Second baseman Whit Merrifield will reportedly remain with the Kansas

City Royals for the foreseeable future.According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network Justin Smoak Jersey , Merrifield and the Royals agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $16.25 million with $2 million in performance bonuses. Jon Heyman of Fancred noted the extension will include a fifth-year club option that could bring the deal to more than $30 million if it is completely maxed out. Merrifield is 30 years old but is relatively inexperienced seeing how he didn't break into the major leagues until 2016. He tallied a career-best 19 home runs in 2017 and was then one of the better offensive players in the league in 2018 when he slashed .303/.367/.438 with 12 home runs, 60 RBI and a league-best 45 stolen bases.He led the majors with 192 hits last year, andLynn Worthyof theKansas City Starnoted he joined Dee Gordon and Ichiro Suzuki as the only three players to lead the majors in hits and stolen bases in the same year since World War II.It wasn't just his bat that stood out in 2018, though, as he played second base, first base and all three outfield spots as a versatile defender who allowed manager Ned Yost to mix-and-match the lineup on a daily basis depending on opponents and team needs.He was also particularly impressive at second base and was responsible for eight defensive runs saved above average, perFanGraphs.The fact that the Royals were able to lock up the player who led the majors in hits and stolen bases while playing plus defense in 2018 on a team-friendly deal is notable, especially as major free agents such as Bryce Harper and Manny Machado remain unsigned.Kansas City missed the playoffs the last three seasons and is looking to turn things around, and it now has Merrifield as a centerpiece to build around for the next few years. Philadelphia Phillies tickets have been a hot commodity since reports of Bryce Harper signing a record-breaking contract with the team broke on Thursday afternoon http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-curtis-granderson-jersey , per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.Philadelphia senior vice president of ticket operations John Weber revealed to Zoleckithat the team has sold approximately 100,000 tickets in less than 24 hours following the news.Zolecki added the Phillies had already sold roughly 200,000 more tickets than they had at this point one year ago prior to the Harper reports.Harper had been linked to Philadelphia all offseason after PhilliesownerJohn Middleton toldUSA Today'sBob Nightengaleback in November that the club was willing to spend "stupid money" this offseason.At this point, though, it's too early to tell if the prized free agent's 13-year, $330 million contract qualifies as "stupid money."Regardless, there's no question that the signing, which is not yet official, has created plenty of buzz within the fanbase. After all Aaron Sanchez Jersey , Harper's contract is not only the largest contract of the offseason, but it's the richest deal in MLB history. In fact, it's the most valuable contract in the history of North American sports.Harper is coming off a season in which he hit .249/.393/.496 with 34 home runs, 34 doubles and 100 RBI in 2018, winning the Home Run Derby in front of the Nationals Park crowd as well.His career accolades include six All-Star selections, the 2012 NL Rookie of the Year award, the 2015 NL MVP award and a 2015 NL Silver Slugger.Philadelphia fans have gotten an up-close look at Harper for years now after the former No. 1 overall pick spent the first seven seasons of his career inside of the NL East with the Washington Nationals. The 26-year-oldhas hit .268/.365/.564 with 14 home runs, five doubles, three triples and 32 RBI in 50 games at Citizens Bank Park.He has a career.930 OPS in his new home ballpark.While the Harper signing represents the Phillies' biggest splash of the offseason http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-curtis-granderson-jersey , he is hardly the only big name the team has added this winter.Prior to reaching an agreement with Harper, Philadelphia had already added former NL MVP Andrew McCutchen, two-time All-Star shortstop Jean Segura, former All-Star reliever David Robertson and All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto.The Phillies found themselves in contention for much of last season before fading down the stretch. Now, they appear to be in strong position to put an end to their seven-year playoff drought.