Braun signs $105-million extension
Photo
Milwaukee Brewers' Ryan Braun (8) hits a sacrifice fly during the 12th inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies Monday, April 18, 2011, in Philadelphia. The Brewers won 6-3.
MILWAUKEE — The more Ryan Braun traveled to various cities during his time in the majors, the more he recognized just how much he loved Milwaukee.
Braun signed a $105-million, five-year contract extension on Thursday that adds to a seven-year deal he signed in May 2008, meaning the Brewers are now committed to pay the young slugger $145.5 million through 2020.
“From here on out the only thing that really matters is winning,” Braun said. “I’m proud of saying that I’ve been a part of a group of guys here who have come in here and tried to kind of change the culture and get back to having the perception of being a winning organization, when guys like Robin Yount played here, Gorman Thomas, Paul Molitor, Jim Gantner, when all those guys were here, it was a special place to play.”
Yount played all 20 of his seasons for the Brewers, winning two MVP awards. The 27-year-old Braun said he expects to spend his entire career in Milwaukee, too, after getting picked by the Brewers in the first round of the 2005 amateur draft.
“There really aren’t many guys that’ve spent their entire careers with one team,” he said.
Braun has been picked to start each of the last three All-Star Games and is one of five players in history to hit at least 125 homers and post a .300 batting average over the first four seasons of his career, joining Joe DiMaggio, Chuck Klein, Albert Pujols and Ted Williams.
Braun’s .308 career batting average is currently the franchise’s best mark.
“Very rarely does it happen where a player understands his franchise and where it’s at and where he wants to be in the future,” general manager Doug Melvin said. “A lot of times we have a tendency just to look at today or tomorrow, but he had the vision of an organization that he wanted to be with and from that standpoint, it’s a very exciting day for us.”
Braun gets a $10 million signing bonus and will make salaries of $19 million in 2016-18, $18 million in 2019, $16 million in 2020. The mutual option is worth up to $20 million with a $4 million buyout.
Braun’s newest deal includes a no-trade provision, and he will defer some of his salary.
“It was solely a function of making sure that we can always build a competitive team around Ryan. Period. End of story,” Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said. “And by working with us on this, I believe we can.”
Braun signed a $45 million, seven-year extension in 2008 after winning the NL Rookie of the Year in 2007, which was the largest contract ever by a player with less than one year of service time. That deal has largely been considered as “team friendly” in an era of blockbuster deals, something that still doesn’t concern Braun.
“If I went back in time, I would sign that contract every time,” Braun said. “It provided financial security and ultimately I’m extremely happy with that contract, just like I am with the one that we just agreed to today.”
Braun is hitting .359 with four homers so far this season, and has reached safely in all 18 games. Last year, he earned his third straight Silver Slugger Award with a .304 batting average, 25 homers and 103 RBIs.
“I truly believe I can get much better as a player,” Braun said. “These first 18 games are probably the best baseball I’ve played in my career and I really believe that’s a sign of things to come.”
Milwaukee has all of its starters and core group outside Prince Fielder signed through 2012, and three other key players—Rickie Weeks, Yovani Gallardo and Corey Hart—locked up for several more years.
Fielder, a Scott Boras client, is expected to head to free agency at the end of the season.
“I know Prince enjoys it here. That’s a fact that’s undisputed,” Braun said. “We’ve never had more fun playing together than we have since the beginning of spring training. We’re really just enjoying baseball right now. I know this is a place he would love to stay.”
Melvin said that he understands the ongoing talk about Fielder, but everyone remains focused on returning to the postseason since their NL wild card run three years ago, one of the reasons he traded to get 2009 AL Cy Young winner Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum.
“Our goal is to drop all that confetti off the top of the dome like we did in 2008,” Melvin said.
NOTES: Attanasio said he has no interest in the Dodgers if they were to come up for sale. … Greinke is scheduled to make a second rehab start on Sunday at Triple-A Nashville. … The Brewers reinstated RHP LaTroy Hawkins (shoulder) from the 15-day DL. … C George Kottaras was assigned outright and RHP Mike McClendon was optioned to Triple-A Nashville.
Apr 25, 2011 at 8:27 a.m.
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thekid3477 -- at least he was able to negotiate a "fair" contract. :)
Apr 25, 2011 at 7:57 a.m.
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Okiefed wrote "Love the bitter people that have to post political comments on every story. Get it straight- no one forced you into the teaching profession or to be a public 'servant'. If you don't like the changes that are necessary, I suggest you leave."
-et tu, Brute?
Apr 22, 2011 at 3:25 p.m.
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finally an owner who tries to keep good players around
Apr 22, 2011 at 2:30 p.m.
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It's awesome to see good, God loving people being rewarded. Braun's a class act.
Apr 22, 2011 at 1:55 p.m.
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Taxpayers helped fund Miller Park for Millionaire Players and Billionaire Owners so that they can play a game for 7 or 8 months out of the year, and make more millions by selling the fans 6 dollar hotdogs and beer! And here I thought that just the public service union members were the only overpaid people living the High Life!
Apr 22, 2011 at 1:01 p.m.
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If Braun stays healthy and continues to put up the future Hall of Fame type numbers that he has early in his career its a great move and Attanasio will see his investment paid back many times over. If he fades, gets hurt or simply becomes an average producer then its a poor investment on the owners part. The thing some people seem to fail to grasp is that this is how busienss decisions are made. A very succesful business person believe that an additional $105M of his money is a wothwhile invesment to make to lock up this asset for an addtional five years. If he has to raise the price of his product to offset the investment and not enough people believe the increased cost is worth it he will lose on the deal. If they land bigger crowds, higher ticket prices, better media deals, etc because of Braun then he wins on his investment. As long as he doesn't turn to the government to bail him out if things go poorly I admire him for having the courage to make the decision.
Apr 22, 2011 at 12:39 p.m.
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How do you correlate the lack of fiscal responsibility in GOVERNMENT to an owner paying his employees BOND? Pure ignorance, thats how.
Apr 22, 2011 at 12:39 p.m.
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The states have no money but OBAMA can GIVE 25 MILLION dollars to REBELS! PATHETIC!
Apr 22, 2011 at 11:52 a.m.
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The states have no money but the team owners can pay a individual $105 million to play a GAME for 5 years! Pathetic!
Apr 22, 2011 at 11:52 a.m.
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WOW wi55lady! thekid seems spot on, a little jealous are we? Youre also a little misinformed. Yes athletes make A LOT of money, thats their reward for years of dedication and hard work. It may be excessive but who are we to say? Tickets for the Brewers games are some of the cheapest is all of baseball. And as a previous poster said, you can bring in all the food and drinks you need for the entire game, if thats what you choose to do.
As far a you calling Braun and "egotistical jerk", that just shows your ignorance. It wasnt Braun that negotiated that contract, it was his agent. If you were offered that much money I KNOW you wouldnt turn it down, nor would I or most people in this country. Braun has shown dedication to the Brewers twice now. His first contract extension was a BARGAIN for a player like Braun, but he never ONCE complained about how much he was making. Now he has commmitted to being a Brewer until he is 36 or 37 years old. The contract is a big one but not nearly as big as a lot of superstars DEMAND.
So quit your crying and get informed on what it is yorue crying about before you make a fool of yoruself again.
Apr 22, 2011 at 11:18 a.m.
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for what its worth wi55lady...there are $1 tickets available to almost every brewers home game. you can get tix on stubhub the day of for at least half price. parking is $8. you can take all the food/beverage into the game that you can carry. i can get my family of 4 into and out of miller park for less than 10 bux a piece, not counting the gas to get there. its not to expensive. it just takes some effort on your part.
Apr 22, 2011 at 11:14 a.m.
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someones bitter and jealous
this is awesome. its a fair price for a perennial mvp candidate. this is the second 'fair' contract mr braun has signed in his young career. you dont see players do that too often so props to mr braun. i hope he plays his entire career for the crew, perhaps ill have to change from 'thekid'(robin yount) to 'theman'(ryan braun)!!!!!!
Apr 22, 2011 at 8:58 a.m.
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THIS MAKES ME SICK!!! All I can say is Braun better hit a home run in EVERY inning in EVERY game EVERY season. Nobody is worth that much money!! NOBODY!!! What an egotistical jerk. It's time to boycott the Brewers. That goes for all sports!! The fans pay for it through ticket prices and concessions. An average family can't afford to go to a Brewers game. That's why most seats are paid by corporate monies. And they say baseball is America's favorite past time. NOT!!
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