April 6: The Associated Press reports a complete breakdown of Pratt’s deal. He gets a $3MM signing bonus and a $2.5MM salary this season. He’ll make $3.5MM next year, $4MM each year through 2028-29, $5MM each in 2030-31, $10.75MM in 2032, and $13MM in 2033. The options are each worth $15MM and do not come with a purchase. Pratt can increase option values by finishing in the top 10 in MVP voting and earning a $200K bonus for every Gold Glove win and All-Star selection.
April 3: The Brewers announced Friday that Pratt signed his eight-year extension. He was selected to the 40-man roster and optioned to Triple-A Nashville. The one who plays outside Manager Berroa he was given a share in the same move.
March 30: Brewers and prospects Cooper Pratt it is reported that they are nearing the end of an eight-year contract worth $50.75MM. There will also be two club options worth around $15MM per year, although the value of those options could increase by escalator. The Brewers would have to make a similar move to add the Boras Corporation client to their 40-man roster.
It’s an amazing extension, out of nowhere. Pratt is 21 years old and has yet to reach the majors. He just made his Triple-A debut a few days ago. He wouldn’t even be eligible for the Rule 5 draft until December of 2027.
Extensions for players without major league experience are becoming more common but this one feels more extreme than others. Most early extensions have been for guys who are very close to breaking into the big leagues. The Brewers did one Jackson Chourio just two years ago, an $82MM guarantee, although that wasn’t all that surprising. Chourio finished last season at the Triple-A level and appears likely to break camp with Milwaukee in 2024 as one of the top three in the sport.
Pratt, on the other hand, is highly visible at the back of the top 100 prospect list. Baseball America is the top spot, ranking him at #50. MLB Pipeline has him at #62, ESPN at #70, The Athletic at #99 and he’s not even on FanGraphs’ list. He had a decent season in Double-A last year, with a .238/.343/.348 line and a 107 wRC+, and he just cracked the Triple-A level to start this season.
Perhaps it speaks to the Brewers very highly about Pratt’s future. Although his offense was average last year, the direction at the plate was clear. His 12.7% walk rate and 15.2% strikeout rate were both strong stats. He only hit eight home runs but maybe he can add more power over time. He stole 31 bags last year and is considered a solid defender at shortstop.
If the Brewers have faith in Pratt’s long-term future, it makes sense to lock him up now. That’s especially true if you’re a Boras client. That organization isn’t as good at extensions as its reputation, but the extensions they’ve made have almost always been for guys who have reached their middle age. According to MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, which has data going back to 2006, the Carlos González the agreement dating back to 2011 is the only pre-arbitration extension for Boras’ client.
In that context, perhaps the Brewers saw fit to take a gamble on Pratt, even though he’s still very young in his career. If they waited until he was in the big leagues for a few years, the price would go up if he had success. From Pratt’s point of view, this is his chance to lock in significant paychecks and avoid any potential earnings. Maybe he’ll find himself earning a bit more if he becomes a star, but he’s not the level of confidence Chourio was. He can play out this contract, including options, and continue to earn free agency after his age-30 season.
What remains to be seen is how this affects Milwaukee’s interim plans. Even if Pratt is signed to a major league contract, he doesn’t need to be on the active roster, because he can still be kept in the minors if he’s given optional work. Joey Ortiz was their everyday shortstop last year. He put up a tough .230/.276/.317 line at the plate but stole 14 bases and was tagged with 12 Outs Above Average. He’s still in that role and has a great line of .455/.500/.455 so far this year but in a small sample of 12 plate appearances.
Ortiz has been under the club’s control for years but the club may part ways with him at some point if he can’t put together a better offense in the long term. He has options and could be sent to the minors, or perhaps moved to a relief role as he has experience at second and third base. Pratt has limited experience at shortstop but is likely to handle second or third if the Brewers ask him to. Currently, Brice Turang a strong option on the keystone. Third base is more open, with David Hamilton again Luis Rengifo in the mix at the moment.
If you look down, most of those guys still have a lot of club control. Rengifo is on a one-year contract but Ortiz, Turang and Hamilton aren’t scheduled for free agency until after 2029. Jett Williams, Jesus Made again Luis Pena they are generally considered the top 100 guys to be in the mix at some point. Williams has already played at the Triple-A level, Made at Double-A and Pena at High-A. At some point on the horizon, the infield could feel crowded, possibly leading to a trade.
In the near term, the agreement could have other significant implications. With the deal in place, the Brewers may not worry about Pratt’s tenure, as he will be under club control for ten years anyway. The Prospect Promotion Incentive can also be interesting here. Pratt will be eligible for PPI as he is on the aforementioned prospect list. Although he missed the first few games of the season, it’s still early enough for the Brewers to call him a full year of service time.
However, a player who signs an extension before his major league debut is not eligible for PPI options for his team. Unless both sides agree to a deal in principle and not officially sign it until after Pratt’s start, PPI will be off the table.
All in all, a fascinating and curious extension, one that seems to lead to more questions than it answers. Perhaps the coming days will provide more clarity on the deal and what it means for all the other moving pieces in Milwaukee.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today first reported that the two sides were working on an eight-year contract worth more than $50MM, including those club options. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported some confirmation. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that there is an escalator in these options. Photos courtesy of Dave Kallmann, Imagn Images.
