Milwaukee Brewers Nearing Extension with a Key Piece of Their Roster
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic broke significant news on Twitter this afternoon when he announced that the Milwaukee Brewers and outfielder Christian Yelich were nearing a contract extension. Rosenthal reported that the extension will likely end up being seven years and worth north of $200 million dollars when combined with the two years Yelich currently has on his contract.
BREAKING: Yelich, #Brewers close on $200M-plus deal, sources tell The Athletic. Story: https://t.co/wCK3eSMkt8
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 3, 2020
Additionally, according to Joel Sherman of New York Post, the deal will likely include a tenth year, mutual option between both parties also.
Yelich contract will when concluded include a mutual option which if picked up would make it a 10-year deal #Brewers
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) March 3, 2020
Christian Yelich the Hitter
Yelich has been the face of the Brewers team since the organization acquired him from the Miami Marlins ahead of the 2018 season. At the time, Yelich was seen as an impactful addition to the Brewers. It came at a time when the team was looking to take the next step forward towards contention. However, Yelich has been all of that and more over that period of time.
At the plate, Christian Yelich is extremely talented and that’s where a lot of his value comes from. Last year, over the span of 580 plate appearances with the Brewers, Yelich slashed: .329/.429/.671. During that span, Yelich recorded 44 home runs, 97 RBI, and had a Wins Above Replacement (WAR) value of 7.1.
Despite missing time at the end of the season due to injury, Yelich finished second in the NL MVP voting. He won the award during the 2018 season and with the numbers he put up prior to his injury, a repeat was certainly possible despite his injury. Besides being extremely talented at the plate, Yelich is a player that embodies the qualities of a five-tool player.
Aside from the offensive numbers and his ability to hit for power, Yelich is a leader for the Brewers as well. When a general manager is assembling a team, the qualities that Yelich provides is what is looked for. Yelich is continually starting team rallies and was a big part of the chemistry for the Brewers last year.
Milwaukee Brewers with Christian Yelich
Milwaukee Brewers fans have embraced Christian Yelich over the last two years. In fact, it has gotten to the point where he is the face of the team and someone that any baseball fan associates with the Brewers brand of baseball. For a small market team like Milwaukee, that is an extremely valuable tool to have.
By having someone like Yelich, the Brewers are able to market their brand of baseball to help with ticket sales. Furthermore, Yelich is someone that does a lot of community work and embodies the idea of giving back to charity. In the bigger picture, that’s a vital marketing asset to have for any sports franchise. Let alone the Milwaukee Brewers.
Given the expected terms of the contract extension, the Milwaukee Brewers know that Christian Yelich will be a centerpiece of the team for years to come. Therefore, they can plan and map out the future with that in mind.
Final Thoughts
In the end, Christian Yelich getting this type of contract extension should not be a surprise. Yelich has done more than enough over the last two years to prove his worth to the Brewers.
In fact, Milwaukee might end up saving money by making this move now compared to waiting another year or two. For the Brewers, the results will come on and off the field, from a marketing standpoint, and from a team chemistry angle.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
