The Brewers locked up a top prospect to a long-term contract for the second time in three months this week, with outfielder Luis Lara inking a seven-year deal on the heels of Cooper Pratt’s eight-year pact in April. Both players were added to the 40-man roster and then optioned to Triple-A Nashville, where they will continue to await a callup to the Major Leagues.
Does it make things a little awkward for a handful of Brewers big leaguers who might be tempted to look over their shoulders?
“No, I don’t think so,” said president of baseball operations Matt Arnold. “I think the Major League team is playing exceptionally well right now, there’s really good chemistry, and we certainly don’t want to disrupt that. These are more long-term visions for the franchise -- and for the player. It’s a great opportunity for them to be set up for the rest of their life, be comfortable and just play the game.”
Pratt, the Brewers' No. 4 prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 63 overall, cited just that in explaining his decision to forego potential future earnings in exchange for the security of a long-term contract, while Lara, the club's No. 5 prospect (No. 91 overall), called it “life-changing” during a conversation with reporters on Wednesday.
It’s pretty easy to imagine a fit for both players on the Major League roster because Pratt and Lara are both considered elite defenders. But one of the myriad strategic and financial factors in the Brewers’ reluctance to make a move -- so far -- to bolster the left side of the infield in particular is that they have been getting elite defense from Joey Ortiz at shortstop, even though he is not having the season he wants at the plate. Ortiz has recently ceded starts to David Hamilton.
There is also the matter of third base, where the Brewers brought in Luis Rengifo as a free agent. He’s a former Gold Glove Award finalist but is still trying to hit his first home run of the season. And right field, where Sal Frelick has been worth north of five WAR over the last two seasons combined but isn’t hitting at the same clip this season.
Using weighted runs created plus as a good all-around measure of offensive production, the Brewers finished Wednesday’s series finale against the A’s ranked 30th out of 30 teams in production from shortstops (58 wRC+), 25th from right fielders (68 wRC+) and 22nd at third base (79 wRC+). That translates to the Brewers being 42 percent, 32 percent and 21 percent below MLB average at those spots in terms of hitting.
With Pratt producing a .768 OPS for Nashville and Lara going off to the tune of a .940 OPS, are the Brewers any closer to considering callups?
“There are so many different ingredients to that,” Arnold said. “We have a really good thing going here in the big leagues. The team is playing well, and we want to continue to ride that wave. It’s conversations we’re having internally, certainly, but we want to just continue to support this team.”
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported one date to keep in mind here: June 16 is the first day a team can trade a free agent in the first year of his contract without his consent. There’s some wiggle room there, since the player could theoretically be designated for assignment several days ahead of an actual trade.
But regardless of a player’s standing, they’re all aware of the investments the organization has made in those prospects, and the way those deals tend to accelerate timelines. When the Brewers signed Jackson Chourio to an eight-year, $82 million contract in December 2023, it cleared his path straight to the big leagues for 2024’s Opening Day.
“Hey, if you don’t want pressure and if you don’t want somebody trying to replace you,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said, “pick another profession. Because this is one where you’re going to have pressure and you’re going to have people trying to replace you.”
With the right outlook, it can even be a good thing, in Murphy’s long experience in the game.
“High tide lifts all boats, you know?” he said. “I think our guys will step up that are here now and realize, ‘Yeah, nothing’s guaranteed until it’s guaranteed.’ And when it’s guaranteed, then you better go perform. That’s maybe more difficult on a person than anything, when your contract is guaranteed and you don’t perform to that level.
“You just stay authentic. You tell the truth and let them know that, ‘Yeah, we did this.’ The player will get here when he’s ready. But if you’re playing at a certain rate, then you don’t have to worry about it. We always find a place for good players. And good players end up playing for a long time.”