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Acquired last winter from the Milwaukee Brewers in the deal that sent eventual National League MVP Christian Yelich out of town, Lewis Brinson was supposed to be a superstar. As a hometown kid returning to play for his favorite childhood team, Brinson quickly became a fan favorite for his potential and his true love of the Marlins.
Perhaps that’s where the plan derailed, as Brinson had an ugly rookie campaign in 2018, hitting just .199 with a .240 on base percentage. But the Marlins, impressed with both his demeanor both on and off the field as well as his willingness to work on improvements to his game, have rewarded him with a 6-year contract extension that will buy out all of his arbitration years as well as 2 years of free agency. Though not yet confirmed by the team, sources peg the value of the extension somewhere in the $35 million range.
Realistically speaking, the Marlins know what they’re getting with Brinson. He’s young and has yet to perform at the Major League level, but he oozes talent. The team believes he’s made tremendous strides since last season.
In fact, it isn’t hard to see the results of his hard work. Though he was hitless through the team’s first 3 games, the changes he made to his swing were evident by the results. He had two long fly outs, victims of the cavernous dimensions at Marlins Park. One came off his bat at 108.5 MPH, the other at 103.7.
“Lew’s been seeing the ball real well lately, but he’s hit into some bad luck,” manager Don Mattingly remarked after the team’s game on Saturday evening. “The swing is there, pitch selection is there, but he needs to put it all together. It’s coming.”
Fielding has been another area of concern for the Marlins. After making 9 errors in limited action last season, Brinson made an error on Opening Day. In addition to the errors last year, Brinson’s arm was rated well below average.
On Saturday, however, he showed off his positive potential with a diving catch in the top of the 9th of team’s 7-3 victory over the Rockies.
Once the extension is formally announced, it’s expected that Brinson will become one of the team’s 6 highest-paid players. Depending on the structure of the contract, it’s possible he may earn less than the team’s fifth-highest-paid player (Miguel Rojas, $3.15 million), but unlikely that he will come in below Sergio Romo’s $2.5 million.
Lewis Brinson’s agents, Excel Sports Management, would not confirm the extension, saying only that they “have been engaged with the Marlins on extension talks since February, with no news to officially report at this time.” Team officials also declined to comment for this story.
Sources, however, confirm that the deal is complete pending a physical by Brinson. All that would be left at that point is a press conference or press release.
Perhaps that’s where the plan derailed, as Brinson had an ugly rookie campaign in 2018, hitting just .199 with a .240 on base percentage. But the Marlins, impressed with both his demeanor both on and off the field as well as his willingness to work on improvements to his game, have rewarded him with a 6-year contract extension that will buy out all of his arbitration years as well as 2 years of free agency. Though not yet confirmed by the team, sources peg the value of the extension somewhere in the $35 million range.
Realistically speaking, the Marlins know what they’re getting with Brinson. He’s young and has yet to perform at the Major League level, but he oozes talent. The team believes he’s made tremendous strides since last season.
In fact, it isn’t hard to see the results of his hard work. Though he was hitless through the team’s first 3 games, the changes he made to his swing were evident by the results. He had two long fly outs, victims of the cavernous dimensions at Marlins Park. One came off his bat at 108.5 MPH, the other at 103.7.
“Lew’s been seeing the ball real well lately, but he’s hit into some bad luck,” manager Don Mattingly remarked after the team’s game on Saturday evening. “The swing is there, pitch selection is there, but he needs to put it all together. It’s coming.”
Fielding has been another area of concern for the Marlins. After making 9 errors in limited action last season, Brinson made an error on Opening Day. In addition to the errors last year, Brinson’s arm was rated well below average.
On Saturday, however, he showed off his positive potential with a diving catch in the top of the 9th of team’s 7-3 victory over the Rockies.
Once the extension is formally announced, it’s expected that Brinson will become one of the team’s 6 highest-paid players. Depending on the structure of the contract, it’s possible he may earn less than the team’s fifth-highest-paid player (Miguel Rojas, $3.15 million), but unlikely that he will come in below Sergio Romo’s $2.5 million.
Lewis Brinson’s agents, Excel Sports Management, would not confirm the extension, saying only that they “have been engaged with the Marlins on extension talks since February, with no news to officially report at this time.” Team officials also declined to comment for this story.
Sources, however, confirm that the deal is complete pending a physical by Brinson. All that would be left at that point is a press conference or press release.
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