The Brewers Are Giving Cooper Pratt $50+ Million Before He Ever Plays An MLB Game

Typically, baseball players spend several years working their way up the minor leagues. They receive modest salaries, get the most basic lodging and transportation, and play in front of sparse crowds in small cities. After all that toiling, the best of the best get a crack at making it up to the major leagues. And even then, they may play on a smaller rookie contract for a few years.

But sometimes, on the rarest of occasions, a player is so promising in the minor leagues that his team wants to secure his long-term future immediately. We're seeing that unfold with the Milwaukee Brewers. The team just signed shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt to an eight-year deal—and he hasn't yet appeared in an MLB game.

Pratt's deal is worth $50.85 over eight seasons. It feels like a lot to give someone who hasn't played at the highest level, but it could also turn out to be a bargain.

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If Pratt, 21, becomes a superstar, the Brewers have his services for the entirety of his 20s at a very reasonable rate of about $6.35 million per year. Compare that to Fernando Tatis Jr.; in 2021, he was 22 years old and had only played in 143 games in Major League Baseball. The San Diego Padres gave him a 13-year contract worth $340 million. That's an average of around $26.15 million per season.

Pratt's hitting isn't near the level of Tatis Jr. yet, though he's already shown he's an excellent fielder. Alongside the pitcher and catcher, a shortstop is the most important position on the diamond. If Pratt's hitting can catch up to his fielding, the Padres will be set at shortstop for nearly a decade to come.

To date, Pratt has mostly played in Double-A with the Biloxi Shuckers. He appeared in 120 games last season, with batting slashes of .238/.343/.691 and eight home runs, 62 RBIs, and 31 stolen bases. He also saw action in three games at the Triple-A level with the Nashville Sounds, going 4-of-15 with an RBI and a steal. He increased those batting numbers in spring training this season, hitting .294 with a .405 on-base percentage.

The Padres have been championship contenders for much of the 2020s, but they haven't yet reached the World Series. They're hoping their young star can keep developing and get them into the Fall Classic.