Christian Yelich and Brewers close on $200 million extension

Baseball fans in Milwaukee can breathe a giant sigh of relief.

Christian Yelich is set to be the face of the Milwaukee Brewers franchise for the foreseeable future. All rumors of him jet-setting for Los Angeles in two seasons, or a down-the-road trade to stockpile prospects, can be laid to rest.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on Tuesday that the team and Yelich are close to agreeing to terms on a “monster extension.”

The deal is set to be worth in excess of $200 million, which goes into effect after the 2021 season.

There are still two years left on his current deal, and according to Joel Sherman of the MLB Network, this extension will begin at the start of the 2022 season. Yelich will make 12.5 million in 2020 and $15 million in 2021.

An official announcement is expected Friday at the team’s practice facility in Arizona, per The Athletic.

Yelich was named the 2018 National League MVP, and finished second for the award in 2019.

Despite missing the final month of last season due to a fractured kneecap, he still tallied 44 home runs and 97 RBI on the year.

Since the Brewers completed a trade with the Miami Marlins for him, he has produced 80 HR’s and 207 RBI, playing in 277 regular season games.

This season, Yelich is making the switch from right to left field. A move that he’s comfortable and familiar with. In 2014 he won the Gold Glove award playing left field for Miami.

“I’ll play wherever. Doesn’t matter to me. Wherever (Manager Craig Counsell) thinks will make us the best,” he told inquiring reporters at the team’s training facility during the first week of spring training.

“Whether that’s left, right, or wherever they want me. So it looks like we’re rolling with left again. Done it in the past, obviously. It’s not too big of a deal and if it makes us better, I am all for it.”

This extension will be largest contract in team history, and by a long shot. Ryan Braun is currently playing out the final year of a five-year, $105 million deal that was the franchise’s previous high payday. His base salary for 2020 is $16 million.

A majority of the Brewers’ spending in 2020 will be in the outfield. Lorenzo Cain is also making $16 million, meanwhile newcomer Avisaíl García is on a two-year deal worth $20 million, set to pay out a base of $7 million this season.

In celebration of this historic day for the bank account of Brewers’ owner Mark Attanasion, enjoy this YouTube video from the MLB. Nearly 10 minutes of Yeli highlights.

Here’s the mathematical breakdown of all of the ‘Milwaukee Essentials’ that Yelich theoretically purchase with $200 million.

11,111,110 cases of Miller Lite or
100,000,000 double-dip cones from Leon’s Custard or
8,695,651 General Admission Tickets to Summerfest or
The entire Milwaukee Bucks salary in 2020 and still have $70 million leftover

A wise person once said, don’t spend it all in one place.