How Luis Lara’s contract extension could reshape Brewers’ future outfield plans

For the second time this season, the Milwaukee Brewers committed to a top prospect with no MLB experience. Joining Cooper Pratt in the long-term extension category, Luis Lara will now be tied to the Crew for at least the next seven seasons.

That's not to say we should expect to see him immediately. Though he now requires a permanent spot on the 40-man roster, Lara is just 21 and has fewer than 60 games of experience at Triple-A. Like Pratt, expect the Brewers to give him all the time he needs in Nashville before making his MLB debut.

Still, this extension is proof that the team expects him to start in the outfield on a regular basis in the near future. He'll more than likely join Jackson Chourio -- another early extension receiver -- as a starter out there sometime in 2027, meaning that only right field will be available for playing time.

Considering that the 40-man roster now holds 10 outfielders (including Jake Bauers and Christian Yelich), it's a wonder as to how Pat Murphy will be able to make this whole situation work.

Projecting Brewers' future outfield depth chart following Luis Lara extension

Chourio, who is in the midst of his best offensive season, is a lock to play every day, most likely in left field. He does have a growing injury history already, but he's one of the faces of the franchise and arguably the most talented player on the roster. As long as he's healthy, he'll be in the lineup.

One would expect Lara, who is an otherworldly defender thanks to elite speed and range, to post up adjacent to Chourio in center field. He's also made huge strides at the plate this year, batting .338/.450/.498 (155 wRC+) in his first taste of Triple-A action while walking more frequently than he's struck out. Concerns about his slight 5'7" frame are valid, but the Brewers clearly think highly enough of him to sign him for the long term.

Garrett Mitchell, at least against right-handers, will be the prohibitive favorite to start in right, though his polarizing offensive profile is bound to catch up to him at some point. Sal Frelick and Brandon Lockridge would also factor into that conversation, but neither offers the same power upside that Mitchell does. At the very least, this trio would make for a good group of reserves, with the hot hand at any given moment getting the most playing time.

Yelich (a full-time designated hitter) wouldn't really factor into the equation, while Bauers (an impending free agent) may be playing himself out of Milwaukee. The others (Tyler Black, Akil Baddoo, and Blake Perkins) have been rendered as nothing more than organizational depth with Lara now such an outsized presence in the overarching picture.

Perhaps this kind of logjam necessitates an offseason trade; one of Frelick, Mitchell, or even Lockridge will have value as strong outfield defenders with team control and some offensive upside. But no matter what happens to them, the Brewers' outfield will seemingly be defined by Lara and Chourio for the foreseeable future.

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