Offseason Outlook: Milwaukee Brewers

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

• Willy Adames, Joe Ross

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.