Brewers shock the fanbase with reported 8-year extension of No. 4-ranked prospect

When the Milwaukee Brewers signed Jackson Chourio to an eight-year, $82 million contract ahead of the 2024 season, they set a record for the most guaranteed money given to a player who had yet to make his MLB debut. However, while that may seem like a risky financial move from the small-market Brewers, Chourio was almost guaranteed to be a part of the 2024 Opening Day roster, so it didn't appear as if Milwaukee was ever going to be paying the top prospect big-league money to play in the minor leagues.

Two years later, that contract looks like a steal. Chourio is a rising star, with 20 HR/20 SB seasons in each of his first two seasons in MLB, making the $10.25 million average annual value of his contract among the most team-friendly in all of baseball.

It appears the Brewers are learning from their successes and taking a similar approach with one of their current top prospects, despite him being farther from his big league debut than Chourio was when he signed his record-breaking deal. According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, the Brewers are signing their No. 4-ranked prospect, Cooper Pratt, to an 8-year contract worth slightly more than $50 million.

As Nightengale notes, the contract could become a 10-year deal, as the contract includes two option years, each worth roughly $15 million, after the 8-year deal expires. To ease fans' concerns about whether or not the reporting is true, Pratt himself posted on his Instagram story a graphic announcing the extension.

Brewers reportedly signing shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt to 8-year, ~$50 million contract extension

It's an unprecedented move, seeing as Pratt is not necessarily guaranteed to make his MLB debut this year. That said, the 21-year-old, who was drafted in the 6th round of the 2023 draft, is the starting shortstop for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds this year, so it's not as if he's far away from the big leagues.

However, with just three games of Triple-A experience to his name, it's almost certain that the Brewers want to see more development from the talented shortstop before calling him up to the big leagues. Pair that with the fact that the Brewers have continued to voice their belief in shortstop Joey Ortiz, and the reported contract looks more like a wise, forward-thinking move than an indication that Pratt's debut is in the near future.

As far as who Pratt is as a player, his glove is already big-league ready. He was named a minor league Gold Glover in his first full season of professional baseball with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers back in 2024. As a member of big-league Spring Training, Pratt constantly flashed the leather at shortstop and proved he is more than ready to take on the challenge of playing short at the major league level.

Where questions remain is with Pratt's bat. In the pitcher-friendly Southern League last year, Pratt slashed .238/.343/.348 with eight homers and 22 doubles for a .691 OPS. That said, Pratt's .842 OPS in August indicates that he continued to make the necessary adjustments throughout the season, which is something evaluators look for when assessing young talent.

There's no doubt some risk involved in handing roughly $50 million to a player who has played just three games of Triple-A ball, but in the long run, this contract could look very good for the Brewers. If Pratt becomes the player the Brewers believe he can be, the roughly $6.25 million average annual value of his contract will look like a steal.

In a day and age where one Win Above Replacement (WAR) is worth roughly $8-10 million in free agency in any given year, having a player of Pratt's caliber, assuming he pans out, for less than $7 million a year could end up looking like one of the better contracts in the sport. If Chourio's first few years are any indication, locking your star prospects up to team-friendly contracts is a wise move, especially for the small-market Brewers who can't afford to do so later in their careers.