IT'S HAPPENING: Jackson Chourio Set to Finalize Eight-Year Deal with Brewers Today

After reporting earlier this week that negotiations were progressing, Ken Rosenthal updated with a tweet Thursday morning to say that the deal is close. Almost simultaneously, Jon Heyman swooped in with confirmation, and more details.

The Chourio Brewers deal for close to $80M will beat the current record deal for a minor leaguer by about $30M (Luis Robert $50M). Chourio has only played 6 games above AA but the Brewers expect he can be their CF. https://t.co/wRNhzTVCii

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 30, 2023

In his first tweet about it, Heyman disclosed that the deal is for eight guaranteed seasons, but also that there are two club options attached to the end. That's not unexpected, but it's a delightful bonus to news that was already thrilling. Chourio can still hit free agency before his 30th birthday, but the Brewers now have firm control of his 20s, if they want it. 

Jake McKibbin sketched a possible Chourio deal on the site earlier this morning, and this is right in the range he discussed. In fact, it comes in slightly below those projections, which is another cherry on top of the sundae. This is an unprecedented combination of substantial commitment and lack of certainty, but the upside this deal captures exceeds even those of Julio Rodriguez's pact with the Mariners or Corbin Carroll's with the Diamondbacks. The Brewers are going to get a bargain on a player they hope is a superstar, for the next several years.

Earlier this week, in response to the initial reports about this possibility, I dug into what it might mean for the alignment (in the near and long term) of the Brewers' crowded outfield. I also immediately talked about the uncertainty around which direction this kind of deal would prompt the team to move in for the balance of the winter. We don't know the answers to those questions yet, but we can take the conversations out of the theoretical realm and into the very real, urgent one. One way or another, we should now expect Matt Arnold and company to get pretty active at next week's Winter Meetings. This is the kind of first step that makes the next few especially interesting.

Let's hear from you. Do you feel any trepidation about this move? How much will this shape the future for the Brewers?