Seattle is taking a big-league swing on its top prospect — before he takes one of his own.
The Mariners have signed wunderkind shortstop Colt Emerson to a historic eight-year, $95 million contract before even making his MLB debut, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed Tuesday morning.
The deal, pending a physical, would become the largest contract ever given to a player without any MLB service time — shattering the record set by Jackson Chourio’s $82 million over eight years that he fetched from the Brewers at the 2023 Winter Meetings.
The historic pact also includes a full no-trade clause and a ninth-year club option, as well as “incentives and escalators” that could push the total upwards of $130 million, according to the Seattle Times.
Emerson, 20, was selected by the Mariners in the first round of the 2023 draft, and he currently sits as baseball’s No. 7 overall prospect on MLB Pipeline.
Labeled in his scouting report as “one of the best pure hitters in the minors,” he surged up to Triple-A Tacoma by the end of 2025, boasting a clean 1.000 OPS with five hits and home run across a six-game cameo with the Rainiers.
He posted an .828 OPS with a pair of bombs and eight RBIs for the Mariners in spring training.
He has also flashed strong defensive upside and has also taken some reps at third base, providing the Mariners roster flexibility.
Emerson will start the season in Triple-A Tacoma. He’ll eventually replace veteran J.P. Crawford — who hits the open market after this season — as the club’s franchise shortstop.
Investing early in emerging talent isn’t a foreign concept to the Mariners; In 2019, they inked former first-rounder Evan White to a six-year, $24 million extension before he even landed in Triple-A.
White went on to win the Gold Glove at first base in 2020 but was constantly hampered by injuries, and he was out of the majors two years later.
