The Brewers announced a set of roster moves today, including the news that Frankie Montas declined his end of a $20MM mutual option for the 2025 season. Montas (who will be 32 on Opening Day) will instead take a $2MM buyout and enter free agency. Milwaukee also outrighted right-hander Bryse Wilson and first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers off the 40-man roster, and both players will head to free agency as well.
The one-year contract Montas signed with the Reds last winter broke down as a $14MM guarantee for 2024, and then the $2MM buyout on the $20MM mutual option. It should be noted that mutual options are almost never triggered by both sides, so Montas’ decision to decline the option in the wake of his so-so season shouldn’t be seen as a surprise, as the Brewers surely would’ve passed on their end of the option anyway.
A labrum surgery in February 2023 ended up costing Montas all but 1 1/3 innings of the 2023 season, as he made it back to pitch in the second-last game of the Yankees’ regular-season schedule. Despite that lost year, the right-hander’s past track record of success as a starter with the Athletics still allowed Montas to land a healthy one-year guarantee in free agency, though his attempt at a bounce-back season delivered mixed results.
Montas posted a 4.84 ERA over 150 2/3 combined innings with the Reds and Brewers, as Milwaukee picked up Montas in an intra-division trade at the deadline. The righty’s strikeout rate shot upwards after the trade and his SIERA improved by almost a full run, even though Montas’ 4.55 ERA with the Brew Crew wasn’t a huge upgrade over the 5.01 ERA he posted in Cincinnati.
For the full season, Montas’ 22.6% strikeout rate, 10.1% walk rate, 27.7% chase rate, and hard-contact metrics were all below the league average. Some rust was perhaps expected since Montas missed basically all of 2023, and the fact that he returned to pitch 150 2/3 innings is perhaps the most important stat in the eyes of some evaluators. Teams will always have a need for starters who can eat innings, and Montas’ uptick in performance after joining the Brewers could be viewed as a sign that he might still be able to get closer to his old form now that he is further removed from his surgery.
Bauers was projected to earn $2.3MM in his second year of arbitration eligibility, and Wilson $1.5MM in his first trip through the arb process. Both were expected to be non-tendered, so today’s moves gives the pair an early jump on the free agent market in advance of the November 22 non-tender deadline.
Acquired from the Yankees in a trade last November, Bauers hit .199/.301/.361 with 12 homers over 346 plate appearances in what looks to be his lone season in Milwaukee. Bauers primarily played in a timeshare at first base with Rhys Hoskins, while also getting some action in at both corner outfield positions. Hoskins exercised his player option and will return to the Brewers in 2025, with Tyler Black probably now penciled in to at least assume the left-handed hitting side of the first base timeshare, leaving Bauers an obvious odd man out.
Wilson had a 4.04 ERA, 18.6% strikeout rate, and seven percent walk rate over 104 2/3 innings in 2024, and he worked in a variety of roles as a starter, reliever, and bulk pitcher behind an opener. Working in a pure relief role with the Brewers in 2023, Wilson had a 2.58 ERA in 76 2/3 frames over 53 appearances.
Between Wilson’s solid bottom-line results, the low arbitration price tag, and the remaining years of team control, Milwaukee’s decision to move on from the 26-year-old seems curious at first, though Wilson’s underwhelming peripherals provide the answer. Wilson’s .253 BABIP helped offset his lack of strikeout punch, and his 4.33 SIERA over his two seasons with the Brewers was substantially higher than his 3.42 ERA. The Brewers could potentially look to re-sign Wilson to a new contract, though it seems like the Crew might want a higher-upside arm for its pitching depth chart.
Saying no to 20MM when you put up 0.6 WAR of league average (at best) pitching doesn’t seem like a smart idea to me.
He knew the Brewers were going to decline their option so he could “save face” by declining first. You can damn sure bet he would have picked up the option if it was a player option only.
Yeah that makes the most sense. He needs a one year prove-it deal.
If only it said that in the article…….
Right after the trade from CIN, Frankievwas crying and telling the guys in the Reds staff that he wanted to come back. Brewers need arms but he’s no loss
He realizes he’s not that good right??? he’s not getting that type of money at all. guessing he’s expecting a multi year deal but what AAV is he gonna get? 13 million??
Ok..$2 million (buyout) + $13 million + $13 million = more than $20 million, correct? Even if it’s $11 per for 3 years, he’s coming out ahead..whether he pitches well, poorly, or not at all.
And, as said above, the Brewers would have absolutely declined their end of it, so why wait around for that to happen?
Frankie, you aren’t going to Hollywood.
Frankie say relax.
Montas needs to fire his agent ASAP.
His agent said relax, don’t do it.
Why? Brewers were certainly going to decline their wnd anyway.
Weird move by montas, wonder if Milwaukee paid him more under the table since they’ve been in rough payroll shape (for them) lately hahaha
It was a mutual option. Brewers were going to pass so he just did it first.
I didn’t read that part, thanks.
“Mutual option” means both sides would need to agree, and Montas knew that wasn’t gonna happen. The agreement was made with the Reds, who traded Montas to the Crew. He was never more than a rental.
Thanks Frankie, Jake and Bryse for your service to the Brewers. Enjoyed rooting for you. Here’s hoping JaMiz, Hall, Yoho, Black and Henderson are good players for the 2025 team.
Since Milwaukee was going to decline their end, was this essentially Montas saying “You can’t fire me, I quit.”
None gets a head start on free agency instead of waiting till November 22 when brewers would do it
Ah, that makes more sense.
Why’d they dump Wilson? Every year I question the Brewers offseason moves and think there’s no way they’re even getting a Wildcard spot and then they end up winning the division.
Wilson & Rea are gone for the same reasons. Used alot of smoke and mirrors to be effective with an incredible defense behind them. Both were ineffective towards the end of last year, and have no options.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Brewers have multiple guys on min deals in mind that they could acquire for next to nothing that they project to outperform both next year.
Better call clownsell or Stearns they love brewers rejects
No Breslow. This isn’t the move.
Red Sox in on high priced FA? I’ll believe it when I see it.
Montas crazy to turn down 20M. Who’s offering him more than that this Off-season
If he didn’t, MKE was going to. And if there hadn’t been a mutual option, are you sure he wouldn’t get an offer of say 3/$33 or 2/$26? Tack on the $2 mil buyout and he’s likely getting more guaranteed money this way even if the Brewers didn’t hold an option as well.
Why does Bauers seem to be starting on a good team every season? He’s not good at all.
Bauers being let go increases the chance the Brewers trade for an infielder replacement for Adames. If Black is really being looked at as the left-handed compliment for Hoskins (which he should be), that would mean they aren’t really looking at him as the starting third baseman. All the shedding of salary could mean someone with some salary attached (Suarez for Williams?/Prospects for McMahon?)