Tom Haudricourt

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

PHOENIX – One of the things that made it so attractive to the Milwaukee Brewers in trading for Christian Yelich in January 2018 was they would have control of his contract for five years, including a club option for 2022.

The fact that the terms would be considered club-friendly if Yelich performed at an elite level made it even more compelling to do the trade.

With yet another mega-deal going down Monday as Mike Trout agreed to a 12-year, $430 million extension with the Los Angeles Angels (including two years remaining on his current contract), Yelich’s contract is looking even better for the Brewers. The reigning National League most valuable player will draw a $9.75 million salary this season, $12.5 million in 2020 and $14 million in 2021, with a club option for 2022 at $15 million, with a $1.25 million buyout.

Yelich’s salaries are part of a seven-year, $49.57 million deal he signed with Miami in 2015 after his first full season with the Marlins. In 144 games in 2014, he batted .284 with nine home runs, 54 RBI, 21 stolen bases, .362 on-base percentage and .764 OPS.

That extension was similar to something Ryan Braun did after his 2007 rookie of the year season with the Brewers. Braun signed an eight-year, $45-million extension, taking what former general manager Doug Melvin used to call “the first bite of the apple.”

In April 2011, with that season and four more remaining on the deal, Braun, then 27 years old, was given a five-year, $105 million extension that ran from 2016 through 2020, with a mutual option in 2021 for $15 million and a $4 million buyout.

The decisions that Braun and Yelich made early in their careers involve something of a gamble for both player and club. If the player performs at average or slightly above-average levels, the deal make sense for both sides. If the player is injury-plagued or under-performs, he has the financial security to fall back on.

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But, if the player performs at an elite level, as Braun did before his extension, and as Yelich certainly did in 2018 (.326, 36 HRs, 110 RBI, .402 OBP, .598 slugging), the deals are considered club-friendly. But that doesn’t mean the decisions made earlier were wrong ones.

“It’s a decision I made a few years back,” Yelich said. “I made it for certain reasons, and figured at the end of the day, everything will end up working itself out. That will take care of itself over time.”

Trout’s deal was the fourth precedent-setting player contract since the end of the 2018 season. Two involved free agents on the market – Manny Machado and Bryce Harper. The other two went to players under contract but with free agency on the horizon – Colorado’s Nolan Arenado and Trout.

Machado signed a 10-year, $300 million deal with San Diego, becoming baseball’s first $300 million player. Harper eclipsed the total money in that deal when he signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with Philadelphia.

Arenado topped those deals in terms of average salary when the Rockies gave him an eight-year, $260 million extension ($32.5 million average). Now comes Trout’s deal, which actually was a 10-year extension at roughly $360 million, added to the two years and $66.5 million remaining on his current extension.

“I think he has established himself as the best player in the game today, just for what he’s done the last few years,” Yelich said. “It has been incredible. It’s definitely well-deserved.”

Of the four huge deals since the ’18 season, Yelich said, “Those guys are always going to be fine. Everybody knew that. Great for them. They deserve it.

“Like I said, Trout is the best player in the game today. He has had an unbelievable track record. It feels like he’s going to win the MVP every season.”

Yelich, 27, is the same age Braun was when the Brewers gave him the $105 million extension, so it remains to be seen if there’s a second bite of the apple for him with Milwaukee. There’s certainly no rush with three more years of control after this season, but Yelich sounded open to the notion.

“Obviously, you’d hope so,” Yelich said. “That’s the goal. I love it here. We’ll see how it plays out.”