One major potential side effect of a Brice Turang extension

Milwaukee Brewers infielder Brice Turang has emerged as a potential candidate for a contract extension this offseason. His reliably excellent defense and consistent year-to-year improvement at the plate, highlighted by a sharp increase in slugging percentage this season, combined with a market value currently tied to his performance as a second baseman, makes the idea of an extension especially appealing.

Expanding upon that, if Turang were to transition to shortstop, which is a realistic possibility, though Brewers management hasn’t publicly hinted at it, a long-term deal could become an even bigger bargain for Milwaukee. After all, shortstops with 20-home-run potential typically command far higher salaries than second basemen with similar production.

Setting that aside, another factor Milwaukee must consider is that a long-term extension, say, in the six- to seven-year range, could make at least one of the organization’s highly touted middle infield prospects somewhat expendable, despite the considerable hype surrounding them.

A Brice Turang extension could open up the possibility of the Brewers trading one of their highly ranked middle infield prospects

Currently, Jesús Made, Luis Peña, and Cooper Pratt are the top middle infield prospects who fit that description. Pratt might be the most polished defender of the group, though Made and Peña's offensive acumen have them ranked higher on MLB Pipeline's top 100 prospects. With Pratt playing all of last year in Double-A and Made joining him there at the end of the season, it's fair to say that one of them will be ready for the big leagues by the 2027 season.

However, if the Brewers do sign Turang to a six- or seven-year contract extension, only one middle infield position will be open for Pratt, Made, and Peña for the foreseeable future. Such a situation could allow Matt Arnold and the Brewers front office to trade one of the three for one of the top trade candidates on the market this offseason -- someone like Minnesota Twins ace Joe Ryan.

The Brewers were reportedly involved in the Garrett Crochet trade talks a season ago, so Arnold swinging a big trade for a frontline starter is certainly not out of the question. In doing so this offseason, the front office would be signaling to the team that they believe in their ability to build off of what they accomplished in 2025.

The Brewers’ abundance of middle infield talent is one of their biggest organizational strengths, and it's evident at the major league level as well as in the minor leagues. How the front office manages this surplus will be intriguing, as they have to balance player development, positional fit, and trade value in order to keep the best product on the field while avoiding difficult roster logjams down the road.