The Cincinnati Reds just raised the price of doing business in the NL Central, and that matters for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that Cincinnati and right-hander Chase Burns have agreed to a seven-year, $105 million contract extension. For the Brewers, that number now hangs over any future deal for Jacob Misiorowski, especially with no extension talks currently underway between Milwaukee and its young ace.
Milwaukee is sitting atop the NL Central and in position to not only reach the postseason but push for the World Series spot from the NL. Even after adding Lance McCullers Jr. in a deal, the Brewers still need Misiorowski to be elite, and this season has made that even clearer.
Burns, 23, has put together a strong year for the Reds, posting a 2.54 ERA, a 173 ERA+, an 11-1 record, and 4.2 bWAR across 18 starts. He has struck out 118 batters in 102.2 innings.
Misiorowski has been even better. The 24-year-old Brewers right-hander owns a 1.62 ERA, a 260 ERA+, a 10-4 record, and 4.2 bWAR in 18 starts, with 167 strikeouts over 111.0 innings pitched.
That’s the kind of production that pushes the price tag up fast. With Burns now locked in at $105 million over seven years, Milwaukee will likely have to go beyond that to keep Misiorowski in place. The new deal sets a clear benchmark, and the Brewers’ ace may now cost more than $105 million on a seven-year term, with an average annual value that would likely top $15 million per year.
It was always going to be expensive to extend him. Burns’ contract just made the floor a lot higher.
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