Brewers' Christian Yelich Signs Largest Contract In Team History

MILWAUKEE, WI — On Friday morning, the Milwaukee Brewers made it official: their best player over the last two years will be with the team for nearly a decade.

According to multiple reports Friday, Yelich signed a nine-year contract with the Brewers estimated to be $215 million, including $188.5 million in new money, JSOnline reported.

Yelich still has two years left on the contract that he signed with the Marlins. He will be paid $12.5 million this year, and $14 million next year. He had a $15 club option for 2022, but that was discarded in favor of his new mega-deal with the Brewers.

Here are the terms of his new deal with the Brewers according to multiple reports:

• 2022-2028: $26 million salary.
• 2029: $20 million mutual option with a $6.5 million contract buyout.

The contract reportedly does not have any opt-outs and has a full no-trade clause.

Largest In Team History

The Yelich contract is easily the largest in team history. In fact, it's not even close. According to the team, here were the largest contracts until Friday.

2011: Ryan Braun signs a 5-year, $105 million extension

2018: Lorenzo Cain signs an $80 million free-agent contract.

2014: Matt Garza signs a 4-year, $50 million contract.

2008: Ryan Braun signed an 8-year, $45 million contract extension.

2006: Jeff Suppan signed a 4-year $42 million free-agent contract.

A FOX 6 report indicates that the Brewers are expected to announce the final form of that deal on Friday.

MVP In Year One

After five years in Miami, the Marlins knew who they were dealing to the Brewers: a young, athletic outfielder with decent power and a good bat. In five years with the Marlins, he hit .290 and hit 59 home runs. He had yet to make the All-Star team.

Upon coming to Milwaukee, Yelich became a prolific hitter. He led the league in batting average, slugging and OPS in year one, and earned NL MVP honors, as he led the team's offensive attack to within one game of the World Series.

He arguably performed better in an injury-shortened 2019 season. In 130 games, Yelich once again led the league in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging and OPS.

Then, injury struck late in the season.

Yelich took a swing at an inside pitch in the first inning of the Brewers game against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday, Sept. 10. Yelich fouled the ball off his right knee, and fell to the ground in agony. He would limp back to the dugout in obvious pain, and was replaced in the game by rookie Trent Grisham. Doctors later diagnosed a fractured kneecap.

Yelich was leading the Brewers in all three major batting categories, with a .330 batting average, 44 home runs and 97 runs batted in. He was leading the majors in slugging percentage and OPS.

Milwaukee's Lopsided Trade

Yelich came to the Brewer via trade in January 2018, after the Florida (now Miami) Marlins agreed to send Yelich to Milwaukee for four players: outfielder Lewis Brinson, who was acquired in the Jonathan Lucroy trade, infielder Isan Diaz, center fielder Monte Harrison and pitcher Jordan Yamamoto.

Brinson, the big part of the trade for Miami, just hasn't been able to catch on in the majors. In 205 games over the course of three seasons, Brinson batted .183 with 211 strikeouts and only 37 walks in 655 big-league at-bats. Harrison, 24, has yet to make the big leagues after spending 2019 at AAA. Diaz played in 49 games with the Marlins as a 23-year-old and batted .173 with 5 home runs and 31 hits in 179 at-bats. Unexpectedly, Yamamoto has performed the best of Milwaukee's former players, pitching 78-plus innings over 15 starts for the Marlins.