Aaron Ashby Signs Long Term Extension with Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers have locked in an important young player. Saturday, the club announced that the Brewers and left-handed pitcher Aaron Ashby agreed to a long-term extension that will keep him in Milwaukee for the foreseeable future.

The extension goes through the 2027 season, with team options in both 2028 and 2029. According to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman, the contract guarantees Ashby $20.5 million, but if the options in 2028 and 2029 are picked up and Ashby reaches various incentives, the extension could be worth up to $46 million.

What you need to know about Aaron Ashby’s extension with the Brewers.

Ashby, 24, has solidified himself as one of the most exciting young players on the Brewers roster. Drafted in 2018, Ashby made his MLB regular season and postseason debut in 2021. Last year, Ashby worked primarily out of the bullpen, posting a 4.55 ERA in over 31 innings pitched. This year, Ashby has transitioned to being mostly a starter, and he has a 4.57 ERA with 12 games started thus far.

Ashby’s success comes from his ability to generate swings and misses. According to Baseball Savant, this year, Ashby has made opponents swing and miss 30% of the time, which is in the 80th percentile for all pitchers. Additionally, Ashby has an average of 10.83 strikeouts per 9 innings, as he strikes out 26.8% of the batters he faces, which is in the 74th percentile for pitchers.

The biggest knock against Ashby is that he walks a lot of batters. Ashby has walked10.3% of the batters he has faced this year, which is in the 21st percentile for pitchers. Cutting back on the free passes will make Ashby into an elite pitcher, as he already has great movement on his pitches and does not give up hard contact.

For the Brewers, this extension locks in a young, talented pitcher for many more years. Freddy Peralta signed an extension that keeps him under club control until 2027; however, both Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff will become unrestricted free agents in 2025.

Burnes and Woodruff have positioned themselves to sign enormous contracts, along with Josh Hader, who will hit free agency in 2024. Locking in young talent that has the potential to outperform their contract when the pitching staff only gets more expensive in the coming years is crucial.

Overall, it is a good deal for both sides. Ashby is able to know that he will get over $20 million of guaranteed money, while the Brewers have faith that Ashby can outperform that contract and be worth much more in the near future.