When rumors started swirling on Monday afternoon that the Milwaukee Brewers were close to finalizing an extension with top-five organizational prospect Luis Lara, I asked a few folks around the league about him. I wanted to get a feel on the player, his ceiling, what the Brewers see in him.
“Is he getting traded?” one rival executive asked back. “Extended,” I replied.
“Holy,” the executive responded back.
The Brewers are one of the most aggressive teams in baseball in extending prospects before they debut in the majors. In 2023, they extended Jackson Chourio to a record-setting eight-year, $82 million contract. This year, they already signed Cooper Pratt to an eight-year, $50.75 million contract. And now they have reached an agreement with Lara on a seven-year, $31 million contract extension that includes three club options, incentives and can max out at $79 million.
It’s also become a trend across baseball, with MLB Trade Rumors noting that from 2006 to 2016, there were six extensions signed by players with less than one year of service time. There have been 15 signed in the past four years and 25 total signed since 2017. It’s a way for teams to get ahead of a potential contract for a player they believe in, and in Milwaukee’s case, it was a resounding success for Chourio. It remains to be seen how it plays out with Pratt and Lara.
The Brewers are betting on more than Luis Lara
But as one rival executive noted, doubt the Brewers at your own risk. Their coaching and player development is among the best in baseball. When he was extended, Pratt was known as an average offensive player with good plate discipline and above-average base-stealing ability who was a solid defender. Lara, meanwhile, is regarded as a high-end defender who is an emerging offensive player with little power in his bat.
As much as the Brewers are banking on both Pratt and Lara to emerge, they are also placing trust in their coaches and development staff to maximize their players. Considering how they maximize their rosters annually, despite having one of the smallest payrolls in baseball, that’s a worthwhile gamble.
Luis Lara’s profile explains why Milwaukee moved now
Lara, 21, has ascended through the Brewers’ organization since signing in 2023 to a $1.1 million international bonus. Despite being listed at 5-foot 7-inches and 169 pounds, scouts rave about his defensive ability. One scout referred to Lara as a potential Gold Glove-caliber defender. Offensively, he’s hitting .338/.447/.500 with seven home runs and 27 RBI in 56 games in Triple-A this season, and his .947 OPS is easily the best in five seasons in the minors.
The Brewers believe this is a sign of things to come, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they continue to try to extend their young talent. They have the best farm system in baseball, headlined by No. 1 overall prospect Jesus Made, as well as Luis Pena, Jett Williams, Andrew Fischer, Jefferson Quero, among others, though it’s unclear who may potentially come next.
This is how the small-market Brewers can ensure they retain their young talent in the long haul. After all, they traded Josh Hader, Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams in recent years before they received big paydays. If Pratt and Lara work out, they’ll have more control of both players at team-friendly rates. There is risk in doing that, of course, since neither have played in the majors.
But like the rival executive said: Doubt the Brewers at your own risk.
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