The rebuilding Milwaukee Brewers appear to be sticking with Ryan Braun as their centerpiece for the rest of the decade.
Ryan Braun was nearly traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Yasiel Puig at the 2016 trade deadline, but the Milwaukee Brewers now appear ready to move forward with Braun in the fold for years to come. While the Brewers have not been afraid to trade the likes of Aaron Hill, Jeremy Jeffress, Jonathan Lucroy, Will Smith and Tyler Thornburg for a host of prospects since July, Braun and his partial no-trade clause remain parked in Wisconsin.
This winter represented the last real chance for the Brewers to trade Braun without his consent, as he will receive full no-trade protection early this season as a veteran with 10 years of major league service, at least five of which have been with the same team. Braun was drafted by the Brewers with the fifth pick of the 2005 draft out of the University of Miami and made his debut in late May 2007. Since then, he trails only Robin Yount and Paul Molitor on the franchise’s wins above replacement leaderboard.
Braun is owed $72 million through the 2020 season as part of an extension signed back in 2011 at the beginning of his MVP campaign. His contract includes a $15 million mutual option for 2021 with a $4 million buyout. The remaining deal seems reasonable for a six-time all-star coming off a season in which he hit .305 with a .903 OPS, 30 home runs and 91 RBI. At 33, though, Braun is not getting any younger, hasn’t played more than 140 games since 2012, and still plays under the shadow of a 65-game PED suspension in 2013.
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If Braun stays healthy and ages gracefully, the Brewers have a foundation in left field for at least another four years. Braun struggled mightily at third base in his rookie year and in right field in 2014-15; however, his work in left has been at least average, and certainly good enough to back up his potent bat. The Brewers will enter 2017 with a young lineup — Eric Thames at 30 will be the second-oldest regular — and Braun will be counted on to provide veteran leadership to a team that will be fighting for respectability.
Despite that 2013 suspension, Braun remains an important piece of Brewers lore. His .304 career batting average is second behind only Jeff Cirillo in a Brewers uniform. Nobody has a higher slugging percentage (.544) or more home runs (285).
By holding on to Ryan Braun, the Brewers retain their identity and a tie back to their last playoff appearance in 2011, when they won the NL Central and finished the season two wins away from the World Series. Considering Braun’s past, the Brewers were unlikely to get fair value in return for what Braun can produce on the field, so they are likely better off retaining him in hopes that he can still produce by the time the organization is ready to be competitive once again.