On April 3, 2026, the Brewers signed 21-year-old shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt to an eight-year, $50.75 million contract. The deal includes two club options worth an additional $30 million.
On June 9, 2026, the Brewers signed 21-year-old outfield prospect Luis Lara to a seven-year, $31 million contract. The deal includes three club options worth an additional $33 million.
Both of these deals are relatively unprecedented in franchise history. Up until Pratt and Lara signed their extensions, the only prospect that the Brewers had ever signed prior to making his major league debut was Jackson Chourio. Aaron Ashby and Freddy Peralta both signed team-friendly extensions extremely early in their careers, but both had already made their major league debuts.
Lara and Pratt both rank among the Brewers’ top five prospects, but unlike Chourio or Jesús Made, neither entered 2026 carrying the label of a can’t-miss superstar. Naturally, their extensions raise an obvious question: what does Milwaukee see in these two prospects that made the organization comfortable guaranteeing more than $80 million before either of them even appeared in a major league game? Furthermore, what do these two players’ extensions say about the Brewers’ front office philosophy?
In recent years, the Brewers have built their roster around players with high-end defensive prowess. Before Brice Turang developed into arguably the best hitter on the Brewers, he brought value with his Platinum Glove defense. Sal Frelick has taken a step back this year, but he ranked in the 79th percentile or better in fielding run value in both of the last two seasons and posted +7 Outs Above Average last year. Joey Ortiz has never been feared at the plate, but has earned a starting spot for years because he’s a great defender. Blake Perkins has carved out a roster spot year after year with his defensive acumen.
I could provide numerous other examples, but you get the point. Over the last decade, Milwaukee’s organizational philosophy has been straightforward: build around run prevention. The Brewers prioritize strong defense and pitching, then rely on a lineup that does just enough offensively to outscore opponents. That formula has helped them remain one of baseball’s most consistent contenders despite operating with a bottom-third payroll.
Both Pratt and Lara fit that profile perfectly. Pratt is a 2024 Minor League Gold Glove winner whose defense earns 60 grades for both fielding and arm strength from MLB Pipeline. Pipeline is even higher on Lara, giving him a 70 grade for his defense and 60 grades for both his arm and speed. Both players project as significantly above-average fielders in the major leagues and have been consistently great defenders in the minor leagues. Furthermore, while no prospect is a sure thing, defensive skills tend to be more stable and predictable than offensive production — something that most likely gives the Brewers a little more confidence in offering Lara and Pratt their extensions.
Pratt’s .735 OPS with Triple-A Nashville is the highest OPS he has posted above Single-A. He recorded a .700 OPS in High-A (albeit in only 90 at-bats) and a .691 OPS in Double-A last season. Those aren’t eye-popping numbers, but evaluators remain optimistic because of Pratt’s underlying skills.
Scouts like Pratt’s offensive profile first and foremost because of his bat-to-ball ability. Despite opening 2025 in Double-A, he cut his strikeout rate from 20% in 2024 to 15.2%. As FanGraphs noted in its coverage of the extension, the combination of strong plate discipline, high contact rates, and steadily declining strikeout rates is an especially encouraging indicator of future offensive success. Pratt is also 6’4” and has consistently recorded strong exit velocities for his age, leading many evaluators to believe more power is to come.
Turang provides an interesting comparison point. When Turang was Pratt’s age, he posted a .715 OPS in Double-A Biloxi and a .695 OPS in 176 plate appearances with Triple-A Nashville. Turang’s power ultimately developed more than most scouts projected. The Brewers are likely betting that Pratt’s offensive game still has room to grow in a similar fashion. By the time Pratt turns 23 in August of next year, the same age that Turang was when he made his major league debut, he’ll already have over a season of major league experience under his belt (assuming he sticks in the big leagues).
Lara, meanwhile, has pretty much always been a good hitter in the minors. Lara’s batting average in his professional career is .270, and his OBP is .368. Outside of his 2024 season in High-A, he’s never hit below .257 in any given year. He’s always had excellent bat-to-ball skills and strong plate discipline, but the missing piece with Lara was his power tool. Lara had just 10 home runs in four years coming into this season. He’s already hit seven so far in 2026.
I have a deeper dive on Lara’s breakout coming soon, so I don’t want to give away too much here. The short version is that Lara, like Pratt, is still very young. Last year, he hit 32 doubles and three triples, but just two home runs. As a 19-year-old in High-A, he recorded 19 doubles while again hitting only two homers.
By offering Lara this extension, Milwaukee is likely betting that, like Pratt, he will continue to grow into more power as he matures physically and adds strength. His early-season power surge could be the final piece of his offensive profile, especially because gap (extra-base) power at a young age is often viewed as a precursor to future home run production — whether through added strength, swing adjustments, or simply physical maturation.
The final thing worth considering is that even if neither player fully develops at the plate, these contracts are pretty unlikely to become burdensome.
Lara will make less than $5.5 million annually through his age-26 season. An above-average defensive outfielder with solid contact skills and modest power — a fairly conservative projection for Lara — is worth that kind of money, particularly to an organization like Milwaukee that places a premium on defense.
The same logic applies to Pratt. He’ll make under $5.5 million through his age-27 season, roughly in line with what players such as Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Mauricio Dubón, and Miguel Rojas earn today. All three have carved out solid careers as defense-first players who make consistent contact but provide limited power. None has ever hit more than 11 home runs in a season, yet each has generated enough value to justify his salary. If Pratt becomes that caliber of player, the Brewers will be perfectly happy with the deal. If the bat develops further, the contract could become a bargain.
The Brewers are also making these bets in a changing economic environment that could make both contracts look even more favorable over time. The current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between MLB and the MLBPA is set to expire after the season, and a salary floor is widely expected to be a topic of discussion during the next round of negotiations. In its initial proposal during the last CBA talks, the MLBPA introduced a Competitive Integrity Tax that would have effectively penalized teams for maintaining payrolls below $150 million. As of 2026, 13 teams — including the Brewers — would fall below that threshold.
Milwaukee’s current adjusted payroll sits a little above $121 million, meaning the club could eventually be forced to spend more than it traditionally has. More broadly, if a significant portion of the league is required to increase payroll, player salaries would likely rise as a result. If that happens, Pratt’s and Lara’s contracts could look even more team-friendly than they do today.
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So, what does all this say about the Brewers’ organizational philosophy?
If Lara and Pratt become above-average defenders and below-average hitters, their contracts won’t look terrible. President of Baseball Operations Matt Arnold and the rest of the Brewers’ front office no doubt see the value in locking up two young players who already fit the Brewers’ run prevention-first ethos, but have significant room for growth.
On the other hand, if Lara and Pratt turn into above-average hitters while maintaining their defensive value, their contracts will be looked at as steals. The Brewers are a small-market team, and small-market teams have to take risks to remain competitive.
Prospects are never a sure thing. Maybe Lara and Pratt aren’t as good defensively as they project to be, or maybe they prove unable to provide even replacement-value offense. That’s possible, but it isn’t likely.
For Milwaukee, the risk is relatively modest. The reward, meanwhile, is the possibility of controlling two above-average everyday players through the prime years of their careers at well below market value.