Ryan Braun signs extension thru 2020; 5yrs/$105MM [Latest: $18MM deferred]

[Warning Track Power]

Don't like it at all. Completely unnecessary. The Brewers had arguably the most team-friendly contract in baseball and had to go and ruin it with a huge added risk. They should've just waited another couple of years before even thinking about this. Something could happen and the Brewers could be paying 1/5 of their payroll to a guy that isn't producing for years and years and years.

Yeah I pretty much disagree with everything you just said other than the most team friendly deal.

 

Put Braun on the free agent market right now. What would you pay him? Would you give him a 10 year $145MM deal because that in essence is what he is due for the next 10 years. I for one can't imagine anyone not hopping on board this deal, especially if you were on board with giving CC or Prince $20MM/season. Is there risk with the deal? Of course. But would you rather go year to year with a hall of fame talent who has shown to be a consistent .300, 25 HR, 100 RBI guy? Good luck keeping him when free agency comes. Braun would have been a FA at the age of 32 in 2015. If he kept putting up these types of years the Brewers would have had 0% shot of keeping him in free agency. Look at the Tulowitzki deal and you will see why we had to do this now. As for long term risk contracts, I can't think of one player in baseball I'd rather risk giving a long term deal like this to than Ryan Braun.

[umphrey]

I have to imagine this wouldn't have happened if we had been quiet this offseason. I don't know if Braun would have signed his life to Milwaukee if we didn't show consistent effort in bringing in top caliber players at least once in every 3 years or so, while remaining competitive in the time between.

[The Truth]

Braun is one of just five players in Major League Baseball history to hit 125 homers and post a .300 career batting average over the first four seasons of his career (the others are Joe DiMaggio, Chuck Klein, Albert Pujols and Ted Williams).

 

That, to me, says it all. Braun has the potential to be one of the greatest hitters of all-time. In his first 4 years, he is. And by all appearances, it seems like he's even better (so far) this season

[monty57]

Braun strikes me as the kind of person that would want to be the front and center franchise piece that wants to drive his home team to the World Series one day. I don't think the money matters much to him as long as he's getting at least ~75% of what top dollar would be, which is right about where I would place this contract. I have to think this makes Greinke super comfortable about signing, something I expect to happen next offseason if we go to the playoffs. He strikes me as having the same mentality.

This makes some sense. A player can be one of many great Yankees, who will always be overshadowed by others, or they can be a folk hero in Wisconsin for the next 100 years. When CC left, he made a statement insinuating that he was more comfortable where he wouldn't be the one superstar with the spotlight shining on him, and would rather have teammates getting the attention. I think Braun is happy to be "the man" in Milwaukee.

[Raw Biz]

Don't like it at all. Completely unnecessary. The Brewers had arguably the most team-friendly contract in baseball and had to go and ruin it with a huge added risk. They should've just waited another couple of years before even thinking about this. Something could happen and the Brewers could be paying 1/5 of their payroll to a guy that isn't producing for years and years and years.

Yeah I pretty much disagree with everything you just said other than the most team friendly deal.

Same here. If they wait a couple of years before even thinking about an extension like this, you're probably looking at a 5 year 120-125 million or higher extension. Like others said, there's obvious risk but it's worth it IMO.

[Warning Track Power]

Braun strikes me as the kind of person that would want to be the front and center franchise piece that wants to drive his home team to the World Series one day. I don't think the money matters much to him as long as he's getting at least ~75% of what top dollar would be, which is right about where I would place this contract. I have to think this makes Greinke super comfortable about signing, something I expect to happen next offseason if we go to the playoffs. He strikes me as having the same mentality.

This makes some sense. A player can be one of many great Yankees, who will always be overshadowed by others, or they can be a folk hero in Wisconsin for the next 100 years. When CC left, he made a statement insinuating that he was more comfortable where he wouldn't be the one superstar with the spotlight shining on him, and would rather have teammates getting the attention. I think Braun is happy to be "the man" in Milwaukee.

I remember this as well. After this statement was made I was more okay with CC not signing with the Brewers. I am more comfortable when my team's stud players have "the man" mentality.

[bylo tesi me]

I'm sure back in 2008 when Braun signed his original extention, it was probably with an agreement that it would be re-examined in a few years should Braun prove to be the player that he has been. No player is happy to be underpaid and Braun would've been underpaid in the final years of his original contract.

 

I'm happy for Braun and the Brewers, every team needs star players who become the face of the franchise, which Braun now clearly is.

However locking anyone up for 9 years at over 100 Mil. will always make me nervous, that's a long time and alot could happen. Hopefully Braun takes this responsibility he now has to continue to improve his game defensively as well as all other areas to truly justify the commitment the Brewers have invested in him.

[Baldkin]

I'm sure back in 2008 when Braun signed his original extention, it was probably with an agreement that it would be re-examined in a few years should Braun prove to be the player that he has been. No player is happy to be underpaid and Braun would've been underpaid in the final years of his original contract.

Well, the reason he signed that is because of how the union has negotiated it's contracts. That players are under team control for 6 years and go through the arbitration process. He would've ended up making more money through 7 years than he would have otherwise, and maybe a bit less over 8.

 

I will go on record that this exact same deal probably could've been done 2 years from now, instead of 4.5 years from him being a free agent. I can't help but think of Alphonso Soriano's deal with the Cubs...

[crewcrazy]

The press conference will be starting momentarily. Video streaming on brewers.com (it drops down from the top after awhile), and audio streaming is on 620 WTMJ's website, for those interested.

[Oxy]

I'm sure back in 2008 when Braun signed his original extention, it was probably with an agreement that it would be re-examined in a few years should Braun prove to be the player that he has been. No player is happy to be underpaid and Braun would've been underpaid in the final years of his original contract.

Well, the reason he signed that is because of how the union has negotiated it's contracts. That players are under team control for 6 years and go through the arbitration process. He would've ended up making more money through 7 years than he would have otherwise, and maybe a bit less over 8.

 

I will go on record that this exact same deal probably could've been done 2 years from now, instead of 4.5 years from him being a free agent. I can't help but think of Alphonso Soriano's deal with the Cubs...

This is true, but I would guess that Braun and Bolelo approached the Brewers about the extension. So far, there is absolutely NOTHING about Braun which makes one worry about him being able to keep it up, thus when a player like that approaches you about an extension you talk to them and figure something out. To tell Braun "Meh, give us a couple more years" would be a slight slap in the face to Braun, damaging the relationship and perhaps giving him reason to walk or ask for more money.

[Invader3K]

This might have been posted already, but from Ryan Braun's Facebook fan page:

 

 

I'm going to be a Milwaukee Brewer through at least 2020!! I've grown attached to Milwaukee and most importantly the Brewer fans. I consider it a privilege to have the opportunity to play here for the next 10 years. I'm excited about the direction of the organization and our chance to win. My goal is to bring a World Series Championship to the Brewers organization and the city of Milwaukee and I promise to do everything in my power to make that dream a reality! Thank you to the Brewers organization for making this possible.

 

That bolded part made me smile.

[Schlitz001]

The news conference for Ryan Braun is just starting up.

[Spidey]

I think Braun's conditioning this offseason was a good sign. He worked his lower body for more power, and I think he's poised for a great year this year. I think his dedication to his game and his body contributed to the Brewer's extending him to age 36. I think Braun is the type of athlete that would age better than others, and I am excited for him to be a Brewer long-term. I like the financial certainty that it gives the front office for making future roster moves, and I like the prospect that Braun's stay may attract future stars to come to Milwaukee. I wouldn't get too hard on Fielder, he is making a choice based on business (can't really blame him for that), plus he's probably more suited to DH in a few years (or now) anyway. I just hope that Braun as "the man" will leave the GM'ing to the front office, and focus on playing baseball. Love the deal, and I'm even more excited about the Brewers! Just keep taking Halladay deep!

[danzig6767]

I'm sure back in 2008 when Braun signed his original extention, it was probably with an agreement that it would be re-examined in a few years should Braun prove to be the player that he has been. No player is happy to be underpaid and Braun would've been underpaid in the final years of his original contract.

Well, the reason he signed that is because of how the union has negotiated it's contracts. That players are under team control for 6 years and go through the arbitration process. He would've ended up making more money through 7 years than he would have otherwise, and maybe a bit less over 8.

 

I will go on record that this exact same deal probably could've been done 2 years from now, instead of 4.5 years from him being a free agent. I can't help but think of Alphonso Soriano's deal with the Cubs...

There certainly is risk in doing this, but if Ryan keeps performing at a high level, no way he'd have signed for this dollar amount if he was only two years from free agency.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I'm not one to approve the offering of long term contracts for sentimental reasons, or before it's really necessary. But in this case, I see some reasoning behind it. Yes, there's risk involved. But the potential reward vastly outweighs the risk, IMO. 16 mil for a cOF in 2020 probably will be about the going rate for league average, in all reality.

[Bombers]

I think this is a great deal and the fact he deferred money to keep the team competitive is great. What a class act Braun is.

[Dollarbill13]

Braun is making $4M in '11, $6M in '12, and $8.5M in '13 which are his would-be arbitration years. We now own his next 7 free agent years for $127M. Compare that to the 7 year $148M contract that Adrian Gonzalez signed and we are getting a huge steal, even considering how much in advance we are doing this. Also keep in mind that assuming a 4% inflation rate, salaries could be almost 50% higher by the time this contract ends compared to today.

[BCZF]

Agreed.. The deferred money is a big "Favre type" help...

 

You gotta show future FA's that there can be rewards for sticking it out with a med/small market team as well..

 

And I agree completely that this is a message to Boras, not that it will make a hell of a lot of difference, but it does show this team rewards it's home grown..

 

He's in good condition, minus some fluke injuries here and there, and plays a generally low injury position..

[tstads20]

It's nice to see a lot of people here are high on this deal, I was getting depressed reading some people's thoughts as to why its too risky to give him money when he'll be "regressing". I like this deal a lot.

 

He may drop off a bit during those years he'll be making that money, but

not to the point where he'll be a black hole in the lineup. In order to

maintain success, you have to keep fans coming to the ballpark so you

can afford other players. Free agents will say "hey, they have

Ryan Braun, that's a name I know and a guy I wanna play with". It's an

investment, and every investment has a risk, it's the type of move a

small market has to take sometimes.

 

For the fans, this is symbolic. Braun is the face of the franchise, he's a

name people will know coming to a park every year. Right now, his name

is linked with success. It is a

sign that the Brewers are staying competitive and trying to win, and he'll probably still be a better hitter than half the guys in the league at 34. Awesome signing.

[markedman5]

He said in the press conference that he approached the team in spring training after talking to his family. He said the fans were the biggest reason he wanted to be here for his whole career because of the way they have treated him and how they support the team. He also mentioned how much he appreciates not getting rained out or having to play in the cold(the roof was a fantastic idea).

 

Melvin and Mark A said they were surprised that he approached them about an extension with so much time left on his deal but that it was clear how much he lovecd being in Milwaukee.

 

They said the negotiations were handled like a partnership and the goal was to lock up a key part of the team but still give them the flexibility to build a winning team around Ryan.

[jeffy]

I think Braun is a little more financially savvy than most players. He understands that what he's now guaranteed is an insanely large amount of money. Why risk playing the lottery and potentially gaining more money, but knowing that any day an injury can cause you to never get another dime?

 

Yes, savvy and risk averse. In addition to injury, other things could happen, such as the assumption of ever rising salaries for athletes could prove wrong for any number of reasons. He has guaranteed himself an additional $100 million and without the extension he'd not be able to try to arrange this until 2016.

[bjkrautk]

If there was any doubt as to who the face of the franchise is (Braun v. Prince), it's no longer a question.

For the first time in years, I do feel comfortable buying a player jersey.
There is some definite risk given the length of the contract. For anyone who remembers Moneyball, I can think of at least one player discussed in comparison to the all-time greats who slipped off significantly from that pace. While there are certainly teams out there who could absorb the damage if Braun stumbles in his 30s, the Brewers aren't one of them.

That being said, a perennial all-star wants to stay in Milwaukee, and signed a contract that - without being exorbitant - means he will likely spend his entire career in Brewer blue. Hard not to be excited by that.

[Funketown]

Wow, I didn't expect to see this when I logged on to Brewerfan. Here's my take:

 

This is a lot of money and the Brewers are taking on a ton of risk by signing this deal. Braun is a bad defensive outfielder and will continue to get worse. I don't see why this couldn't have been done in a couple years, but perhaps this talk would have been off the table by then. Hopefully he'll be willing to move to 1B if he gets much worse at LF.

 

The Brewers have made it clear that Braun is their franchise guy. It's rare in sports today to be able to cheer for one player for fifteen years, and having this guy in Milwaukee for his entire career is something we should all enjoy. I probably wouldn't want to be the guy putting $105 million on this guy for 2016-2020 though.

[endaround]

Meh. Paying $10million today in order to have along term deal with a guy in his mid 30s 5 years from now? Its not terrible but the amount of risk taken on is huge for what might be very little savings. The idea that salaries keep going up is how you get Vernon Wells type deals.

[kestrel79]

Nice suit Brauny...