Brewers: The 10 Biggest Contracts in Franchise History

Here are the ten biggest contracts in Brewers franchise history.

#7 (Tied): 2B Rickie Weeks – Four Years, $38.5MM

Coming off of his best season in 2010 where he led the league in plate appearances, at bats, and hit-by-pitches, the Brewers went ahead and locked up Rickie Weeks for the next four years. With injuries playing a bit of a role in his first season on the long-term contract, Weeks copied and pasted his season from a year ago, enough so to notch his first career All-Star appearance.

Weeks ended up finishing his contract with the Brewers before going to Seattle. By the end of his tenure he finished top 10 in the Brewers’ all-time list in multiple categories such as at-bats, plate appearances, runs scored, doubles, triples, and walks.

#7 (Tied): SP Ben Sheets – Four Years, $38.5MM

At the time of the extension signing, the four-year, $38.5MM contract given to Ben Sheets was the biggest contract in Brewers history. The two-time All-Star deserved every penny and continued to show out on his new contract as he earned two more All-Star appearances, as well as becoming the first Brewers pitcher to start a midsummer classic.

Sheets ended his time in Milwaukee as an All-Star, pitching a 3.09 ERA, as well as leading the league in shutouts (3). As the franchise’s second-leading pitcher in strikeouts (1206) and bWAR (25.6), he ranks as one of the greatest pitchers in Milwaukee history.

#6: SP Jeff Suppan – Four Years, $42MM

A majority of fans tend to look at this contract as possibly one of the biggest busts in franchise history as far as free agent signings go. Jeff Suppan wouldn’t even make it to the end of his contract, being released by the team midway through his fourth and final year of the deal.

Appearing in 110 games with the Brewers from 2007 to 2010, Suppan posted a 5.08 ERA while finishing with a 29-36 record. The lowest ERA he would end up putting up in a single season would be 4.62 in the first season of his contract.

#5: OF Ryan Braun – Eight Years, $45MM

Coming off of a phenomenal 2007 rookie season where he won the Rookie of the Year and finished 24th in the MVP voting, Ryan Braun jumped on his first big contract. Things only got better from there.

Braun spent the next five seasons piling up All-Star appearances and Silver Slugger awardswinner, as well as finishing top 15 in MVP voting every year, actually winning the award in the team’s 2011 playoff season. He led the National League in hits in 2009, slugging and OPS in 2011, and runs, homers, and OPS in 2012.

Here are the ten biggest contracts in Brewers franchise history.

#4: SP Matt Garza – Four years, $50MM

Going into the 2014 season, the Brewers attempted to make a big splash in free agency by signing former ALCS MVP Matt Garza to a four-year, $50MM contract. Unfortunately, Milwaukee fans want to forget his time with the Brewers as he was largely a bust, posting a 4.65 ERA in 96 games. With a 4.94 ERA in 114.2 innings, 2017 would end up being the final season of his career.

#3: OF Lorenzo Cain – Five years, $80MM

After leaving and winning a World Series with Kansas City, former 2004, 17th-round Brewers pick Lorenzo Cain decided to sign as a free agent with the Brewers going into the 2018 season. It was one of two big moves that now former Brewers GM David Stearns made to finally give the Brewers their first postseason berth in seven years.

Cain had a stellar first couple of seasons back with the Brewers as he earned an All-Star spot along with finishing seventh in MVP voting in his first year with the team. Then in 2019, he earned his much-deserved first Gold Glove. Cain opted out of the 2020 season after five games, dealt with injury issues in 2021, and then was designated for assignment last June.

#2: OF Ryan Braun – Five years, $105MM

Braun doubled down on his time with the Crew as he signed another extension in 2011, this time five more years worth $105MM. He repaid the Brewers with his MVP season and a near MVP the year after that.

Things would get tricky after that though between a PED-related suspension and a good number of games missed due to injury. Braun went on to play into the 2020 season earning one more All-Star appearance in 2015 and generally stayed productive for the Crew as long as he stayed healthy.

#1: OF Christian Yelich – Nine Years, $215MM

The other part of the two big moves made in the winter of 2018, Christian Yelich came on and made quite the name for himself as he made the All-Star team, won a Silver Slugger award, and was named the NL MVP all in his first season. If it wasn’t for him breaking his kneecap toward the end of 2019 he would’ve had the same result, but he instead finished second in MVP voting.

Those seasons earned Yelich a nine-year, $215MM contract, crushing the former biggest contract record for the franchise. Though the short-term production probably hasn’t been what fans had in mind for a contract like that, Yelich has plenty of years remaining to make up for it.

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Some big contracts work out and some don’t, as you can see from the Brewers’ own list. Who knows, maybe we get to see if another big contract works out after this offseason.