(Nashville) Outfielder Jackson Chourio agreed to the most lucrative contract in history for a player with no major league experience Monday after signing an eight-year, $82 million pact with the Milwaukee Brewers.
The 19-year-old has only played six games above the AA level in his career. His agreement includes option years left to the discretion of the Wisconsin club for 2032 and 2033.
Chourio thus surpassed the previous record set by outfielder Luis Robert, who accepted a six-year, $50 million offer from the Chicago White Sox in 2020.
Robert’s pact was announced on January 2, 2020, and he played his first major league game on July 24 of that year. The White Sox also signed outfielder/slugger Eloy Jimenez to a six-year, $43 million contract in March 2019, setting the stage for his debut.
Chourio could start the 2024 season in the Major Leagues. His agreement covers his entire window of eligibility for salary arbitration, as well as potentially his first two seasons of eligibility on the free agent market.
The Brewers will begin their first season in 2024 under new manager Pat Murphy, who succeeded Craig Counsell. The latter instead accepted an offer to become the new manager of the Chicago Cubs.
