Nestor Cortes, Trevor Megill among big names to settle Thursday
Entering Thursday, the Brewers had six players on the roster without a salary settled for the 2025 season. After the arbitration deadline, which was at 12 p.m. CT Thursday, that number has fallen to, at most, one.
Nestor Cortes, Aaron Civale, Joel Payamps, William Contreras, Nick Mears, and Trevor Megill (ordered from most service time to least) were the names on that list at the start of the day. All but Contreras have come to an agreement with the Brewers, per FanSided’s Robert Murray and MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. Those contracts are as follows:
- Nestor Cortes (5.094 years): $7.7 million projected > $7.6 million settled
- Aaron Civale (5.058 years): $8 million projected > $8 million settled
- Joel Payamps (4.027 years): $2.8 million projected > $2.995 million settled
- Nick Mears (3.022 years): $900,000 projected > $963,000 settled
- Trevor Megill (3.002 years): $2 million projected > $1.94 million settled
Contreras (3.112 years) may have also settled, though that figure have not yet been reported. Contreras is projected to make $7.6 million, per MLB Trade Rumors.
Also of note is Devin Williams, who was on the other side of the Cortes’ trade in December, has not yet reached a reported settlement with the Yankees. He is projected to make $7.7 million in arbitration.
Stay tuned for more information as players and teams that have not reached an agreement will exchange salary figures at 7 p.m. CT tonight. Arbitration hearings then take place beginning later this month through February 14. The Brewers have been notoriously stingy at times in arbitration hearings, taking Corbin Burnes to a hearing over a $740,000 difference in 2023.
Updated: Nick Mears was reported to have signed a $963,000 contract to avoid arbitration, per Adam McCalvy.