2025 Brewers Offseason Handbook: Breaking Down Brewers' Needs and Objectives as Offseason Begins

[Jack Stern]

In this installment of the Brewer Fanatic Offseason Handbook, we'll walk through objectives the Brewers should prioritize this winter and how they might accomplish them.

Image courtesy of © Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Welcome to the 2025 Offseason Handbook! This year, we’re offering the format online only through our Caretakers program. The Offseason Handbook is a comprehensive look at what challenges the Brewers face in the coming winter to field a competitive team in 2025.

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By almost every measure, the Milwaukee Brewers exceeded external expectations in 2024. Even the more optimistic observers would not have predicted a 93-69 record and a division title. Despite a heartbreaking finish that saw the Brewers come within two outs of finally conquering their recent playoff demons, the club’s outlook for 2025 and beyond is bright. Last winter featured substantial shakeups to the roster and coaching staff, ushering in a wave of uncertainty as the Brewers insisted they would remain competitive. A year later, roster continuity is a theme.

While next year’s club will look a bit different—Willy Adames is a free agent, a Devin Williams trade feels inevitable, and the starting rotation will undergo a slight makeover—most core contributors from 2024 figure to return. The Brewers have 16 players under control through at least 2027, based on service time or under existing contracts, nine of whom were worth at least 2 Wins Above Replacement this year, according to Baseball-Reference.

The list of desperate needs is shorter than in years past, but it’s also important to look past it when executing and evaluating offseason moves. Shrewd organizations do their best to fill needs, but the greater objective is always to assemble a competitive roster with prudent and opportunistic moves. That means taking advantage of chances to add value and rejecting potential moves that don’t, regardless of position.

These offseason storylines will be covered in greater depth in future installments of Brewer Fanatic’s Offseason Handbook series, but here is a quick snapshot of the most prominent issues as the Hot Stove gets underway.

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[jay87shot]

Needs= 3B       That's it really, especially if you are fine with Tyler Black taking over the Bauers role.

Wants= Consistent top of the rotation starter, 1B upgrade      It would be really nice to add a starter like Crochet, Alcantara, McClanahan, etc. but the price might be to high for our liking and a 1B upgrade would be nice if we could find a taker on Rhys without giving up any thing. 

Non major concern= non 40 man roster depth. It seems like we are going to need a bunch of new minor league contract guys to fill a bunch of potential AAA holes. 

[rafa]

Hoskins isn't going anywhere, and not simply because nobody wants to trade for him.  In truth, he's a 2/3  DH and a 1/3 1st baseman.  So, yes, get a semi-regular 1st baseman but Hoskins power and leadership keep him in Milwaukee even after a down year (that means batting average, OBP).

NOT gonna get a top rotation guy but a solid 3/4 would be possible with the right trade package.  Third base is keeping it warm for one year, they have guys out there at a minimal cost.

[brewmann04]

Rhys is the power game in this lineup. Maybe a trade deadline move.