Is Maikel Garcia’s Contract Extension a Template for Brewers and Brice Turang?

[Telemachus Rafaelidys]

Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Royals extended Maikel García on Friday, signing him to a five-year contract worth a guaranteed $57.5 million. The agreement will buy out four years of club-controlled arbitration and one year of free agency, and contains a club option for an additional year. If the option is triggered, the value of the deal will climb to nearly $75 million over six years, and escalators could increase his salaries for 2030 and 2031, nudging the number toward $80 million.

García had an outstanding 2025 season, winning the American League Gold Glove Award at third base and breaking out with a 121 wRC+ at the plate. The timing of his extension comes at an interesting time for the Milwaukee Brewers and their own Gold Glove-winning second baseman, Brice Turang. Like García, Turang is a superb defensive infielder who also had a breakout season at the plate. Like García, Turang is a Super Two qualifier and will be eligible for arbitration for the first of four times this winter. He's projected by Cot’s Contracts to earn $4.75 million in 2026, while García had been projected to earn $4.85 million.

García and Turang have tracked closely at the plate over their major-league careers. Both players put up below-average batting lines in each of their first two seasons, with 11 total home runs for García and 13 for Turang. This season, however, both made major improvements in bat speed, Barrel rate and walk rate. García bumped from 70.8 MPH to 71.9 on his swings, while Turang had a massive jump from 66.2 all the way to 70.7, leading to both eclipsing their career home run totals in a single season, hitting 16 and 18, respectively. Their career WAR totals are more of a mixed bag, with FanGraphs favoring García and Baseball Reference favoring Turang. Coincidentally, both Garcia and Turang finished 14th in the 2025 MVP voting for their respective leagues.

Player Age Service Time 2025 wRC+ 2025 WAR Career WAR Brice Turang 26.1 2.165 124 4.4f / 5.6br 6.8f / 11.8br Maikel García 25.8 2.68 121 5.6f / 5.8br 9.1f / 8br

García’s contract is similar to the extension Matt Trueblood suggested for Turang when he wrote on the subject in October, which guaranteed Turang $55 million over the first five years, but had two additional guaranteed years and a mutual option for an eighth year. There is value in the shorter commitment in García’s new deal. With Turang’s stellar up-the-middle defense and emerging power, the team would likely gain a lot of surplus value by having Turang through the 2031 season, which should include the entire prime of his career. If Turang (or García, for that matter) is still performing at a high level when the contract ends, the team could then extend him the qualifying offer to either retain him for an additional year or gain draft pick compensation, without the upfront risk of guaranteeing the sixth and seventh years.

Turang may have less incentive to sign an extension than García did, though. Turang was the Brewers' 2018 first-round draft pick and received a $3.41-million bonus, whereas García signed for less than $100,000 as an international amateur in 2016. They both received top-13 payouts from MLB’s Pre-Arbitration Bonus Pool this year, with Turang receiving $1.16 million and García getting $774,000. (It’s interesting that MLB valued Turang’s season more highly, given that both WAR metrics gave García the edge.)

If Turang and his agents are interested in an extension similar to García’s, the Brewers should jump at the chance to keep him through his age-31 season and secure one extra year of control with an option for a second. That said, Turang should probably ask for a higher average annual value than Garcia received, or be patient, because he will likely do better overall by betting on himself and going year-to-year in arbitration and becoming a free agent in four years, just as he turns 30. If the Brewers and Turang get together this offseason to discuss a longer-term commitment, García’s extension gives both sides a meaningful reference point to work from—and maybe it helps them get an extension done this winter.

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[Scooterfletcher]

For some reason I’m seeing Turang in a big market making 100+ million guaranteed after his sixth year here.   Being on Team USA with all stars all around him might add to his attractiveness elsewhere as well.   I am going to enjoy the next three years of Turang but would be super happy if we can just go the Adames/comp pick route with him. 

[nathanj42]

After seeing Trueblood's article & the Garcia's extension, I'm more optimist with a possible Turang extension. I agree that while Turang is less likely to need guaranteed $ than Garcia, however his skill set (defensive range, base running, league average power) is less likely to receive a huge payday (only 4 2b signed for $100mm+ deals: Semian, Gimenez, Altuve & Marte) at FA at age 31. Gimenez signed at age 23, the other guys were considered better hitters. The Trueblood's estimate looks good for both sides.  

PS a Turang extension would be "sick" (using Brice's vernacular).

[Turning2]

Got to have some core guys be the face of the team for a long stretch. Chourio will be, Turang should be. Contreras should be but probably won't. 

[maxximus]

i think it's a bit hard to presume that there'll be QO and draft compensation come 2031. who knows how many work stoppages and changes to the sport's economics by then. that's one big reason i think the brewers won't extend anyone this offseason until they have a better idea of what the first couple years of the next CBA will look like