Taking an early look at Milwaukee’s payroll situation
The Milwaukee Brewers’ season is, sadly, over. We’ll spend plenty of time this offseason going over the different situations that will be presented to the team’s front office, but let’s start off with an accounting of what the contract status is of the players who played a role in 2024, with a few guesses about what might happen with some of them.
(Contract figures and info from Spotrac and FanGraphs)
Free agents
Willy Adames
Joe Ross
This is a small group, though a few of the options below will certainly join it. Adames will be covered more in-depth, but here are a few quick thoughts. I’m not sure that he’s going to get the Dansby Swanson contract (7 years, $177 million) that everyone seems to think he’ll get; I’m not exactly optimistic that Adames is going to age all that well (big swing, defense took a step back this year), and the prospect of paying him up to his 36th birthday would make me queasy. There’s also the added issue that TV contracts are in flux all over the league, jeopardizing many teams’ most reliable source of income, which could cool free-agent spending league-wide. Still, Adames is a good player who put up big counting stats this year, he’s the best shortstop on the market (even if a move to third or second could be in his future), and he’s everyone’s favorite teammate. He’ll still get high annual value, and I’ll say that my wild guess at where he ends up is somewhere around 5 years and $125 million.
Ross really opened some eyes down the stretch as a long reliever. He’s a little more expensive than you’d like for that role and the Brewers may pass, but I could see them trying to bring him back at around the $1.75 million that they paid him in 2024.
Players already under contract for 2025
Christian Yelich, $26m
Brandon Woodruff, $5m
Jackson Chourio, $4.25m
Aaron Ashby, $3.45m
Yelich is under contract through 2028 at $22 million per year with a mutual option for 2029 at $20 million. Chourio’s contract is guaranteed through 2031 with club options in 2032 and 2033. Woodruff, coming off an injury, has a $20 million mutual option for 2026; if he plays anything like the Woodruff we know and love, he’ll decline that option and become a free agent. If he plays badly, the Brewers will decline that option, and he’ll become a free agent. Either way, it’s extremely unlikely that both sides exercise that mutual option. Ashby is under contract through 2027 (with raises of about $2 million each year) with club options in 2028 and 2029 (for $9 million and $13 million, respectively).
Players with options in 2025
Frankie Montas, $20m mutual option
Rhys Hoskins, $18m with opt-out ($4m buyout if he opts out)
Wade Miley, $12m mutual option
Devin Williams, $10.5m club option
Freddy Peralta, $8m club option
Colin Rea, $5.5m club option
Gary Sánchez, $4m mutual option
Montas’ option is certain to be declined by the club, and I’d say that it’s unlikely that the Brewers would bring back Wade Miley at that number coming off of Tommy John surgery—it’s not even a sure thing that Miley will attempt a comeback, though early signs appear to point that way. The club options on Williams and Peralta are certain to be picked up, though there will likely be no shortage of trade rumors around Williams over the next few months as he is a free agent after the 2025 season. (My very quick take, to be expounded upon on another day: the Brewers would be foolish not to see what they could get for Williams, and this has nothing to do with last Thursday). Peralta has another $8 million club option in 2026 before he hits free agency.
The decisions on Rea and Sánchez are less clear. My guess is that the Brewers let Sánchez walk and elevate Eric Haase to a clear backup-catcher role. Rea could go either way—he’ll be 35 before the end of next season and there are some scary underlying indicators with him, but he’s been a reliable pitcher for most of the last two seasons and $5.5 million isn’t all that much.
The Hoskins decision is up to him. He did not have a good season so that $18 million probably looks attractive. But he will get $4 million even if he declines, he’s a popular vet, and he still hit 26 homers in 2024, so he might feel he can pocket that $4 million and get a deal that exceeds the $18 million he would get otherwise. My gut says he’ll be the Brewers’ starting first baseman on Opening Day.
Players up for arbitration
Aaron Civale, Arb 3 ($4.9m in 2024)
Hoby Milner, Arb 3 ($2.05m)
Jake Bauers, Arb 2 ($1.35m)
Joel Payamps Arb 2 ($1.65m)
Bryse Wilson, Arb 2 ($1m)
William Contreras, Arb 1
Eric Haase, Arb 1
Nick Mears, Arb 1
Trevor Megill, Arb 1
I expect to see Milner and Wilson get non-tendered. Bauers, too, could conceivably be non-tendered but he’s relatively cheap and it’s not clear that the team feels they have the minor league depth to replace him. Hoskins’ decision may also have some bearing on whether the team brings Bauers back.
I would expect to see Civale return, even at a number around $7 million or so. Payamps, too, has been a reliable bullpen arm and will not cost a whole lot. Haase, as discussed, figures to be the second-string catcher, and I don’t think the Brewers will give up on Nick Mears yet. Contreras and Megill are self-explanatory, the latter being the reason why Williams could be on the market this winter.
Contreras figures to get a healthy raise (Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel estimates he’ll make more than $7 million), but Haase, Mears, and Megill should all remain affordable (I’d guess about $1.25 million for Haase and Mears and about $1.75 million for Megill).
Everyone else who played a major role on the Brewers in 2024 will not yet be eligible for arbitration in 2025. Here’s a quick rundown of minor league option situations for players who are arbitration-eligible or pre-arb:
Three options remaining: Tyler Black, Isaac Collins, Oliver Dunn, Sal Frelick, Robert Gasser, Kevin Herget, Garrett Mitchell, Andruw Monasterio, Tobias Myers
Two options remaining: Aaron Ashby, Aaron Civale, Bryan Hudson, Jared Koenig, Joey Ortiz, Elvis Peguero, Blake Perkins, Abner Uribe
One option remaining: J.B. Bukauskas, William Contreras, DL Hall, Trevor Megill, Hoby Milner, Brice Turang
Out of options: Jake Bauers, Eric Haase, Nick Mears, Joel Payamps, Bryse Wilson, Rob Zastryzny