Presser with the Brewers manager on Thursday looked back on the postseason, ahead to 2025
Brewers manager Pat Murphy participated in an end-of-season press conference this past Thursday, addressing Milwaukee’s early postseason exit and providing a look ahead to 2025 as he answered questions from the media.
Despite the disappointing end to the season, Murphy shared insights about the season’s challenges and triumphs, including player development, team resilience, and his optimism for 2025.
In assessing his first season at the helm of the Crew, Murphy recognized that, despite the success (and likely NL Manager of the Year Award), there was a learning curve stepping into the role for the first time since serving as interim manager of the Padres in 2015. Since the end of Milwaukee’s season, Murphy said he’s watched every inning of the playoffs.
“I’ve watched every inning of the playoffs because I love it. I love learning, and there’s a lot to be learned,” Murphy said. “When I was a college coach, I had heartbreaking losses. Maybe not as devastating as that, but I’m pretty quick to respond.”
A significant portion of the press conference was focused on player development and the future of the roster. As one of the youngest teams in baseball, Murphy lauded the development of the players, both individually and as a team.
“People get on me because I’m always talking about Sal [Frelick]. If that guy didn’t establish himself, then why is he here?” Murphy said. “He ingratiated himself to everyone watching, just by the way he competed. So that bodes well that [the young players] took a step forward.”
Murphy also underscored the rough outing for Devin Williams in the season finale, stating that he exemplified professionalism and determination in handling adversity.
“He feels horrible. He loves the Brewers. It’s one inning. Look at the kid from the Mets. I mean, the kid from the Mets has had some horrible results, but he bounced back. And, you know, he’s a warrior too. I believe Devin would bounce back and win the next game if it had happened in the second game,” Murphy said. “The reason he was NL Reliever of the Year for two years is he knows how to let it go and wash it off.”
Some of the other interesting tidbits Murphy provided in the press conference included:
- Brice Turang and Joey Ortiz are both potential options to shift to shortstop in 2025, assuming the departure of Willy Adames.
- The team remains committed to winning without rebuilding. He said he heard somebody say the Brewers have “figured out” the regular season but haven’t figured out the postseason, which he called “absurd” because success in the regular season is not a given.
- Expect Tobias Myers to be in the rotation next season, and Aaron Ashby’s role as a starter vs. a reliever will be discussed.
- Murphy would like to see William Contreras make more offensive adjustments as pitchers realize he’s a good hitter, and he expects to see growth in other areas as well.
- Asked about moving Christian Yelich and/or Frelick to the infield, Murphy said that Yelich is a good outfielder and he doesn’t view the outfield as a logjam. That being said, he doesn’t expect Yelich to move to first base or to see Jackson Chourio in the infield, but Frelick at third base is certainly on the table, depending on who the Brewers acquire and the injuries the team faces next season.
Near the end of the press conference, Murphy stressed the importance of maintaining a positive mindset as the franchise turns to the 2025 season.
“I believe we can play in the World Series. We could have played in the World Series this year. Look what’s going on. We’ve beaten all the teams that are going to be there. Look how consistent we were this year,” Murphy said. “That’s why baseball is 162 games. The secret to winning it doesn’t always happen on that particular night. You don’t always get the bounce or the call or the execution.”
Wise words from a wise man.