Last offseason, the Brewers lost their manager, traded away their best starting pitcher and lost another to injury. During the season, several more injuries popped up but the club overcame all that adversity to repeat as National League Central champions. They'll now have to overcome a crushing postseason loss, the likely departure of their shortstop and declining broadcast revenue.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Christian Yelich, OF: $110.5MM through 2028 (includes $6.5MM buyout on '29 mutual option; deal to be paid out through '42 due to deferrals)
- Jackson Chourio, OF: $78MM through 2031 (including $2MM buyout on first of two club options)
- Aaron Ashby, LHP: $17.25MM through 2027 (including $1MM buyout on first of two club options)
- Brandon Woodruff, RHP: $15MM through 2025 (including $10MM buyout on '26 mutual option)
Additional Financial Commitments
- Owe Reds $1MM* as part of Frankie Montas/Jakob Junis trade ("~$1M" per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com on X)
Option Decisions
- 1B Rhys Hoskins has $18MM player option for 2025 with $4MM buyout, deal also has $18MM mutual option for 2026 with $4MM buyout
- Team, RHP Frankie Montas hold $20MM mutual option with $2MM buyout
- Team, LHP Wade Miley hold $12MM mutual option with $1.5MM buyout
- Team holds $10.5MM club option on RHP Devin Williams with a $250K buyout (Williams can be retained via arbitration even if option is declined)
- Team, C Gary Sánchez hold $11MM mutual option with $4MM buyout
- Team holds $5.5MM club option on RHP Colin Rea with $1MM buyout
- Team holds $8MM club option on RHP Freddy Peralta with $1.5MM buyout
Total 2025 commitments (assuming Hoskins opts in, club triggers options on Rea and Peralta while turning down Williams and all mutual options): $92.5MM
Total future commitments (assuming Hoskins opts in, club triggers options on Rea and Peralta while turning down Williams and all mutual options): $265MM
Arbitration-Eligible Players (projections via Matt Swartz)
- Hoby Milner (5.068): $2.7MM
- Aaron Civale (5.058): $8MM
- Devin Williams (5.056): $7.7MM (Brewers hold $10.5MM club option/$250K buyout)
- Jake Bauers (4.084): $2.3MM
- Bryse Wilson (4.036): $1.5MM
- Joel Payamps (4.027): $2.8MM
- Eric Haase (3.159): $1.8MM
- William Conteras (3.112): $7.6MM
- Nick Mears (3.022): $900K
- Trevor Megill (3.002): $2MM
Non-tender candidates: Bauers, Wilson, Haase
Free Agents
The Brewers have faced a lot of challenges in the past year. Manager Craig Counsell seemed intent on pushing forward the market for managers, willing to go from Milwaukee to the highest bidder. For a small-market club like the Brewers, they weren't going to get drawn into a bidding war to keep him, so he went to the division rival Cubs as Milwaukee gave his old job to Pat Murphy. Brandon Woodruff required shoulder surgery about this time last year, which put him on ice for all of 2024. Corbin Burnes was traded to the Orioles in February.
Some of that was self-imposed, in a sense, but also a reflection of the club's perpetual financial situation. As one of the lower-spending clubs, they often trade their best players just before they get to free agency, with Burnes just the most recent example. That's not to say they were forced to do it, but it's understandable why they make such moves. The trade return is usually much more appealing than holding the player all the way until free agency and, in a best-case scenario, recouping draft compensation after the player rejects a qualifying offer and signs elsewhere.
All of that was before the season even started. Once spring training began, the challenges mounted. Closer Devin Williams was diagnosed with back fractures in March, setting him up to miss roughly the first half of the season. Wade Miley required Tommy John surgery in May, ending his season prematurely. Robert Gasser, called up to help cover for Miley, required his own UCL surgery in June. Christian Yelich didn't play after July 23 due to his lingering back problems, undergoing season-ending surgery in August.
Despite all of that, the Brewers managed to take the division, but fresh challenges now lie ahead. Shortstop Willy Adames is slated to become a free agent, a notable subtraction from their roster. Williams seems likely to be this year's candidate for a trade before reaching free agency, with general manager Matt Arnold recently admitting that the club will have to be "open-minded" about the possibility.
Meanwhile, the club will no longer have a broadcast relationship with Bally Sports/Diamond Sports Group. Their deal with Diamond ended in 2024 and they will now have Major League Baseball handling their broadcasts in direct-to-consumer fashion. Such an arrangement could be beneficial in the long run with the decay of the cable model but it's likely to lead to less revenue in the short term, which could further squeeze a club that always has payroll concerns.
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Thanks for the great breakdown, Darragh!
Dump Yelich first chance that they get.
@DDC: Who wants the Yelich and injury history?
Yeah I mean what possible use could Milwaukee have for a dude who posted an ops around 900 this season lol?
Probably the same use they can get from an injury prone player who hasn’t hit 20 plus homers in 5 years.
He had a 370 obp last season with around 35 doubles and 19 hr that’s a very playable and useful bat. It’s not that I think the yelich deal has been a gangbusters success but he’s been a very good player for them the last two seasons so it’s hardly an underwater black hole contract either.
Has almost gotten comical waiting for Montas to break out and/or get healthy. I remember seeing him pitch once during a FCL game, like a dozen years back and he must have been high 90’s, maybe hitting 100 then with decent control. Was thinking this guy could just be something and his career has been 1 injury land mine on top of another since.
Montas really is a case of what a career could have been and it’s getting too late now to be hoping for a change, the injury pattern was set long ago.
7 players on option decision. Could see a different brewers roster. Either way, the division can be won Again next year. The brewers just need to find a way to win the 1st rounds of playoffs and beyond.
I see them trading Williams and letting the new club figure the option out. Peralta has two club options this year and next, and he is only 28, they should offer him a long term deal 4-5 years for like 20 million a year. A Joe Musgrove type deal, they have leverage and he has pitched so well for them.
I’m tired of Peralta. He never gets out of the 5th inning and even if he only allows 0, 1, 2 runs, you have to expect he will tax the bullpen.
If you can identify a better option for what Peralta will cost for the rest of his current deal, id love to hear it lol.
i mean, true, but he is a #3 and they need to plan for that.
$20m a year for Peralta? He’s basically Yovanni Gallardo 2.0 and they made the right decision to move on from Yo when they did.
Weird non-tender candidates list. Wilson is a lock to be non-tendered but Haase and Bauers are not. The most obvious one is Milner. $2.7m for another lefty in their pen outside of Koenig, Hudson, and perhaps both Ashby and Hall would be dumb. Milner is worse than all four.
Is Milner a non-tender or a trade candidate? He may not be a high profile guy but he has pitched well for them very often the last few years.
They non-tendered Suter for about the sane amount.
Suter was a high risk to get shelled. Maybe it was poor usage.
Don’t think anyone would give up real value for Milner at that price.
I don’t see what Bauers brings that you can’t replace in Black. His production should easily be replaced from someone on the farm. Use Yelich at DH 80% of the time and let the kids play OF.
As a Rangers fan, I think playing Yelich as your DH is the smartest move Mil could make!!! Personally I like watching Bauers play and would love to see him in Arlington as a bench piece.
I like Bauers too. BA is bad, strikeouts are high. But he can hit big time fastballs late in games, and his defense at great saved a lot euros and runs. The guy is one of the best defenders in the league at first. Great clubhouse guy, as any team he’s played for has noted. Teams need guys like that on the bench. Plus he can play OF if needed. I say keep him. He really can’t be that expensive to hold on too.
I think there are a couple reasons Yelich hasn’t been a regular DH recently. 1. I don’t think he wanted to (just like I don’t think he wanted to move to 1st). 2. They’ve used the DH spot to rest him and Contreras, as well as switching out hitters based on the pitching match-up.
At this point I think they HAVE to put him there though. I’m not sure even if he comes back “healthy” he’ll play full time, so they can still put Contreras there once a week or so.
Correct. Brewers use the DH to give rest to rotating players. To go with a full time DH in Yelich would remove that flexibility.
Think they’ll keep one of Sanchez and Haase to be the backup catcher, and rotate them between C and DH, but Yelich should get DH time. If that Black prospect isn’t traded they have him and Hoskins at 1B but I think they might try and unload Hoskins. If Hoskins isn’t traded they’ll have him, Yelich and the backup catcher to rotate between DH.
As for Williams he’ll be traded and replaced with Megill for closer. Question is do they target pitching or hitting for Williams, or do they just take the best prospect package they can get. They have the best front office in the division and aren’t afraid to get creative with trades so should be an interesting offseason.
They got both hitting & pitching for Hader & Burnes. I’d expect they seem a deal that gets a similar return. He’d have had more value if he’d gotten the Polar Bear out. His playoff history is suspect, but the body of work has to bring back big value. His change is right there with Clase’s 99mph cutter as the most unhitable pitch in the game.
Could see a trade with Baltimore again – Mayo, Comp round B pick for Williams.
One year of Devin Williams is more costly than Corbin Burnes?
Mayo is not getting dealt for a year of a reliever.
Don’t see the orioles giving up mayo for a one year relief rental, even one as good as williams.
Baltimore is not moving Mayo for anyone. Westburg maybe, but it would take more than Williams straight up is my guess.
Don’t see Westburg moving at this point either tbh since he’s the orioles’ infield prospect in the non-Gunnar division who has done the most to establish himself at mlb. I’d consider it reasonable if the o’s gave up mayo in a package for a high upside starter like crochet but that’s about it. Any other need they might as well look to free agency and/or lower level trades
I’d be surprised if they didn’t keep Haase, at least until Quero proves himself in Nashville.
Brewers have historically rotated guys through DH, so safe bet they do that again. Barring a late FA value, it will be a quasi rest day spot again. Contreras will probably DH often vs LH starters w Haase/Quero catching.
Unless I misread, Sanchez has an $11 million option. With the constant worry about money, I doubt they pick it up.
Also, Hoskins has a player option. I know this wasn’t his greatest year but I’d think he believes he can get more on a multi year deal somewhere.
Hoskins was talking like he’s coming back next year after game 3 of the WC series. I’m sure he could get more than 18m total in free agency, but can’t imagine he gets 18 AAV, and nowhere near what he’d get coming off a normal Hoskins season next year
Ok, I was unaware of his comment.
I will say though, guys do like having more guaranteed money. Perhaps the 2 sides get together, lower the number for ’25, and tack on a guarantee for ’26.
Otherwise I can totally see them trying to move him after he picks up the option.
Frelick can play CF, he was arguably the best defender in RF this season. While I think he might be able to play a decent 3B, he’s much more valuable in CF.
I’m interested to see what CF needy teams that like Sal’s glove are willing to give up. Between Devin & Sal, the Brewers should be able to get a better option at 3B, and a Sal trade opens up OF reps for Tyler Black, while also freeing up Bauers spot to further upgrade the offensive ceiling of the team.
I, too, think Sal is the odd man out to be traded. Cant have both his and Turangs super soft bats in the lineup and expect to continue to succeed.
Do they give Brock or Boeve a shot a 3B out of training camp?
Brock Wilken has to prove he can hit minor league pitching. .199 BA 133 strikouts, .363 slugging, but he his hitting 1 for 19 in the AFL with a homer and 4 walks. We will get past the first round in no time with him and Eric Brown Jr., both first round pick busts. Face reality on Brock.
Wilken was mashing before he got hit in the face. Really hope that’s not the reason for stalling. Brown is just a guy. Its fortunate that their Latin American academy seems capable of producing some useful players
Milner, Bauers and Wilson will and should be non-tendered based on performance and who they have available to replace them. Montas, Miley and Sanchez will have their options declined. Montas would be an interesting player to have back at a reasonable salary with the lab and their ability to straighten guys out, but they have a logjam in the rotation and in the pen next season. He’s not back unless they surprise and non-tender CIvale or decline Rea’s option. They would be thrilled if Hoskins declined his option, but that is a longshot. Where the offseason gets interesting, is what they do with Williams and Frelick. I think its almost a certainty Williams is traded, since they moved Hader at virtually the same salary. Frelick’s defense and intangibles are excellent, but he makes weak contact and becomes much less valuable defensively if he has to play at 2b/3b more next season. If there is a team that makes a strong offer for him, I think the Brewers take it though he is a fan favorite for his hard nosed play. We know they wont spend on any significant free agents and buyer beware on Adames.. His defense took a noticeable step backwards this season. He seemed much more focused at the plate this year, hard to say if that was due to his pending free agency or not, Even in his worst offensive year, the bat plays.
I think Hoskins with another year of recovery after surgery will have a much better season than this past. Just like with Winker who we did cut bait on too soon (in hindsight).
Move back to American league please!
I think the power numbers were decent, but the contact and defensive skills were lacking. If you could combine him and Bauers, you would have a solid first baseman. Nothing Winker did this season makes me wish he was a Brewer again. Couple good months sure, but he’s unplayable in the field. No way to know whether the pressure for him to play last season, when he was clearly not healthy, came from his side or the Brewers, but it was unfortunate for him to be in a position to fail like that. Didn’t do himself any favors either by acting like a classless jerk about it. He will be out of baseball next season probably.