Brewers prospect Cooper Pratt says long-term contract should take some pressure off him

“I’m still going to want to go 5 for 5 every day and do all this stuff,” Pratt said. “It’s just that thought in the back of your head disappears. You still want to be the best that you can be, but there is no more pressure. There’s pressure, but it’s different. It’s fun pressure.”

Pratt, 21, said not having to deal with “other stuff, all the transactional stuff and just play” was one of the biggest reasons he agreed to this deal, a move that will delay his opportunity for free agency assuming he does make it to the big leagues. Pratt is opening this season with the Brewers’ Triple-A Nashville affiliate.

“I’ll never have to worry about anything like that, pretty much the rest of my life,” Pratt said. “I can just play, play the game how it’s supposed to be played without thinking about it as much, and also be able to take care of my family for generations.”

Pratt, a 2023 sixth-round draft pick, is rated as the game’s No. 51 prospect by Baseball America and No. 62 by MLB Pipeline. Pratt has a reputation as an outstanding fielder; he won a Gold Glove as the top shortstop in the minor leagues in 2024.

His hitting remains a work in progress. Pratt batted .238 with a .343 on-base percentage, eight homers, 62 RBIs, 31 steals and 67 walks in 120 games with Double-A Biloxi last season.

“We believe in the bat,” Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said. “We believe in the glove, certainly. This guy is really toolsy, too. He’s very athletic. He’s a big, physical kid, so we think there’s a chance to grow into some power. And he can really run. When you have that kind of athletic foundation, it’s a really good thing.”

Pratt’s decision to sign an extension will delay his opportunity for free agency, assuming he does have an extended major league career. Boras acknowledged that drawback while also noting this contract should help Pratt get the most out of himself.

“I felt after listening to him and his family that this was a deal that would allow him to be his best,” Boras said. “And if we make Cooper his best, contractually the risk on the back side of this will allow us optimization in the next contract.”

The Brewers would love Pratt’s contract to work out as well for them as effectively as the long-term deal they reached with then-19-year-old Jackson Chourio in December 2023.

Chourio agreed to an eight-year, $82 million deal when he had played just six games above the Double-A level. He has responded by collecting more than 20 homers and 20 steals in each of his first two seasons in the majors.

At the time of that deal, Chourio was guaranteed the most money ever for a minor league player with no big-league experience. Seattle Mariners prospect Colt Emerson surpassed Chourio this week when he agreed to terms on an eight-year, $95 million deal.

Boras says it’s no coincidence that Emerson and Pratt are both shortstops. Boras noted that shortstops are most likely to be offered these types of deals because that position is at such a premium in today’s game.

“There just is a time in baseball where shortstops and the ability to play major league defense and provide a 2-WAR (Wins Above Replacement) defensively, that’s kind of the assurance they’re looking for – that I’m going to get a 2-WAR defender at minimum,” Boras said. “And then if I add another 1 or 1 1/2 WAR offensively, I’ve got a 3 1/2-WAR shortstop, which there may only be less than 15 of them in the major leagues. This is why we’re seeing it happen, because a few men have exhibited this at a young age.”

AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB