6 Players Brewers Should Retain… and 8 Guys They Should Move

[Harold Hutchison]

The coming offseason will have some tough decisions for the Brewers. Whom do they keep from a team that won the NL Central Division title, despite long odds? From whom do they need to move on?

Image courtesy of © Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 40-man roster is the defining constraint of roster-building in MLB. At times this season, the Brewers had to cut loose some talented options, like Enoli Paredes (now with the Cubs), Janson Junk (with the Astros), James Meeker and Taylor Clarke. We’re likely to see some more painful departures this offseason, too. Let’s look at who the Brewers should keep and who should go, after a little bit of roster math.

The Brewers have a full 40-man roster, plus seven players (JB Bukauskas, Robert Gasser, Wade Miley, Brandon Woodruff, Rob Zastryzny, Oliver Dunn, and Christian Yelich) on the 60-day injured list. Miley, Willy Adames, Joe Ross, Frankie Montas, and Gary Sánchez are either pending free agents or have options that won’t be exercised. So, the Brewers have to drop two players to hit the 40-man limit.

It gets a little more complicated from there, because there are players eligible for the Rule 5 draft and potential minor-league free agents—including Shane Smith, Logan Henderson, Russell Smith, Ernesto Martinez, and Chad Patrick—who have to be added to the 40-man roster in order not to be made freely available to the other 29 teams. So, who stays and who goes?

Drop: SS Vinny Capra
Capra isn’t a bad player, but is he really going to break past Joey Ortiz, Brice Turang, and Andruw Monasterio? The Crew might shake up their infield mix after Willy Adames departs this winter, but Turang and Ortiz, alone, make Capra somewhat redundant.

Add To 40-Man: 1B/OF Ernesto Martinez
Martinez has had a long, laborious path through the minors, but he had a breakout in 2024 with Biloxi. He not only plays excellent defense at first base, but his offensive profile looks like an excellent fit for American Family Field. He can also chip in as an outfielder, making him an intriguing fit for a spot currently taken up by...

Drop: 1B/OF Jake Bauers
Bauers had some hot streaks that helped carry the Brewers when injuries hit in 2024. He’s got good OBP skills, some pop, can steal a few bases, and provides good defense at first base or in an outfield corner. The problem is, his batting average didn’t quite crack the Uecker line. Between Tyler Black (already on the 40-man) and Martinez, he’s really the third-best option to complement Rhys Hoskins.

Add To 40-Man: RHP Logan Henderson
Henderson’s stuff is just too good to leave exposed in the Rule 5 draft. He’s a candidate to take the path Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff followed in 2018, and although that's always a longshot, the Brewers should shield him from being plucked away and see how things play out in 2025.

Drop: OF Brewer Hicklen
If you’re adding Martinez, then Hicklen isn’t someone who can stick around. Even if you aren't, he did relatively little to force his way into the conversation in his cup of coffee last year. Milwaukee just has too much outfield depth for Hicklen to take up a valuable slot throughout the winter.

Add To 40-Man: RHP Shane Smith
Smith has pitched well in the minors as both a reliever (becoming Brewer Fanatic’s 2023 Minor-League Reliever of the Year) and as a starter. He offers the potential to become a superb multi-inning reliever, perhaps joining Bryse Wilson and Bryan Hudson in that role.

Trade: RHP Devin Williams
The Brewers will probably trade Williams this winter, rather than pay him as much as $8 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility. The surest way to maximize value for a player like Williams is to be open to taking back a player already on the 40-man as part of the package; teams will force a discount if you force them to send you players you don't have to roster. Besides, proximity to the big leagues will matter, and most close-to-ready prospects are already on the 40-man. That said, if they can get a dazzling pair of young players who aren't yet taking up spots, it would give them some welcome and unexpected options.

Add To 40-Man: LHP Russell Smith
Smith has blossomed as a late-inning relief option, and some teams could try to take him in the Rule 5 draft to bolster their bullpens. He issues too many walks and doesn't yet evince elite stuff, but he's a 6-foot-7 lefty who had good numbers in Double A this season. He might come in handy as Hudson insurance.

Drop: RHP Kevin Herget
It’s not that Herget is a bad pitcher, but he will be 34 in 2025, and the Brewers have pitchers who can provide more over the long term than Herget can. However, he can still be optioned to the minor leagues, which makes him a more modular piece than some other fringy relievers and might keep him around a while.

Add To 40-Man: C Darrien Miller
Miller has superb OBP skills and bats left-handed. This makes him an excellent complement to William Contreras and Jeferson Quero over the long term, even if it's in a purely up-and-down capacity. Every team needs a viable third catcher on their 40-man roster.

Drop: IF Oliver Dunn
There was a lot of hope for Dunn back in the spring, but his offensive profile just isn’t working out for him. His swing-and-miss was calamitous in MLB this year, and his injury casts doubt on the viability of his defense anywhere but first base. Perhaps a change of scenery could help.

Add To 40-Man: RHP Chad Patrick
Patrick didn’t seem like much when the Brewers acquired him for Abraham Toro, but he blossomed into a superb starter almost out of nowhere in 2024. His stuff doesn't suggest a high big-league ceiling, but he could be useful depth and pitch in the big leagues as soon as next April or May.

Trade: RHP Elvis Peguero
For some time now, it has seemed like Peguero might have more value to some other team than to the Brewers. They have so much depth, and so many pitchers they're more comfortable using against lefties—against whom Peguero finds most of his success. He wouldn't be high-end trade bait, but they should be able to swap him out for some lesser version of himself, perhaps with a skill set the team needs more.

Drop: LHP Rob Zastryzny
Zastryzny comes pretty near the modern ideal of the replaceable left-handed reliever. He's not terrible, but there's nothing he does exceptionally well, either—and he can't be sent to the minors, which nukes his utility on a roster that already features a surfeit of southpaws.

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Whom do you think the Brewers should add to the 40-man roster, and whom should the Crew cut ties with? Let us know in the comments below!

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[Spencer Michaelis]

Drop Oliver Dunn and add Darrien Miller? 

[sveumrules]

Darrien Miller is a catcher who can't throw anyone out and whose primary offensive skill is getting HBPs.

That's like the 2009 Jason Kendall starter kit.

He won't keep walking at a 15.9% clip with only a .078 ISO to back it up as he faces more advanced pitching.

[Jim French Stepstool]

1 hour ago, sveumrules said:

Darrien Miller is a catcher who can't throw anyone out and whose primary offensive skill is getting HBPs.

That's like the 2009 Jason Kendall starter kit.

He won't keep walking at a 15.9% clip with only a .078 ISO to back it up as he faces more advanced pitching.

Besides, we have Wes Clarke for organizational depth at C.

[Jim French Stepstool]

I also don't see them protecting Capra, but if he stays around I don't think it's too farfetched to imagine him winning a spot over Monasterio.

[duewizard]

Darrien Miller? Come on man there are waaay better options at catcher like Mejía and Navarreto. If they're desperate, they can go for another Nola type signing (Knizer, Diaz, Casali, McGuire).

[BrewerFan]

10 hours ago, Spencer Michaelis said:

Drop Oliver Dunn and add Darrien Miller? 

Is this exclusively because Miller isn't a good player or are you high(relatively speaking) on Dunn?

I've heard people talk about his ceiling and how he has a relatively high one, but...I haven't seen it and haven't watched him much. 

[Spencer Michaelis]

22 minutes ago, BrewerFan said:

Is this exclusively because Miller isn't a good player or are you high(relatively speaking) on Dunn?

I've heard people talk about his ceiling and how he has a relatively high one, but...I haven't seen it and haven't watched him much. 

Both. Dunn was an elite defender in his MLB sample at third, has plus speed on the bases, and he hits the ball very hard. He will need to make more contact, but in all honesty there are a ton of parallels to Garrett Mitchell in terms of what the ceiling can be if they can make more consistent contact. Obviously Dunn is older, but due to a lot of injuries, he's young-ish in terms of professional experience. He also never really got any time at Triple-A, so I don't think he was actually ready for MLB when he made it up.

[BrewerFan]

11 minutes ago, Spencer Michaelis said:

Both. Dunn was an elite defender in his MLB sample at third, has plus speed on the bases, and he hits the ball very hard. He will need to make more contact, but in all honesty there are a ton of parallels to Garrett Mitchell in terms of what the ceiling can be if they can make more consistent contact. Obviously Dunn is older, but due to a lot of injuries, he's young-ish in terms of professional experience. He also never really got any time at Triple-A, so I don't think he was actually ready for MLB when he made it up.

And the injuries? I know he had a back issue...something with a disc issue. Is he supposed to be good to go for next year? Would you plan on him being a utility IFer(I know he's played all 4 IF spots)?

[Spencer Michaelis]

8 hours ago, BrewerFan said:

And the injuries? I know he had a back issue...something with a disc issue. Is he supposed to be good to go for next year? Would you plan on him being a utility IFer(I know he's played all 4 IF spots)?

Ideally he'll be a utility guy yeah, not sure where he is on the injury front completely, but he was rehabbing in Arizona at the end of the year, so I'd assume he will be ready for the start of the year.

[Harold Hutchison]

13 hours ago, duewizard said:

Darrien Miller? Come on man there are waaay better options at catcher like Mejía and Navarreto. If they're desperate, they can go for another Nola type signing (Knizer, Diaz, Casali, McGuire).

Mejia has enough service time to decline an option - if his options hadn't been burned up already. May be a good choice as a #2 behind Contreras... if the Crew didn't already have Haase.

Navarreto may be a minor-league free agent, again, with Quero getting a lot of time at Triple-A, dunno if he is the best choice to keep around (he's six years older than Miller, and his OPS was 120+ points lower than Miller's). 

[BrewerFan]

30 minutes ago, Harold Hutchison said:

Mejia has enough service time to decline an option - if his options hadn't been burned up already. May be a good choice as a #2 behind Contreras... if the Crew didn't already have Haase.

Navarreto may be a minor-league free agent, again, with Quero getting a lot of time at Triple-A, dunno if he is the best choice to keep around (he's six years older than Miller, and his OPS was 120+ points lower than Miller's). 

What's the most important part of catching??

[jay87shot]

No one is going to take Russ Smith or Darrien Miller in the Rule 5 draft and keep either for the year. I would bet a lot that Hoby is either traded or non tendered. I think it would be nice to get down to 38 or 39 guys because you never now what other teams will do or who could be had in a trade. The past few years the Dodgers and Rays had roster overflows and trade some nice pieces away at cheaper rates to get young non roster guys.