Brewers & Yelich Reportedly Nearing $200 Million Contract Extension

Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Milwaukee Brewers and Christian Yelich are nearing an agreement on a contract extension.

It’s a question that just about every Milwaukee Brewers fan has been wondering: When and if will they extend Christian Yelich?

Well, it looks like we may have our answer as it was just reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, that Yelich and the Brewers are currently in contract extension talks for a deal worth over $200 million.

The Brewers acquired Yelich via trade from the Miami Marlins prior to the beginning of the 2018 season. And since then he has become one of the best players in baseball. During that span, he has slashed a ridiculous .327/.415/.631 with an OPS of 1.046, along with 80 home runs and 207 RBIs. Of course, he was the 2018 MVP and may have won it again in 2019 if not for a late-season injury.

Under his current contract, according to Spotrac Yelich was set to make $12.5 million in 2020, $14 million in 2021, and there is an option in 2022 that would pay him $15 million if exercised. All of which are certainly far less than his true market value given his production that last two seasons.

Overall this is a deal that makes sense for both parties. Yelich gets the guarantees of a big-time raise three full seasons before he was set to become a free agent, and the Milwaukee Brewers lock up one of the best players in baseball for the foreseeable future.

For a small-market team like the Brewers who have to be mindful of what they spend each season, keeping a player of Yelich’s caliber in town is a huge win.