The Brewers Still Have $15 Million to Spend in Free Agency. But How?

[Matthew Trueblood]

The only big-league deal to which they've signed anyone all winter went to a reclamation arm pulled back over after a year in Japan. The Brewers have a bigger swing left in them this offseason, but have to choose their target carefully.

Image courtesy of © Brad Penner-Imagn Images

When the Brewers elected to retreat from their planned move to league-based production and distribution of broadcasts and re-upped with FanDuel Sports Network instead, it should have shaken free an extra few million dollars to be spent on payroll for 2025. In an offseason during which the team has traded erstwhile closer Devin Williams and watched star shortstop Willy Adames depart via free agency, the Crew already had at least $10 million to spend. Now, it seems fair to expect them to spend at least $15 million, and even that would leave them with a lower projected payroll than the ones they have run over the last two seasons.

This is a team defending two straight division crowns, so (after bringing in Nestor Cortes as part of the Williams trade, to replace the departing Frankie Montas) they don't need to make a huge move from here. They do have enough question marks to make spending that $15 million important, though, and a few possible ways to do so stand out.

José Quintana, Free Agent LHP
That number the Brewers should be ready to pay someone—$15 million—happens to be a kind of boilerplate amount for which several free-agent starters are signing this offseason. It's what Alex Cobb got from the Tigers, and what Justin Verlander got from the Giants. Charlie Morton got it from the Orioles, and Matthew Boyd got it from the Cubs—with Boyd landing a two-year deal at that salary, once you bake in his likely incentives.

Quintana has been, if anything, a bit more durable and consistent than those guys over the last few years, and he's still only 35 years old. However, he doesn't miss many bats, which is a major hangup for many teams when evaluating a pitcher in 2025. With identical 18.8% strikeout rates the last two campaigns, Quintana doesn't jump out for most teams in the league. The Brewers could almost certainly land him on the same deal for which the Cubs got Boyd, thanks to having waited two extra months for the market to cool off. Quintana's a better pitcher than Boyd, and just as importantly, he'd give the team depth and consistency as they head into the season with the huge question mark of Brandon Woodruff's shoulder capsule injury handing over their starting rotation.

Max Scherzer, Free Agent RHP
At 40, there's a chance that Scherzer is simply running out of gas. He was unable to get healthy for most of 2024, and when he did make it onto the mound, his velocity was down about 1.5 miles per hour—a sharp acceleration of a long downward trend in fastball efficacy.

Still, Scherzer's overall results looked fine, with an ERA south of 4.00 and viable strikeout and walk rates. He would be a bold upside play, and although it doesn't feel like a very Brewers-y move, they might be due for that kind of out-of-character gambit.

Ha-Seong Kim, Free Agent IF
At the outset of this offseason, it would not have been possible to get Kim for $15 million, unless it be on a fairly long-term deal. Now, though, that door is wide open. Kim underwent shoulder surgery in October, and isn't expected to be ready to play again by Opening Day. Even when he can first return, he might need to stay on a longer-than-usual rehab assignment, to replace spring training and to let him build strength in that shoulder so he can play the infield when he does join an active roster.

As that description of things suggests, Kim comes with some major, well-understood drawbacks and considerable risk. That's why he's likely to be available at a reasonable (albeit eight-figure) salary without a long-term commitment. The Brewers could weather the wait, though, and if Kim is a healthy, versatile piece on the infield for the second half and is in place at third base for a potential playoff run, signing him now would look like a very wise investment. He might even merit a qualifying offer at the end of the year, netting the team an eventual draft pick.

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That's not an exhaustive list of ways the Brewers can leverage their remaining budgetary flexibility. It's just a sampling of them. One way or another, the team should use the money between their current projected 40-man payroll of $108 million and the reasonable target of $120-125 million to give themselves more paths to a third straight division championship. If they don't make some opportunistic move in the weeks ahead, they'll have let a good pitch float by.

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[Devinep]

With Adames leaving, I’m going to hope that $ is used to get a bat, preferably an infielder. In addition to the Kim idea, I’ll add to trade for Brandon Lowe or sign Profar (slow market so far). Maybe another FA signing by another team makes Tristan Casas or Lamont Wade available. 

[Brian]

The Brewers just love those pitchers at the tail end of there careers.  We have been pretty lucky so far, or... is it a for real thing that really does work?  The new scenery and trade I'm sure reinvigorates them for half the season. Also, Quintana would love to beat the team (Cubs) he used to play for.  That is a personal rivalry. 

[rafa]

Hmmm, maybe I'll sign this guy, or trade for that guy or do a combination of both!  Or maybe none of the above, it's been established, the Brewers do NOT have this much money! 

They have 4, perhaps 5 million at the most, quit writing these articles.  All it does is misinform fans and create anger when something isn't done that couldn't be done in the first place.

[CheezWizHed]

2 hours ago, rafa said:

Hmmm, maybe I'll sign this guy, or trade for that guy or do a combination of both!  Or maybe none of the above, it's been established, the Brewers do NOT have this much money! 

They have 4, perhaps 5 million at the most, quit writing these articles.  All it does is misinform fans and create anger when something isn't done that couldn't be done in the first place.

I'm curious where this has been "established"? Certainly the new TV deal means less money than they were getting, but I've not seen anyone quantify this anywhere (or their overall budget in general beyond historical speculations). 

[rafa]

Cheez, "where has this been established?" Clearly, you don't follow the Brewers coverage much otherwise you would know from both the local and national media that this has been reported, a number of times.

This blog has many positives, I come here often for good information.  That being said, I'll take the analysis of local reporters who do this for a living, you know as in get paid a decent salary to write about the team.  They go on road trips, they are professionals who undoubtedly are not always right, but the information that they have put out, shows the Brewers who are normally financially strapped, even more so this year.

Interestingly, the national media, again paid professionals have ... ta-da, come to the same conclusion as the local media, (beat writers). Look it up, it's not that hard.  This is called established.

[Team Canada]

Let's tone down the condescension a little bit.

[Stubby66]

Think this article is wrong,  if Brewers do anything. They need to try and start locking people up. We have plenty of young guys who can do what these free agents can do. We are a very well run organization with very capable prospects.  No need to over pay free agents. Now if a young controllable player comes along yup make the trade but we are sitting pretty good. No need to block our good players. Only one I would consider is Moncado on a minor league deal.