Ryan Braun signs: 8/$45M, 8/$51M if super two; includes this year, buys out 2 FA years; Latest: salary breakdown (reply #205)

[jazzytrav]

Ryan Braun, you're my favorite.

[jhart05]

Did the presser start already? I'm trying to watch online at school, but it's not working for me if it started

 

It's not working for me either here at work.

[DrugBust]

I don't see why Prince would be upset with this. I'm sure that there have been attempts to get him to sign a long term deal. If he wants to wait it out, then that's his prerogative.

[SZBrewerFan]

Ryan Braun is the face of the Milwaukee Brewers. Watching that press conference he is such a well spoken young man who seems to really have a head on his shoulders. Ryan's parents should be very proud of him, and I am glad he is representing our team for the next 8 years.

[Patrick425]

WOW..I'm stunned. I expected it to me much more for 7 years not 8. I was looking for something around 7 or 8 million per year.

 

And yeah..not on TMJ?..Huh. Are they not the official Brewer network?

[Bankjob]

JJHardy7[/b]]If 8 years, $45 million is correct, thats just over $5.5 million per year. Definitely seems like a good deal.

 

Agreed. I have a feeling (this is just my opinion) that this signifies Fielder will be shown the door sooner rather than later. I don't think Prince would take $90 million over 8 years as long as Boras is around and hopefully Prince handles Braun's contract with class, but I could see him being publicly upset about it.

I do not think Prince will be publicly or privately upset. The option is there for him and the only time he has been upset has been preseason, which is not uncommon for professional athletes......ala Brian Urlacher, Sterling Sharpe, Geoff Jenkins, etc.

 

Once the regular season starts it is all business.

[tomwopat]

I can just imagine the opposing team's fans rolling their eyes and thinking "oh great, now he'll be even MORE cocky."

[crewcrazy]

I love the fact that this buys out two years of FA. Locking up a player of Braun's caliber long-term isn't easy to do when you're in the financial situation the Brewers are, but I think this speaks highly of both Melvin and Braun -- DM was willing to take the risk, and Ryan was willing to stay in Milwaukee long term. This is definitely a relief, since I was almost sure Braun would end up playing for his hometown Dodgers one day.

[BrewCrewForever]

I would love to see Brauny have a big day today to celebrate.

[fondybrewfan]

JJHardy7[/b]]If 8 years, $45 million is correct, thats just over $5.5 million per year. Definitely seems like a good deal.

 

Agreed. I have a feeling (this is just my opinion) that this signifies Fielder will be shown the door sooner rather than later. I don't think Prince would take $90 million over 8 years as long as Boras is around and hopefully Prince handles Braun's contract with class, but I could see him being publicly upset about it.

I do not think Prince will be publicly or privately upset. The option is there for him and the only time he has been upset has been preseason, which is not uncommon for professional athletes......ala Brian Urlacher, Sterling Sharpe, Geoff Jenkins, etc.

 

Once the regular season starts it is all business.

Well if he continues to play well below expectation this year he might become more inclined to have a sudden change of heart.

[uwbufu24]

WTMJ is the Charlie Sykes echo-chamber network more than the Brewers network.

[brewcrew00]

So if he knew this was going to happen for "4-5 days now" you wonder if the weight lifted off his shoulder got the bat going.

[JJHardy7]

I do not think Prince will be publicly or privately upset. The option is there for him and the only time he has been upset has been preseason, which is not uncommon for professional athletes......ala Brian Urlacher, Sterling Sharpe, Geoff Jenkins, etc.

 

Once the regular season starts it is all business.

 

This could be true, but even at a business people want to be compensated appropriately. Braun has $45 million guaranteed and Prince has his current deal ($600k or so?). That's a significant difference and if Prince doesn't allow it to get to his emotions more power to him. I personally would be quite upset and maybe not necessarily at the Brewers, but just the situation as a whole. He's getting his and I'm not getting mine. I just have a feeling some of the emotion that gets to Fielder might be fed straight from Boras in terms of let's get out of Milwaukee because it's not fair and you need to get paid.

[jazzytrav]

Oh, but just wait until Braun pulls up next to Prince in his new car, or invites him over for a housewarming party. Braun is now making an obscene amount more than Prince.

[Bankjob]

Again...if Prince is jealous and wants to get paid now the option is there for him and realisticly it would probably be in the 6 year $80 million range if I had to guess.

[jhart05]

Kudos to Melvin and mainly to the man with the checkbook, Mark Attanasio, for getting this done.

 

Next up, Corey Hart.

 

Prince, if you want in on this, step up and put your name on the dotted line. If not, they have this guy named LaPorta, who can take over for you.

[brewcrew00]

Prince, if you want in on this, step up and put your name on the dotted line. If not, they have this guy named LaPorta, who can take over for you.

Agreed. In the history of sports, there have been a couple handfuls of players who were "irreplaceable" Prince is not one of them. If he gets mad, or feels slighted, it's his loss.

 

[crewcrazy]

Melvin said during the press conference that nothing else is going on right now on the extension front...he said the negotiations pretty much ended at the end of Spring Training for everyone, but Braun and his agent called up DM and asked if they would be interested in continuing the negotiations, so they did.

 

Like everyone else said, if Prince wants to get his money, let him have Boras call up DM and start up negotiations again.

[Oldcity]

Well, I take back most of what I was saying now that it's buys out two FA years. That's huge, and the money is quite a bit less than what I had feared.

 

This won't really affect a potential Sheets extension, either. Have to think Hart is the next one to be extended.

[JJHardy7]

Again...if Prince is jealous and wants to get paid now the option is there for him and realisticly it would probably be in the 6 year $80 million range if I had to guess.

 

I'm not saying the option is there and your numbers are pure speculation. I would guess they offered Prince about the same amount (just my guess) and nothing is happening with Prince per Melvin:

 

GM Doug Melvin just told us that there is no progress in talks with first baseman Prince Fielder, or any other player.

 

"We don't have anything ongoing at this time," said Melvin.

 

http://blogs.jsonline.com/brewers/archive/2008/05/15/braun-deal-is-worth-45-million.aspx

[brewcrew00]

I also think it's funny that Tulo (with 1 year service time, and I know the positions are relative) got a 6 yrs., $31 Million dollar deal. Second to Braun once again.

[TauPentaRei]

Wow, 7 years instead of 6 but now it's all guaranteed. Why am I supposed to get excited about this?

you kiddin me?

 

Presumed Baseline:

08: 455K (Brewers's rating system)

09: 660K (ditto)

10: 950K (ditto)

11: 7M (arby year 1)

12: 8.5M (arby year 2)

13: 10M (arby year 3)

14: 15M (FA year 1)

15: 15M (FA year 2)

 

I think those numbers are reasonably on the conservative side of life... and that is 8 years totaling 57.5M.

 

45M is wonderful!

edit: the giant *assumption in the room is production. I'll roll the dice with this one 10 times outta 10

[MillerParkSouth]

"I hope this starts a trend," he said. "It would be great if we could all play together for a while."

 

yes, yes it would. I'm looking at you Prince. don't drop the ball, make the call!

[naivin]

This deal is a steal. Obviously a lot of money and a risk for the Brewers, but what I really like about it, not knowing exactly how the deal is structured - obviously not just $5-6 million per year, but if you look 5,6,7 years down the line, there is a very good chance that Braun will be viewed as underpaid. That gives the Brewers limitless opportunity. They could choose at that time to tear it up and extend him for another 4-5 years to keep him out of FA again. If they don't want to do that, a cheap Ryan Braun signed for a couple years could draw an unbleievable return on the trade market.

 

The risk/reward on this one is huge.

[Tbadder]

God, when the Brewers start throwing money around I really get nervous (I'm a victim of old school Brewer thinking). But this is a great deal for the money. I'm opposed to signing Hart though. I think that money needs to be put into pitching. Outfielders are easy to come by. I'd wait till next year to see if Gallardo is okay. I'd use some of the "Hart Money" to pay over slot for big time pitchers who slide in the upcoming draft I agree with those that say let Fielder brood. Boras needs a little pressure on him--Boras has let down plenty of his players and people need to see that. Besides I think Fielder could be dumped for a boatload of players and we could insert Gamel there (way better choice than LaPorta, keep him in the outfield).