It came to light recently that the Milwaukee Brewers approached shortstop Jean Segura and his agent, Joe Klein, about a contract extension a little over a month ago, shortly after general Doug Melvin said this:

"We're pretty fortunate to have him. Some clubs are still looking for shortstops and we have a guy you can build around."

Owner Mark Attanasio clearly agreed with Melvin’s assessment that Segura is a franchise-type player, and it was entirely appropriate to try to lock him up. And, as the year goes on, the franchise needs to work harder to get that deal done.

This is the way mid-market teams can compete for the long term – lock up young talent early, and then reward them later with a bigger deal once they’ve outperformed that initial investment.

Ryan Braun is a perfect example.

He signed an 8-year, $45 million extension after his rookie season, and then was rewarded with a 5-year, $105 million deal in 2011.

Then there was Prince Fielder (represented by Scott Boras), who turned down such overtures and wound up playing for less than he could’ve in Milwaukee before cashing in with a $214 million deal in Detroit.

When Ken Rosenthal broke this story, there was immediate trepidation with Brewers fans – how could you do such a thing? Why not wait? After all, Segura hadn't even played a half season for the Brewers at that point.

But, this is how it’s done now in Major League Baseball.

Tampa Bay inked Evan Longoria to a 6-year, $17.5 million extension six games into his major league career. That turned into a 10-year, $136 million extension in 2012.

Kansas City signed catcher Salvador Perez to a 5-year, $7 million extension 39 games into his career in the winter of 2012.

Last year the Brewers signed catcher Jonathan Lucroy to a 5-year, $11 million extension before the 2012 season after he hit .260 with 42 extra base hits in just 211 games, buying out his remaining arbitration years and first year of free agency.

The Chicago Cubs locked up Starlin Castro (7 years, $60) and Anthony Rizzo (7 years, $41). Dustin Pedroia got a 6-year, $40.5 million deal after winning the American League Most Valuable Player in 2008. Florida waited a couple years, but Hanley Ramirez was given a 6-year, $70 million deal in 2008.

This is a smart thing for Segura to do, too – recent history shows that players who take this "team friendly" risk early more than make up for it sooner rather than later.

Look at Braun and Longoria, whose extensions increased the dollars on that original deal. Colorado took a chance with Troy Tulowitzki after just 180 games of experience with a 6-year, $31 million extension in 2008, then extended with a 10-year, $158 million deal two years later.

Those, of course, are the good deals that have worked out for both sides. The team banks on the player out-performing that deal, but risks the guaranteed money down the line if the player doesn’t live up to those expectations.

That happened in Cleveland with outfielder Grady Sizemore.

The Indians locked up Sizemore with a 6-year, $23.45 million extension in March 2006 and it immediately paid off. From 2006 to '08, he played in 481 of 486 games, hitting .279 with 85 homers and 244 RBI while stealing 93 bases. He was an All-Star and earned MVP votes all three years, won Gold Gloves in 2007 and 2008 and a Silver Slugger in 2008. He made $4.58 million those three years.

But then, it unraveled. From 2009 to '11 Sizemore played in just 210 out of 486 possible games, hitting .234 with just 28 homers and 109 RBI and 17 stolen bases. He made $18.18 million those three years. He did not play in 2012 and made $5 million.

If you look back at it, you could say the Indians did a foolish thing. The last four years of that deal were nearly worthless. But what did they really lose? Only $23 million, or just under $6 million per season. Yes, in a mid-market, those dollars matter more than in New York or Los Angeles – but it’s still not a devastating blow if the player misses games or even a season.

And, when the contract is up, it’s up. You don't have to renegotiate a longer term extension. Had Sizemore been healthy in the years he struggled, that contract would have made him a viable trade candidate as well.

Segura can clearly hit. He’s done it his entire life, through the minors, through the winter leagues, and of course, in the majors. He has allayed any fears surrounding his ability to play shortstop at this level. It makes perfect sense – for both parties – to sign an extension that buys out his arbitration years (and perhaps the first year or two of free agency).

Such a deal not only keeps a franchise-type shortstop in the fold and happy for the better part of the next decade, it also sets the Brewers up for a larger, Braun-like extension in the future if Segura totally outplays the deal.

Naturally, the concern is if he underperforms at the plate, and hits, say, .275? Well, you’ll have a speedy, Gold Glove-type shortstop (who could move to second) making about $6-$7 million the next handful of years. That’s not really overpaying, either.

No matter what the final year or dollar counts would be, it will be a good deal for both sides, and it’s one the Brewers should work hard to complete sooner rather than later.