Milwaukee Brewers Nearing Finish Line on Extension with Superstar Prospect

We've heard for a few days that it was close to happening. Now, it appears like it will reach the finish line by the end of the day.

The Milwaukee Brewers are going to extend mega prospect Jackson Chourio before he ever even steps foot on a major league diamond. It will be the biggest deal ever for a player who has yet to make their major league debut.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post:

Breaking: Top CF prospect Jackson Chourio, 19, and the Brewers are expected to complete today the richest contract ever for a player who has yet to reach the big leagues. The deal is expected to be for 8 guaranteed years snd close to $80M and include two team options.

Breaking: Top CF prospect Jackson Chourio, 19, and the Brewers are expected to complete today the richest contract ever for a player who has yet to reach the big leagues. The deal is expected to be for 8 guaranteed years snd close to $80M and include two team options.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 30, 2023

Chourio is the top prospect in the organization and the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball, behind only Jackson Holliday of the Orioles.

Signing early extensions like this carries significant risk for both sides. First, the team could be guaranteeing nearly $80 million to a player that gets injured or massively under performs in the future. Evan White of the Seattle Mariners signed a deal before ever taking the field and he's barely played during the life of that contract because of injury. It was only for $24 million, so imagine what the conversation would be if it were a deal like this one.

On the other side, Chourio could be taking a deal that he massively out-performs and could end up underpaid. It's interesting to note that the options in the deal are reported to be club options and not player options, which would have given Chourio some flexibility.

He hit .282 this season between Double-A and Triple-A. He also hit 22 home runs, drove in 91 and stole 44 bases. Despite his talent, the Brewers have already said that he won't make the team's Opening Day roster in 2024. Perhaps if he has a long-term deal and service time isn't a consideration that could change.

Per his MLB.com prospect profile:

Chourio brings multiple at least plus tools to the table. His 70-grade speed is perhaps the loudest, and it was a big reason why Milwaukee moved him to center field, where he could cover even more ground than shortstop. What’s more, his contact at the plate is loud and capable of playing everywhere in the park. Brewers officials were often awestruck at how the right-handed slugger thumped the ball to right almost as easily as he did to left.

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