I don’t know that I’d say it’s been more prevalent this offseason/early-season than years past, but it kinda feels like it. That is to say, we’ve seen a LOT of long-term extensions the last few months, including the Cubs’ deals with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner, and you can’t help but wonder if there is any relationship to the expiring Collective Bargaining Agreement (are teams trying to get ahead of anticipated changes to arbitration? service time/team control? salary cap/floor?).
In any case, two more big deals to share, and both are PRE-DEBUT deals.
First, the Milwaukee Brewers are reportedly close to a deal with shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt, who has only barely played at Triple-A (and hit just .238 .343 .348/107 wRC+ in a full year at Double-A last season, albeit his age-20 season, and he is a good defender).
The Milwaukee Brewers are on the verge of finalizing an 8-year deal for slightly more than $50 million with 21-year prized shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt, who had not played above Class AA until this year. The deal will include two option years for about $15 million a year.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 30, 2026Source confirms: Infield prospect Cooper Pratt finalizing eight-year, $51M contract with Brewers. Deal includes two club options with escalators on option years. Has played only three games above AA. Brewers’ No. 6 prospect per The Athletic’s Keith Law. First: @BNightengale
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 30, 2026A cool thing I heard today about Cooper Pratt is that he spent the spring trying to learn Spanish to better communicate with Latin American teammates. He's one of those players who bridges the different cliques in the clubhouse.
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) March 31, 2026To commit to $50+ million guaranteed on a player who has barely played at Triple-A is an enormous risk – remember, the Brewers essentially already had him under control for nearly seven seasons (AFTER whenever they decided to bring him up), all effectively one-year club options, and the first several of which would be pennies. Now, Pratt not only has to make the big leagues, he has to make the big leagues fairly quickly, AND he has to be a meaningful contributor right out of the gate, AND he has to become a pretty-darn-good-player within a few years to justify the deal.
In exchange for that risk, the Brewers pick up an extra year or two of what would’ve been free agency, plus two club options. If Cooper Pratt becomes a very good player, then it’s an absolute steal. That’s the trade off. It’s the kind of risk the Brewers have taken before, and they must have a lot of confidence in Pratt’s future.
Speaking of enormous risks and enormous pre-debut deals, the second to discuss is shortstop prospect Colt Emerson getting big money from the Mariners:
BREAKING: Colt Emerson and the Seattle Mariners are in agreement on an eight-year, $95 million contract extension, sources say. The deal includes a ninth-year club option, a full no-trade clause and escalators that can bring it north of $130 million. Emerson is represented by…
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) March 31, 2026Emerson, who is just 20, also has barely played at Triple-A. He’s a more significant prospect than Pratt, though, generally regarded as one of the 10/15 best in all of baseball (he raked his way up to Triple-A by the end of the year in his age-19 season). Bigger risk by the Mariners here in terms of guaranteed dollars, but a much bigger reward if Emerson fulfills his considerable potential.
Again, you wonder about all these extensions – and particularly these types of deals locking in guys well before they’ve even taken a big league at bat (imagine the added pressure) – having some relationship to the new CBA.
Then again, it could simply be the continued evolution of thinking about player prime years and the cost-benefit, risk-reward calculations:
Between Colt Emerson today and Cooper Pratt with Milwaukee yesterday, teams more and more are willing to give big money to players with no major league service time but the pedigree to be frontline players. The allure of having a player’s prime locked up makes it worth the risk.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 31, 2026Hence then, the article about more very early extensions pratt and the brewers emerson and the mariners was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( More (Very) Early Extensions: Pratt and the Brewers, Emerson and the Mariners )
Also on site :