In the Brewers’ core of young players, Sal Frelick has emerged as an integral part of the Brewers outfield. Frelick had been known for his strong defense in his first couple years in the majors. He then took it to the next level in 2025 as he became a threat in the batting order, increasing his value even further. With four years left under team control, he’s also heading for the arbitration years where he could earn a strong salary. With several other players also hitting arbitration at the same time, could an extension for Frelick make sense? If it does, what would it look like?
In 2025, Frelick took a big step forward in his career when he became a threat on offense. He hit .288/.351/,405 in 594 plate appearances, and also had 12 home runs, 63 RBI, and 19 stolen bases. That was good for a 110 OPS+ and a 3.6 fWAR. He did take a step back on defense but still had positive value (9 defensive runs saved in 2025 compared to 16 DRS in 2024). Frelick also has a Gold Glove award from 2024 on his resume. Earlier today, Paul posted the 2026 ZiPS projections for the Brewers. They have Frelick taking a step back, but still posting a strong season at 572 PA, 100 OPS+, and 2.6 WAR.
Salary isn’t a concern for Frelick in 2026, since he is still a pre-arbitration player and will make close to the major league minimum. However, his first year of arbitration is approaching and should hit in 2027. He will be among several young players hitting arbitration at the same time. With so many potential arbitration players in the future, extensions can provide some salary certainty. If the Brewers wanted to pursue that with Frelick, what would that look like? What other players could provide a good comparison?
For a current comparable player, one of the best that I could find is Steven Kwan of the Guardians. In 2025, he batted .272/.330/.374 with 11 home runs and 21 stolen bases. He recorded a 3.2 fWAR and has won four straight Gold Glove awards. Frelick had the better season on offense, but Kwan has played stellar defense (32 DRS between 2024 and 2025 in left field). While Kwan has not signed an extension, he is entering his second season of arbitration. Kwan made $4.175 million in his first year in 2025 and is projected for an $8 million salary in 2026.
Another player that could provide a good comparison is TJ Friedl of the Reds. Friedl has been more of a threat on offense rather than defense but also has some comparable numbers. In 2025, he hit .261/.364/.378 with 14 home runs, 53 RBI, and 12 stolen bases — good for a 2.9 fWAR. Friedl’s best season came in his first full season in the majors, where he had 18 home runs, 66 RBI, 27 stolen bases, and a 4.1 fWAR in 138 games played. Friedl also has the advantage of playing in center field but overall has negative value on defense (-10 DRS in 2025). He is entering his first year of arbitration and has a projected salary of $4.9 million.
However, when it comes to extensions for young outfielders, one of the current standards was set by Bryan Reynolds of the Pirates. Reynolds signed an eight-year extension worth $106.75 million in 2023. That was also after he signed a two-year, $13.5 million contract as a Super Two player in 2022. Reynolds had a much stronger resume when he signed those contracts, posting a 3.7 fWAR season in 2019 and a 6.3 fWAR season in 2021. He has cooled off since then but has regularly been in the 2 WAR range in each season between 2022 and 2024. Last season was his worst year since 2020, posting a 1.1 fWAR over 154 games. In his last three arbitration years, he earned $7 million, $10.25 million, and $12.25 million. This would have been his first year of free agency, and he will make $14.25 million this season as part of that extension. He’s signed for $15.25 million in each year between 2027 and 2030.
While Reynolds signed his contract after a set of very strong seasons, it does help set the bar for what Frelick can expect. Even accounting for inflation, it’s hard to see him getting more than what Reynolds did in his extension. Frelick also wouldn’t have as many years of free agency bought out. Since he’s 25, an extension wouldn’t stop him from trying out free agency after the contract. He could sign a five-year deal and then hit free agency at 30 years old.
Considering those factors, here’s what a contract extension for Frelick could look like. The structure below would put a five-year extension at $41.5 million.
Since Frelick still has one year of pre-arbitration to go, he wouldn’t get much in 2026 since he would still make around the minimum. The arbitration amounts put him right around what his comparable players would get, and he would finish just below what Reynolds got in his extension.
It’s a reasonable progression for salary, but there are some reasons to not do it. First, Frelick played through some injuries in 2025. He missed some time on the IL with a hamstring injury and also had a knee injury late in the season. Though neither are expected to linger into 2026, it is something to keep an eye on. Also, outfielders are one of the “easier” positions to fill. While it can be difficult to play right field as well as Frelick does, outfielders tend to be plentiful, and it’s a position that players can be moved to more easily.
Frelick has proven his place on this team over the past few years. He has continued to step up and develop as a player and has a record of getting stronger year after year. With the young Brewers team continuing to emerge, payroll will remain a concern over the next several years. An extension for Frelick could help manage those concerns and keep a core player around for the next several years.
