MIAMI -- The Marlins have made another long-term investment in their young, talented outfield.
Left fielder Christian Yelich agreed to a seven-year contract worth about $49.6 million, a person familiar with the situation said Thursday. The person confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it hadn't been announced.
Yelich is expected to sign the agreement this weekend, and a news conference tentatively is planned for Sunday.
Yelich, 23, is part of an outfield Miami considers the best in the majors, with $325 million slugger Giancarlo Stanton in right field and Marcell Ozuna in center. Two-thirds of that outfield will be under contract through at least 2021, with the 25-year-old Stanton signing a 13-year agreement in November.
Miami has discussed a long-term deal with the 24-year-old Ozuna, who hit 23 home runs last year.
The Marlins haven't reached the playoffs since 2003, but historically thrifty owner Jeffrey Loria approved higher spending this year, and they expect to contend after a busy offseason that has pushed their payroll above $70 million.
Yelich won a Gold Glove and hit .284 with nine homers and 54 RBIs in his first full major league season last year, when he made $505,000. His base salary this year will be $570,000 before the contract escalates.
MLB
A left-handed hitter, Yelich was the 23rd overall pick in the 2010 draft. He wasn't due to become arbitration-eligible until after the 2016 season. In 206 games over two big league seasons, he's a career .285 hitter with a .365 on-base percentage, a .400 slugging percentage and 31 stolen bases.
Brewers: Manager Roenicke's 2016 option exercised
PHOENIX -- Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke's 2016 option was exercised Thursday by the Brewers.
Roenicke replaced Ken Macha after the 2010 season and has led the Brewers to a 335-313 record. Milwaukee won the NL Central in his first season, then finished third and dropped to fourth in 2013.
Milwaukee started 20-7 last season and led the division for five months, then lost 22 of its last 31 games and finished third at 82-80. The Brewers announced at the end of the season that Roenicke would return for 2015.
"It makes me feel good," Roenicke said, who didn't want to enter the season in the final guaranteed year of his contract. "It's uncomfortable, especially when I concentrate so much on what I'm doing with my job, I don't want to have to answer questions about the personal side of it."
Roenicke said he has a great working relationship with general manager Doug Melvin.
"I really like where I am. I love the city. I love the management," he said. "He went out on a limb and gave me this opportunity" (see full story).
Rays: Moving on without Joe Maddon
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Tampa Bay principal owner Stuart Sternberg said the Rays can recover from the losses of general manager Andrew Friedman and manager Joe Maddon.
Friedman left to head baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Maddon terminated his Tampa Bay contract to manage the Chicago Cubs.
"Change is good. We embrace change," Sternberg said Thursday. "I'm as frightened of it as anybody, but we manage it. We've been successful managing it in the past, and we look forward to the opportunities it creates for us."
Sternberg paused briefly when asked which departure took him more by surprise.
"It's a tough call. I hadn't thought about it until now," he said. "I would say most likely Joe."
Friedman's opportunity with the big-spending Dodgers was "clearly the biggest enchilada out there," according to Sternberg, and the 38-year-old executive "felt it was time to move on."
The Rays have asked Major League Baseball to investigate tampering on the part of the Cubs, but Sternberg said they have not received a response.
"Look, we wish him nothing but success, and I wish him well certainly," Sternberg said. "There's no hard feelings at all. He's a guy that, no matter what he does going forward, he's going to be linked to this organization and this franchise for the rest of his life" (see full story).