'This is my family:' With 7-year deal, Rox ready to build around Tovar

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar was barely a teen when he left his Venezuela home for San Pedro, Dominican Republic to live at a baseball academy in order to be seen by scouts. One day at just 15, he briefly feared his dream was over.

“I was in the Dominican, taking batting practice and they told me, ‘Hey, you have to go home and meet some people,’” Tovar said, with Rockies bullpen catcher Aaron Mu?oz. “I thought I was being released or fired. But I ended up getting an opportunity to try out.”

Those scary, humble times led to Tovar joining a club he has come to view as “family.” On Tuesday, Tovar solidified his status as a favorite son in age, and father figure in manner, when the club officially announced his seven-year contract extension with a club option for an eighth season. The Rockies did not announce terms, but multiple reports place the deal at $63.5 million, with the option year worth $25 million with a $2.5 million buyout.

The contract comes after Tovar became a Gold Glove finalist and set several club rookie records last season.

“I signed here as a 16-year-old, so I feel like this is my family,” said Tovar, 22. “That’s huge.

“As a kid you dream about being a big leaguer, and that’s it. You know you don't think about anything else.”

Tovar acknowledged that talks lasted about a week, with both sides wanting the extension.

“The player wants to be here,” manager Bud Black said. “When that came to light, that Ezequiel wanted to do this, the Rockies engaged.”

Tovar entered the Majors on Sept. 23, 2022 as the youngest position player in franchise history (21 and 53 days), and last year became the youngest player in club history to start on Opening Day (21 and 240 days). Last season, Tovar struggled through the first month offensively, but by year’s end he had 15 home runs and tied new Hall of Famer Todd Helton’s club rookie doubles record with 37. His 73 RBIs and 56 extra-base hits were the most for a Rockies rookie since Troy Tulowitzki’s 99 RBIs and 62 extra-base hits in 2007.

Defensively, Tovar’s .988 fielding percentage eclipsed Tulowitzki's MLB rookie shortstop record of .987, set in ‘07.

“First foremost we believe in him -- what he is currently and what he has a chance to be down the road,” general manager Bill Schmidt said. “We think he has a chance to be on the road to be a very, very good player. When you look around the league at some people, we believe in him. Like a lot of our guys, we envision him being someone we envision building around.”

Tovar’s early career indicates he can is an indication that he can carry the Rockies’ lengthy tradition at the shortstop position, from the earliest days with Vinny Castilla and Walt Weiss, to Gold Glovers Tulowitzki and Neifi Perez plus Clint Barmes in between, to his immediate predecessor, Trevor Story (Red Sox).

“No doubt those players are great ballplayers, but I want to show what I can do as a player,” Tovar said. “I’ve got a big torch to hold for seven years as a Rockie, and I want to continue to do that.”