Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- MLB teams are increasingly offering lucrative long-term contracts to top prospects before they establish themselves in the majors, a strategy that has gained momentum over the past few years.
- This trend allows smaller-market franchises to secure promising talent and avoid costly trades down the line, while prospects gain financial security and the chance for even larger future payouts.
- As several high-profile prospects near agreements, attention turns to which rising stars might be the next to join this growing list of pre-debut millionaires.
The new trend in Major League Baseball is giving long-term extensions to high-level prospects. It started a couple years ago with the Milwaukee Brewers giving Jackson Chourio an $82 million contract before he took a big-league at-bat. It has since continued with the Brewers extending Cooper Pratt, who is in Double-A, for $50.75 million. The Seattle Mariners gave Colt Emerson an eight-year, $95 million extension that can be worth over $130 million.
And the Pittsburgh Pirates are also working on an extension with Konnor Griffin, their top prospect. But no deal is in place as of this writing.
Why MLB teams are paying prospects before they prove it
Well, it gives them potential value and savings if the player becomes what they believe he will become. Just look at Chourio. He’s emerged as a superstar in Milwaukee and $82 million looks like an absolute steal. If Emerson emerges how the Mariners believe he will, then that contract will also look like a steal. Pratt is a unique case – he can play defense but there are significant questions about his bat – and there is plenty of risk in that deal for the Brewers.
There is always risk in these types of deals, of course. But it’s how the Brewers, Mariners and Pirates, all small-to-mid market franchises, can ensure they keep their best young talent long-term and not have to trade them in a few seasons.
For the players, it makes plenty of sense. In Chourio’s case, he wanted to take care of his family, and guaranteed himself $82 million before reaching the majors. Pratt, an intriguing prospect, guaranteed himself $50.75 million. Emerson, meanwhile, guaranteed himself a record-setting $95 million. And what do they all have in common? They can all reach free agency in their 20s, so there’s another bite at the apple for an even larger payday.
So who might be next? Here’s a few candidates.
Konnor Griffin, Pirates
Griffin and the Pirates have been in discussions for a few months about a contract. He was called up to the majors for his debut on Friday. And while there was much speculation on Twitter that this could mean a deal is done … no.
The #Pirates and SS Konnor Griffin have been negotiating a long-term extension for a few weeks now, but purchasing his contract first makes good business sense.
— Spotrac (@spotrac) April 2, 2026
By allowing Griffin to debut before his extension, he remains eligible for PPI, which would reward Pittsburgh with a…
There is no deal done between Griffin and the Pirates. But they would love him to be in Pittsburgh both now and long term. They love everything about Griffin and want him to represent their franchise on and off the field. But for now, no deal is done. But do I expect a deal to eventually happen? I do.Â
Kevin McGonigle, Tigers
The other top prospect, McGonigle, actually broke spring training with the Tigers’ major-league roster and has dazzled early on. He is everything the Tigers hoped for and has provided an early big boost to the offense. A long-term extension would make plenty of sense, though I don’t believe anything is imminent as of this writing. Still, when/if Griffin’s deal gets done, that could serve as a good framework for the two sides to mimic.
Some pundits believe McGonigle has an even better hit tool than Griffin. While the No. 2 prospect in baseball has impressed Detroit early, Scott Harris doesn't mind playing the waiting game. Griffin's deal either provide the Tigers with a framework to negotiate by, or perhaps pin them in a corner if it's a greater value than expected.
JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals
There were plenty of folks stunned that Wetherholt even fell to the Cardinals with the No. 7 pick in the 2024 draft. At 23, he’s already in the majors with the Cardinals, and has hit .280/.321/.400 with a .721 OPS, one home run and four RBI.
He appears to be a massive building block in St. Louis and a long-term extension would make sense. I don’t think it’s something that happens right now, but the two sides would be wise to discuss a framework to explore the possibility of keeping the infielder in St. Louis long-term.