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According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Milwaukee Brewers and Christian Yelich are on the verge of agreeing to a long-term contract extension that would make the 2018 National League MVP one of the highest paid players in baseball. Per Rosenthal:
The Brewers are close to agreement with Yelich on a new contract worth more than $200 million, major-league sources told The Athletic on Tuesday. The deal, likely to be for seven years, is expected to be announced Friday at the team’s spring-training facility in Maryvale, Arizona.
Ken goes on to say that it is not yet clear if this deal will supersede Yelich’s current contract, which runs through 2022 (including the team option year), or if it will begin after the current agreement expires. Yelich is slated to earn $12.5 mil this year, $14 mil in 2021, with a $15 mil option for 2022 under the terms of his current contract.
Yelich’s new deal would pay him in upwards of $30-$35 mil annually. Since being aqcuired from the Marlins prior to the 2018 season, Yelich has established himself as one of the premiere players in all of baseball. He has won back-to-back batting titles, hitting a combined .327/.415/.631 with 80 home runs and 52 steals in 277 games with Milwaukee. Yelich won the 2018 MVP award and was runner-up to Cody Bellinger in voting on the Senior Circuit last season.
UPDATE:
More on the terms:
#Brewers and Yelich are moving close to an extension as @Ken_Rosenthal 1st reported. I hear that the total will be nine yars at about $215M.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) March 3, 2020
Yelich contract will when concluded include a mutual option which if picked up would make it a 10-year deal #Brewers
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) March 3, 2020
Hear when concluded that the next two years on Yelich deal will stay the same $12.5 million this season and $14 million next. But the $15M 2022 option will be torn up and 7 yrs added for a total of 9 yrs in the $215M range
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) March 3, 2020
Once it's finalized, Christian Yelich's new deal with the Milwaukee Brewers will span from 2020 to 2028 and pay him in the neighborhood of $215 million, sources tell ESPN. It also will include a mutual option for the 2029 season.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 3, 2020
UPDATE 2:
Source confirms @JoelSherman1 report on terms of Yelich extension: Seven years in $190M range on top of remaining two years at $26.5M. Club option for 2022 will be eliminated. Deal also will include deferrals.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 3, 2020
If Yelich played out next 3 yrs, likely would have made more in free agcy if he maintained level of play/health. But there's risks, plus he'd be entering age-31 1st yr of fr-agt deal. This allows him to guarantee $215M without risk. #Brewers get good AAV but owe him thru age-37.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) March 3, 2020
Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference