Ryan Braun needs back surgery

[markedman5]

@Todd_Rosiak: Ryan Braun added he is going to need back surgery following the season. Declined to specify the issue and procedure.

[1992casey]

According to Sophia, it's a herniated disk. He'll be seeing a back specialist the first week of October, and recovery is expected to take about a month.

[jerichoholicninja]

Sure seems like this came on quickly. He was raking then all of a sudden out of the lineup because of a sore back and now needs surgery. All in a span of about 4 days.

[1992casey]

I think he's been experiencing back tightness to some degree all year. He says it's still manageable and that he can probably play before the season is out. I don't see any great need for him to do that, but if the risk isn't significant, I don't see much harm either.

[DocLuna7]

I am guessing that this hurts his trade value just in case his massive contract and past PED use didn't.

[logan82]

Not at all surprising. He has had core muscle problems most of his career.

[Baldkin]

Sure seems like this came on quickly. He was raking then all of a sudden out of the lineup because of a sore back and now needs surgery. All in a span of about 4 days.

 

Sadly, that's how back injuries work. I've got many family members who have had back issues (knock on wood) and one day everything is fine, the next, they can't walk normally.

[monty57]

I am guessing that this hurts his trade value just in case his massive contract and past PED use didn't.

 

That was my first thought when I heard about this. He's had a good season, and the Tulo trade gave me hope that they could trade him before age starts taking its toll. This pretty much ends that. I can't imagine another team would take the risk of trading for him until he once again proves himself after the surgery.

[MrTPlush]

Looks like we have a crippled mess for the rest of that contract unless he starts taking PEDs under the table again.

 

What a shame...

[tmwiese55]

Seems like a pretty minor thing really. Would expect him to hit fine again next year. Just seems it's one minor injury thing after another. I don't think they were ever trading him anyway, 3 or 4 more years like this one and the contract is fine.

 

Too bad there isn't something that exists that would help players overcome injuries so they can be on the field playing their best more often.

[monty57]

I pretty much agree with you tmwiese. I don't think they were planning on trading him, and I'd guess that this surgery will be healed up by next season. But if they did have thoughts about shopping him this offseason, those are probably gone now as other teams will want more assurance that he's healthy (aka they'll want to see him play).

 

I disagree about the contract being fine with 3-4 more decent years. He's under contract for eight more seasons, and we're paying him for (I believe) 15 more seasons. We should be in decent shape payroll-wise for the next few years, but right about the time we're hoping to start to shine again will be when Braun is likely to be showing signs of age while eating up a large portion of the payroll. He could very well be the reason we may have to make a decision between (for example) extending either Phillips or Arcia instead of keeping both of them.

 

He will probably be a Brewer for the long-haul and I will cheer him on, but I'd bet that this contract will not end well, and in a few years people will wish we were out from under that contract.

[logan82]

I pretty much agree with you tmwiese. I don't think they were planning on trading him, and I'd guess that this surgery will be healed up by next season. But if they did have thoughts about shopping him this offseason, those are probably gone now as other teams will want more assurance that he's healthy (aka they'll want to see him play).

 

I disagree about the contract being fine with 3-4 more decent years. He's under contract for eight more seasons, and we're paying him for (I believe) 15 more seasons. We should be in decent shape payroll-wise for the next few years, but right about the time we're hoping to start to shine again will be when Braun is likely to be showing signs of age while eating up a large portion of the payroll. He could very well be the reason we may have to make a decision between (for example) extending either Phillips or Arcia instead of keeping both of them.

 

He will probably be a Brewer for the long-haul and I will cheer him on, but I'd bet that this contract will not end well, and in a few years people will wish we were out from under that contract.

Nope, only until 2020. We do pay him until 2031 though, so we've got that going for us.

[reillymcshane]

I pretty much agree with you tmwiese. I don't think they were planning on trading him, and I'd guess that this surgery will be healed up by next season. But if they did have thoughts about shopping him this offseason, those are probably gone now as other teams will want more assurance that he's healthy (aka they'll want to see him play).

 

I disagree about the contract being fine with 3-4 more decent years. He's under contract for eight more seasons, and we're paying him for (I believe) 15 more seasons. We should be in decent shape payroll-wise for the next few years, but right about the time we're hoping to start to shine again will be when Braun is likely to be showing signs of age while eating up a large portion of the payroll. He could very well be the reason we may have to make a decision between (for example) extending either Phillips or Arcia instead of keeping both of them.

 

He will probably be a Brewer for the long-haul and I will cheer him on, but I'd bet that this contract will not end well, and in a few years people will wish we were out from under that contract.

Nope, only until 2020. We do pay him until 2031 though, so we've got that going for us.

 

Braun is under contract through 2020 (as noted), with a $15M mutual option for 2021 (with a $4M buyout).

 

Beginning in 2022, the team will pay Braun $1.8M every year for 10 years (total of $18M of deferred money). That goes through 2031.

[sveumrules]

Ryan Braun is currently slated to be the 36th highest paid player in MLB for 2016, by the time this winter's free agents sign he will be outside of the top 40 highest paid players.

 

He has produced a 130 wRC+ and is currently 30th in batting runs this year, though a couple few guys will probably pass him these next couple weeks.

 

His salary is more or less commensurate with his production, as long as he can hold steady and maintain health. Even if he'd finished out the season without needing this procedure I'm guessing teams still would have had enough reservations that he wasn't getting traded anyway so it doesn't really change anything.

 

If he can match this year's production and finish next year healthy I could see teams having interest then.

[tmwiese55]

I was just referring to it being generally fair and the team got return on the money that it's not considered a disaster. Whether you want him while re-building is another argument. However, I don't see the money being a huge deterrent in 2018ish as mentioned as all other guys will be arby or pre-arby. I suppose they only guy we might have to be giving a descent payday to by then will be Peralta and that's still up in the air. Financially, it's kind of the perfect time to have a high salary for a declining player really. And as long as he has years comparable to this one he'll be contributing plenty once we're good again. If he has another year or two like 2014 then you have a problem.

[monty57]

Nope, only until 2020.

 

That's what I get for trusting my memory and not referencing Cot's :-)

[pacopete4]

If we were in a pennant race, he'd be playing and we wouldn't of hear about this until after we were eliminated. While he might have to get a minor surgery (which, just do it now, the season's over), it sounds like a routine type of thing and he'll be back to his off season routine in a month. While it does raise an eyebrow because he is hurt with obscure injuries quite a bit, he had a really good season after many said he wouldn't. He is still an elite hitter in the game and is the focal point of our lineup. With the youth coming up and hopefully quicker than we expect, maybe he can be a part of the next run as well.

[I Heart Brewers]

So yeah, this is bad for his trade value, right?

[Bombers]

As others have said. By the time 2020 rolls around, he might not even be in the top 100 paid players. I really don't think his contract is a big deal compared to his production.

[monty57]

As others have said. By the time 2020 rolls around, he might not even be in the top 100 paid players. I really don't think his contract is a big deal compared to his production.

 

Unless they build a new stadium or move to a bigger market, the Brewers have pretty much maxed out their revenue streams (Mark A did a good job with that), and their TV deals don't really jump off the page like the new deals for big markets, so if in five years a $20M annual salary is not in the top 100 players, the Brewers are really in trouble. If this is the case, hopefully Stearns will be able to run the Brewers like Friedman ran the Rays, because they sure wouldn't be able to build the team through free agency.

[gregmag]

If he hits and the team plays next year like they did this year, I could imagine realistic trade scenarios at the deadline or next offseason. The contract, as others have said, really isn't extravagant by MLB standards, and the PED thing keeps getting further in the past.

[tmwiese55]

Agreed, but theoretically we hope to compete in 2017. So if he still looks good might as well keep him. There will likely be no other big salaries on the books so plenty space to pay his contract.

[reillymcshane]

Another important thing about Braun's contract is that he only gets $15M a year over the next five years. A lot of people say he is getting paid $20M a year - but in reality he has already received $10M in signing bonus money, plus another $18M is deferred. Thus, he only takes home $15M a year - not $20M like a lot of people believe.

[Boomer5]

Braun. The good news just keeps coming with this guy.