The Milwaukee Brewers were ahead of the curve in signing young players to big paydays early, or in Jackson Chourio’s case, even before he had made his MLB debut. In December of 2023, Chourio signed an eight year, $82 million deal that could reach 10 years, $142.5 million.
Since that historic day, young outfielder Jackson Merrill of the San Diego Padres went on to sign a nine year, $135 million deal that could reach 10 years, $204 million and Colt Keith of the Detroit Tigers inked a long term extension.
Additionally, the Boston Red Sox locked up Kristian Campbell to an eight-year, $60 million contract in April with just six days of service time, Ceddanne Rafaela for eight years and $50 million, and most recently Roman Anthony for at least eight years and $130 million.
Milwaukee Brewers bet on Jackson Chourio looks like a steal after Roman Anthony payday
When the Brewers signed Jackson Chourio to an eight-year, $82 million extension before he’d ever played a game in the majors, it raised eyebrows across the league. Now, that deal is aging remarkably well, especially in light of the Boston Red Sox handing out a reported $130 million extension to rookie outfielder Roman Anthony, in a contract extension that could max out at $230 million.
In terms of average annual value, Milwaukee will pay Chourio $10.25 million per year, with a maximum hit on the payroll of $17.25 million in 2031. He does have a pair of $25.0 million club options after that. Anthony, whose extension starts in 2026, will have an average annual value of $16.25 million per year, with a maximum hit on the payroll of $29.625 million in 2033. He does have a $30.0 million club option for the 2034 season.
As more teams rush to lock up top prospects earlier than ever, the Brewers’ gamble on Chourio is looking less like a risk and more like a bargain. Credit goes to GM Matt Arnold for recognizing Chourio’s talent and getting ahead of the curve, well before the market for unproven stars started to heat up. Had the Brewers waited any longer to sign Chourio, they’d likely be paying a much steeper price, as evidenced by the extensions given to Merrill and Anthony this year.
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