Brewers Close To Signing Yelich To $200 Million Deal: Report

MILWAUKEE, WI — The Milwaukee Brewers are reportedly close to locking up their best player long-term.

According to the Athletic, the Milwaukee Brewers are close to an agreement with MVP Christian Yelich on a $200 million deal. The online media outlet speculated that the deal would be for seven years.

A FOX 6 report indicates that the Brewers are expected to announce the final form of that deal on Friday.

MVP In Year One

After five years in Miami, the Marlins knew who they were dealing to the Brewers: a young, athletic outfielder with decent power and a good bat. In five years with the Marlins, he hit .290 and hit 59 home runs. He had yet to make the All-Star team.

Upon coming to Milwaukee, Yelich became a prolific hitter. He led the league in batting average, slugging and OPS in year one, and earned NL MVP honors, as he led the team's offensive attack to within one game of the World Series.

He arguably performed better in an injury-shortened 2019 season. In 130 games, Yelich once again led the league in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging and OPS.

Then, injury struck late in the season.

Yelich took a swing at an inside pitch in the first inning of the Brewers game against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday, Sept. 10. Yelich fouled the ball off his right knee, and fell to the ground in agony. He would limp back to the dugout in obvious pain, and was replaced in the game by rookie Trent Grisham. Doctors later diagnosed a fractured kneecap.

Yelich was leading the Brewers in all three major batting categories, with a .330 batting average, 44 home runs and 97 runs batted in. He was leading the majors in slugging percentage and OPS.

Milwaukee's Lopsided Trade

Yelich came to the Brewer via trade in January 2018, after the Florida (now Miami) Marlins agreed to send Yelich to Milwaukee for four players: outfielder Lewis Brinson, who was acquired in the Jonathan Lucroy trade, infielder Isan Diaz, center fielder Monte Harrison and pitcher Jordan Yamamoto.

Brinson, the big part of the trade for Miami, just hasn't been able to catch on in the majors. In 205 games over the course of three seasons, Brinson batted .183 with 211 strikeouts and only 37 walks in 655 big-league at-bats. Harrison, 24, has yet to make the big leagues after spending 2019 at AAA. Diaz played in 49 games with the Marlins as a 23-year-old and batted .173 with 5 home runs and 31 hits in 179 at-bats. Unexpectedly, Yamamoto has performed the best of Milwaukee's former players, pitching 78-plus innings over 15 starts for the Marlins.