. Blackmon was admittedly worth 6.5 WAR last year, which ranked ninth in the majors, but he benefitted from playing at Coors Field.

Finally, Eaton’s contract options are more favorable than Blackmon’s. Both players have two option years at the end of their contracts, but Eaton’s are club options and Blackmon’s are player options.

If the Nats decide that they do not want to retain Eaton past 2019, they can choose to let him go. Meanwhile, if the Rockies decide that they do not want to retain Blackmon past 2021, he can overrule them and stay for $21 million.

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All things considered, Eaton and Blackmon are both all-star caliber players. You can go either way, but there is certainly an argument for Eaton being the better player. While Eaton is paid a handsome salary, at $6 million, it is very little compared to Blackmon and his peers.