The Milwaukee Brewers' formula will soon be tested when it comes to Brice Turang.
The Brewers don't really hand out big contracts to star players. Instead, they have shown that they prefer to trade them before free agency and reload with prospects who seemingly always end up playing a big role in future successes. There is one exception: Christian Yelich.
Yelich won MVP in 2018, and would have won again in 2019 had it not been for a fractured kneecap late in the season. He signed a seven-year, $188 million extension in 2020, and it is the biggest contract in franchise history. Yelich was a sure thing, and Turang may not be too different.
Turang is under contract through 2029, and finished top three in National League MVP Award votes in 2026. Unlike other young stars Cooper Pratt and Jackson Chourio, he is not signed to an extension.
Turang is starting to price himself out of the Brewers' price range, but he may be a rare exception to their formula. He is 26 years old, and Yelich signed his extension before his age-28 season.
However, the dilemma is not simply whether to pay Turang. It is whether to pay him and stray from what they have been building. Pratt is already set to be the shortstop for years to come, and looks to have the makings of a star.
The Brewers also have the top prospect in baseball, Jesús Made, who could debut next year even. On top of that, they have Luis Peña, the No. 19 prospect in baseball, who could be in the big leagues by 2028.
The problem with paying Turang is that it will block either Made or Peña, whom the Brewers view as future stars in the big leagues. There's the real dilemma. Do the Brewers trust the formula that has gotten them a championship, or do they think Turang is really good enough to get the same treatment Yelich did?
Yelich does not have too many years left, and even if they keep him past his current deal, he seemingly won't cost as much as he does now. They certainly could pay Turang if they wanted to.
Turang is arguably the best second baseman in baseball, and could be an MVP candidate for years to come.