Mike Chiari
Included Columnist IV
November 30, 2023
The Milwaukee Brewers are reportedly expected to agree to an eight-year, $80 million contract with outfield prospect Jackson Chourio on Thursday.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York City Post the deal includes two team options and it will set the all-time record for the richest contract offered to a minors player.
The previous record came from Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert, who signed a six-year, $50 million deal in 2020 and has gone on to become an All-Star, Gold Glover and Silver Slugger Award winner.
Chourio, 19, has yet to play in a major league game, and he has just six games of experience above the Double-A level.
Chourio, who is originally from Venezuela, signed with the Brewers as an international free agent in 2021.
He has quickly worked his way through the organization since then and is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball by MLB.com
After impressing across multiple minors levels in 2022, Chourio started at Double-A last season and in 122 games, he slashed.280/.336/.467 with 22 home runs, 89 RBI, 84 runs scored and 43 stolen bases.
Chourio was selected to the All-Star Futures Game as a result of his outstanding play, and he made a six-game look at Triple-A, hitting.333 with 2 RBI and a steal.
At 5’11” and 165 pounds, Chourio is on the smaller side, but he has a ton of speed, plenty of pop and the ability to play a strong center field at the major league level.
Last season, the Brewers went 92-70 and won the National League Central, and did it without much production in center field.
Joey Wiemer was the Brewers’ primary center fielder, appearing in 121 games at the position, and he hit just.204 with 13 homers, 42 RBI and 11 stolen bases.
Even with no major league experience to his credit, Chourio should represent a significant upgrade immediately, and he has a chance to become Milwaukee’s leadoff hitter in due time.
The Robert contract showed that striking early can pay big dividends for organizations at times, as he set career highs with 38 home runs, 80 RBI and 20 stolen bases this season.
There is also risk involved, and Jon Singleton is among the biggest cautionary tales.
The Houston Astros signed Singleton to a five-year, $10 million deal prior to his major league debut in 2014, and he appeared in just 114 games over two seasons, and was out of the majors for seven years before resurfacing in 2023.
Milwaukee is making a far larger investment in Chourio than that, but his tools are undeniable, and all signs point toward him potentially becoming a star in the major leagues.
