YELICH EXTENDED - 9 YEARS $215M, Mutual Option in 2029, Full No Trade, $28 million deferred

[long ball]

I don't care if this is a good, bad, or neutral deal for the Brewers. I'm excited that Yelich will be around for a long time.

[3and2Fastball]

Dang it, marlins won the trade for sure now.

 

Mark A just threw a bunch of sand for posters complaining the brewers were crying poor to pound. This is exactly what I thought the brewers could be trying to do with their payroll difference from last season. Pumped Yelich will likely retire as a brewer, and as soon as he cant play OF I'm guessing he will do just fine at 1st base!

 

Halfway through this deal there will be a DH in the NL, most likely....

[TJseven7]

A few people floated a roughly 7-200 extension and I laughed it off. I expected 6/240 or 7/280 when he hit FA. I thought there was zero chance he'd sign a 2nd early extension in his career.Strange dude. 34-36 should be real interesting but the next 6 should be good.

 

Most interesting to me though is that MKE had quotes flying around earlier this off season stating MKE wasn't looking to lock into deals that went beyond the current CBA.

 

Then in rapid succession Peralta and Yelich got one. It's as if they were waiting to see where talks were headed and saw them move in a way where it instantly became a time to buy. If MKE's spending is about to get a bump from the next CBA, this deal could look that much more manageable due to both buying power and market inflation.

[clancyphile]

Braun had $18M paid over 10 years deferred on his deal (per Spotrac). If Yelich has something similar his salary should be more than manageable for the length of his deal.

 

It will be interesting to see how much they deferred.

 

If they could defer about $50 million, then it comes to $20 million a year in the seven years after the two seasons of Yelich's current/new deal.

[homer]

Maybe new TV deal has something to do with it?

[Warning Track Power]

 

7 years, $188.5 per the link. Combined with 2 years, $26.5m left and the total is 9 years, $215m.

 

Unreal. I never thought I would be so happy for someone else getting $200m+.

[MadScientist]

Looking at a smattering of elite players, there's a good chance Yelich puts up excellent to elite level of production for 6 seasons and the final 3 at average to a bit above average offensive production. It should be worth it for the Brewers, and hopefully send a message to the team that they are serious about contending.

[BrewBalls]

 

7 years, $188.5 per the link. Combined with 2 years, $26.5m left and the total is 9 years, $215m.

 

Unreal. I never thought I would be so happy for someone else getting $200m+.

I feel the same way. I can't believe how much money Yelich is potentially leaving on the table. He clearly loves playing in Milwaukee and trusts what the front office is doing.

[MVP2110]

I'm literally stunned. I was resigned to the idea that we would trade him in a year or two.

[sveumrules]

Obviously they are two different players, but for comparisons sake...

 

Braun thru age 27 | 3177 PA | 145 OPS+ | 26.2 WAR

Yelich thru age 27 | 4043 PA | 137 OPS+ | 33.6 WAR

 

Yelich got an earlier start, which combined with better fielding (+23 vs -18) & baserunning (+32 vs +18) numbers, gives him the WAR edge over Braun.

 

Braun age 28-35 | 4022 PA | 127 OPS+ | 22.0 WAR

 

Given Yelich is a more well rounded player, I think he should have no problem topping those numbers over the life of the deal. He might top them in the next three (the WAR, not the PA).

 

Its obviously more complicated than this, but for quick & dirty purposes, assuming 9 million per WAR, the break even point is around 24 WAR.

[Bob Skube Snacks]

I couldn't care less about the contract length, money, etc. This isn't signing a journeyman to a five-year deal. The psychological meaning of this deal for our fanbase goes way beyond the usual financial/competitive considerations.

 

We all know as a team in the smallest TV market in MLB? It's not easy to retain talent. I'm so appreciative that we have an owner who doesn't go the cheap route when it would be very easy to.

 

The contract itself is secondary to the psychological impact it has on the fanbase. If the team is committed? We're committed as fans. Mark Attanasio is the best owner any of "my" teams has ever had given the challenges small market MLB teams have to compete. He walks on water as far as I'm concerned.

 

And the fans have shown they'll show up with the commitment too. Milwaukee was fifth in attendance in the NL in 2019. Sure, we were good, and all-weather Miller Park is massive in a cold weather state, but that's still a small miracle given how many big markets there are in the NL.

 

Selig was cheap in his last 15 years in charge, so we know what it's like to be the Pirates, Marlins, etc. This makes being a fan so much more fun and worth the emotional investment.

 

I'm all in on this. If the deal looks bad when Yelich is 35? I couldn't care less because it's bound to look fantastic in every year leading up to it.

 

Glad I follow a team that tries.

[clancyphile]

 

7 years, $188.5 per the link. Combined with 2 years, $26.5m left and the total is 9 years, $215m.

 

Unreal. I never thought I would be so happy for someone else getting $200m+.

I feel the same way. I can't believe how much money Yelich is potentially leaving on the table. He clearly loves playing in Milwaukee and trusts what the front office is doing.

 

Yes, that is a big part of it.

 

This is a team-friendly extension. I wonder just how team-friendly it is...

[SRB]

 

7 years, $188.5 per the link. Combined with 2 years, $26.5m left and the total is 9 years, $215m.

 

Unreal. I never thought I would be so happy for someone else getting $200m+.

 

Wow!! Has there been a more team friendly deal in recent memory anywhere else in baseball?

 

When I first heard there was an extension I was happy but a little wary of whether it made sense for a franchise like the Brewers. But there's no way to pass up a deal like that, for a guy still in his prime that for all intents and purposes has had back-to-back MVP seasons since coming over to the team.

[logan82]

How much money is deferred and at what point will this contract become a burden?

[LouisEly]

I can't believe how much money Yelich is potentially leaving on the table. He clearly loves playing in Milwaukee and trusts what the front office is doing.

There is also injury risk with Yelich. Not just the fractured kneecap and how that will play out over time, but he has also missed time with a back injury.

 

LF (and DH) are not premium defensive positions, thus his bat relative to others at the position isn't quite as much of a premium compared to other positions.

 

Both of those things discount his value. The Brewers have to discount his value due to injury risk, and Yelich takes on injury risk by waiting until he becomes a free agent, thus he discounts his value by removing that risk. IMO, that's why there is a perception of "money left on the table".

[liveforoctober]

I know this is getting way ahead of things, but Yelich just opened the door for an opportunity to be called the best player in Brewers history. Yount, Braun, Molitor, etc..

 

Knock on wood, Yelich just punched a ticket to the table.

[Jenkins5]

Yeli just cemented himself a nice statue at AmFam! When you consider inflation and importance of paying early, this is huge! The note above it it on the head as well. This deal means more to fans and city than anything. When you hear guys like Yount, Braun & Yeli say they want to be here and will risk leaving money on table to be here is special. Around sports, people think of Wisconsin & Milwaukee as a place to stop & leave for something bigger and better. Nice when players change that narrative a bit.

 

As for the deal. Yeli is a really good ball player. I think he has enough natural ability to hit the ball like Braun that he will continue success into his 30s. He isn’t a guy you need to worry about physically as much in terms of athletically (such as when considering Fielder for example). He will need to stay healthy and hopefully more so than Braun but even Braun has played enough each season to be a very productive bat for the Crew. Yeli gives you a little more athletically than Braun which adds good value as well.

 

Overall, deal is great on three fronts. Yeli is still going to make a ton of money. Brewers are keeping an elite player we figured would leave in FA or by trade in next few years. The state and fan base wins because this is a victory for small market Wisconsin Pride!

[Austin Tatious]

Great news. I’m not remotely surprised, though. I have thought all along that this was part of the plan.

 

How close to nailing this was I in the “trade Yelich” thread?

 

This time next year, you tear up the last two years and offer him 7 for $210. He's a great fit here and both sides love the relationship. Braun is coming off the books and a top 3 position player in the game is a different beast than a one year catcher. He's a face of the franchise. You realize the importance of that type of guy to your fan base.

 

All the black hat thinkers out there can mock me all they want, but that is my take on what we are planning.

[BrewFan130]

Obviously nothing is concrete, but I never thought we’d see Yelich wearing a Brewers jersey beyond 2022. Maybe it’s possible Yelich’s time with the Marlins has given him a true appreciation for playing for a team with energy surrounding the franchise and fans in the seats. Of course I think every fan of a well supported sports franchise feels their favorite team offers players an environment better than the other competing teams. But myself as a Brewers fan that has never lived in Milwaukee or Wisconsin for that matter, I really do think Milwaukee is a special city along with the entire state. It is beautiful in the summer time and has amazing attractions.

The best part of a contract of this potential size is that it wouldn’t completely hinder the teams ability to sign other talent

[brewmann04]

So were is the Mark A haters calling him cheap.

[anglotiger]

Not here... I seem to recall being one of those suggesting, a few months ago, that the reason for the lack of spending might be preparation for a Yelich extension.

 

Given that we're already seeing $30M+ p/a contracts being handed out to the superstars of the game, how much (barring injury) would Yelich have made as a free agent in three years time? This contract is probably going to look like a great deal in three years time. Will it still look like a great deal in six years? Who knows? For now, let's just enjoy it...

[adambr2]

Make no mistake, this is a team friendly deal. However, people are still missing what the value difference is between a player entering free agency and a player 3 years out from free agency. The team assumes a far greater risk extending a player far out from free agency. There is uncertainty. A player can regress, become injured, test positive for PEDs, a multitude of things can go wrong. If they do, the team is still on the hook for that massive future extension.

 

Yelich and his agent understand that. There is downside in this for him. The downside is that if he has 3 more MVP caliber years he would have hit free agency and likely been in line for $400M+. But the tremendous upside for him is that he is guaranteed $215M right now in life changing money no matter what happens the next 3 years. He chose to take the bird in hand and that's a very understandable decision to avoid the risks.

 

Yelich doesn't do this deal if it doesn't make sense from his side too.

[3and2Fastball]

So were is the Mark A haters calling him cheap.

 

I am absolutely thrilled to be wrong!!!

[brewerfan82]

While it's not a new acquisition for this season, this certainly extends DS' streak of exciting, post-December, big moves. Can't wait til next November when people are complaining the Brewers haven't done anything yet... again...

[igor67]

generally agreeing with adam's post with 3 years to go before he could really cash in there is a non-zero risk especially with some labor risk thrown in that he doesn't get the huge deal. As a position player that is rather unlikely, but still possible. So I think another factor maybe a combination of liking Milwaukee and/or not really wanting to hold out for the biggest markets in the future.