Braun Gets Extension $$$

[love_that_reefer]

Brewers signed OF Ryan Braun to a five-year, $105 million contract extension with a mutual option for 2021.
Well, this certainly came out of nowhere. Braun was already under contract through 2015, so he is now guaranteed $145.5 million through 2020. He will earn $19 million per season from 2016-18, $18 million in 2019 and $16 million in 2010 while the 2021 mutual option is worth up to $20 million with a $4 million buyout. The contract includes a $10 million signing bonus. It's officially the largest financial commitment to a player in franchise history. Braun and Troy Tulowitzki are now the only MLB players locked up through 2020. Prince Fielder was probably already a longshot to stay with the Brewers anyway, but it's now virtually certain that he'll be playing elsewhere next season.

I still don't know why the Rockies gave Tulo his extension and don't what the Brewers are doing either. Safe to say that Braun will most likely retire as a Brewer.

[Trendy Bastard]

The Brewers are going to regret this someday.

[Hardy Blonde]

Elaborate on that? He's no different than Jeter on the Yankees or Pujols in St. Louis....??

[Trendy Bastard]

Lol big market vs small market. 'nuff said

[Hardy Blonde]

If this is the only way for us to keep a player then so be it

[HollywoodLeo]

And there's your difference. Teams like the Yankees don't have to extend there stars when they're 4 years away from free agency and then pray they don't get injured along the way. They also don't have to pick and choose which star they want to keep and which one they have to let go like Milwaukee is doing with Braun and Prince. They can afford to pay the higher price that comes with a contract year, pay all their stars, and then pay top dollar for other teams' free agents they couldn't affors on top of that.

but there's nothing wrong with baseball's financial system.

[love_that_reefer]

The Brewers didn't HAVE to do this to keep Braun. They chose to and its not smart. Same goes for the Rockies so I don't see your point.

[HollywoodLeo]

so you deny that he would be more expensive to keep in 2015 in a contract year with more certainty of his health status going into the new contract?

[HollywoodLeo]

and aren't you the one that keeps preaching that the system is fine because smaller markets can and should lock up their stars long before they hit free agency?

[love_that_reefer]

More expensive? Maybe. Depends on how he performs over that span and he is going to making a shit load of money so its really hard to say.

In the cases of Braun and Tulo, they were already locked up through some of their free agency years. Locking them up again years before is..well.. ill-advised. Not at all the same thing.

Just about every team would have to choose between Fielder and Braun. I just don't see the need to cry about a how the financial system is flawed when it is the Brewers fault for making this ill-advised deal.

[HollywoodLeo]

just about every team, not all. That's pretty much my point.

[love_that_reefer]

just about every team, not all. That's pretty much my point.

28 teams our of 30, I can live with that.

[HollywoodLeo]

I can't. That's 2 teams that have a uneven competitive advantage over the other 28.

[love_that_reefer]

Boo hoo

[Kingdom]

If this is the only way for us to keep a player then so be it

And it's a great player to lock up forever. Good stuff.