3 young Brewers who could still receive early contract extensions, 2 who never will

Long-term extensions at the beginning of MLB players' careers are all the rage right now. It's a gamble that, when it pays off, does so handsomely. The organization not only gains extra years of control for one of their key players, but generally also retains them at a lower cost than what the player would command on the free agent market.

The risk, however, is that contracts in baseball are guaranteed, meaning once a player puts pen to paper on a long-term deal, whatever money they agree to will end up being paid by the club regardless of injury or underperformance.

This phenomenon of locking young players into lengthy deals poses a conundrum for a small-market ballclub like the Milwaukee Brewers. On one hand, these types of contracts allow the Brewers to keep their star players through the prime years of their careers at a relatively modest price when they work out well. However, should things go awry, the cash-strapped Brewers can't afford to work around big contracts on their payroll tied to unproductive players in the same way other, big-market teams can.

However, the most recent example of Milwaukee handing one of their emerging stars a long-term contract at the beginning of their career has worked out quite well for the Brewers so far. After giving Jackson Chourio an 8-year, $82 million contract prior to his MLB debut, the young outfielder has turned around and posted 20 HR/20 SB seasons in each of his two years in the big leagues, suggesting that his contract will age quite well for the Brewers. Said deal, paired with the fact that Brewers fans have had to watch many of their stars depart in trades in recent years, has understandably made the fanbase excited about the prospect of executing more of these types of deals.

The Brewers have already followed suit by handing shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt an 8-year, $50.75 million contract despite the 21-year-old still having something to prove at the Triple-A level. However, the Brewers shouldn't stop there, especially if the upcoming labor negotiations result in small-market teams having to spend more than they currently do -- which looks like a real possibility. Here are three names the Brewers may still have a chance of signing to long-term deals, and two who the club has probably waited too long on.

3 rising stars the Brewers should think about extending in the near future

1. RHP Jacob Misiorowski

The flame-throwing Jacob Misiorowski is less than one year into his MLB career, and already he's turning into a bona fide star. Miz already has an All-Star Game appearance, a dominant postseason performance, and an Opening Day start under his belt, and the 24-year-old is only getting better. Through his first nine starts of the 2026 season, Miz is boasting a 2.12 ERA, with a 0.90 WHIP, and an MLB-leading 80 punch outs.

All signs point to Misiorowski becoming the Brewers' next homegrown ace. However, when it comes to a long-term extension, there are two concerns from the club's perspective: price and health. On the topic of price, Miz has had such a successful start to his career that his camp might already be able to demand a price that the Brewers aren't comfortable with. It's rare for a player to have that kind of bargaining power less than one year into his major league career, but Miz is no ordinary player. The concern of health has less to do with Misiorowski's own injury history, which is impressively short, and more to do with the frequency of pitching injuries in today's game as a whole. Long-term pitcher contracts are therefore much rarer and riskier for teams like the Brewers.

However, while the Brewers seldom hand out lengthy contracts to pitchers, they have recently executed a pair of pre-arb extensions to Freddy Peralta and Aaron Ashby. Both Peralta and Ashby signed five-year contracts that bought out their final two pre-arbitration years and all of their arbitration years. The two club options on the end of both contracts are the Brewers' reward for offering their young arms cost certainty through the early years of their careers. Miz will be in the same spot after the 2026 season, so it's possible the Brewers attempt a similar deal and provide that same certainty through Miz's arbitration seasons and maybe buy out a free agent year or two. However, it's likely the flame-thrower will have the power to command an even longer-term deal, which could complicate the process.

2. LHP Kyle Harrison

Perhaps the 24-year-old starting pitcher that the Brewers are more likely to sign to a contract extension is left-hander Kyle Harrison. Since joining the Brewers via the Caleb Durbin trade with the Boston Red Sox this past winter, Harrison has done nothing but impress in a Brewers uniform. The southpaw holds a 2.09 ERA through eight starts and has struck out an impressive 48 batters in 38.2 innings pitched.

Harrison is backing up his impressive start to the 2026 season with strong underlying metrics that indicate his hot start is no fluke. The Brewers clearly like the profile, as they prioritized him in a trade this offseason, and believed in him by putting him in the Opening Day rotation -- a decision that has worked out excellently. That belief could easily translate into a long-term deal, which Harrison, who has spent time with three different MLB organizations before his 25th birthday, would likely welcome. Harrison is thriving with the Brewers and having the assurance of a long-term deal could help him grow as a pitcher even more.

Ashby and Peralta's contracts are once again good comps for what Harrison might seek out. He's set to hit arbitration after the 2027 season, meaning he has four years of team control remaining as things currently stand. A five or six year deal, potentially with a club option on the end, would allow Harrison to still hit the free agent market around his age-30 season. For the Brewers, such a deal would offer cost stability through the arbitration process, which could get expensive if Harrison continues to pitch like he has, and give the club an extra year or two of control. A Harrison extension feels far more feasible than a Misiorowski deal at this point.

3. SS prospect Jesús Made

The Brewers don't have a ton of realistic extension candidates on the position player side, but more on that later. However, Milwaukee does have a ridiculously talented farm system, chock-full of position players who are fast-approaching their major league debuts. While the Brewers did already sign one prospect, Pratt, to a long-term deal, that shouldn't prevent them from pursuing a lengthy contract with their top prospect, Jesús Made.

Made became the No. 1 overall prospect in baseball earlier this week, and has continued to impress in Double-A despite being the youngest player at the level. Basically every prospect evaluator now agrees that Made is the best prospect in the game, suggesting that a very successful major league career is ahead of him. In an effort to get ahead of the large paychecks that accompany a successful big league career, the Brewers should (and likely have already begun to) discuss a potential long-term deal with the 19-year-old Made.

Not only did Pratt sign a long-term contract this season, but several young shortstops around the league have agreed to terms with their clubs as well. Konnor Griffin signed a 9-year, $140 million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kevin McGonigle signed an 8-year, $150 million deal with the Detroit Tigers, and Colt Emerson signed an 8-year, $95 million deal with the Seattle Mariners. With the precedent set, a Made extension won't come cheap, but if he becomes the player everyone thinks he will be, such a deal will be more than worth it. For more on what a Made extension could look like, be sure to check out the link provided below.

Projecting the cost of a Brewers extension for new No. 1 prospect Jesús Made

The Brewers likely missed their chance to extend these two stars

1. C William Contreras

William Contreras is one of the most important pieces of the Brewers' recent string of success. Manager Pat Murphy constantly gives credit to Contreras for his impact on the pitching staff, which the 28-year-old backstop pairs with Silver Slugger-level offense at the plate. There's no denying Contreras would be the perfect player for the Brewers to splurge on and sign to a long-term deal, but the money he will command on the free agent market is simply too much.

Contreras isn't a free agent until after the 2027 season, but as Brewers fans know, important decisions are often made a year before star players hit free agency. Regardless of whether or not Contreras spends the 2027 season in Milwaukee, when he does hit free agency after the season comes to an end, a major payday will be awaiting the All-Star catcher.

It's rare to find a catcher who is as talented as Contreras is on both sides of the ball, while also being able to handle an ever-changing pitching staff. His leadership and consistency make him even more appealing on a free agent market that seemingly always lacks catching talent. It's entirely possible that Contreras, should he put together two seasons in 2026 and 2027 that are comparable to his last four campaigns, becomes the highest-paid catcher in the history of baseball in terms of average annual value (AAV), and it's unlikely the Brewers will be the ones to pay that salary.

2. 2B Brice Turang

While the Brewers have a slightly better chance of extending Brice Turang than agreeing to a long-term contract with Contreras, it feels like Milwaukee waited one season too long on their star second baseman. To be fair to the Brewers, Turang's breakout came on fast, and it really wasn't until his ten-homer month in August of 2026 that he became the type of player who would command a contract that Milwaukee is uncomfortable paying.

However, after proving himself even further in the World Baseball Classic and putting together an excellent start to the 2026 season, it feels as if the ship has already sailed on a potential Turang contract extension. Nico Hoerner, who is three years older than Turang, just agreed to a 6-year, $141 million contract with the Chicago Cubs, and while the Brewers have the negotiating power of Turang otherwise being in just his first of four years of arbitration, the presumed price of a long-term deal would likely be out of their budget.

The bright side is that Milwaukee still has Turang under team control for the next three seasons after the 2026 campaign, so it's not as if the rising second baseman already has one foot out the door. Turang is entering the prime of his career, and at least for the start of it, he will remain a Brewer. Whether the Brewers extend him through the end of his prime remains to be seen, but given Turang's current trajectory, it feels as if they already missed their chance.

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