Will Brewers Sign a Veteran Backup Catcher, While They Still Have the Chance?

[Matthew Trueblood]

Image courtesy of © Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

But for a devastating shoulder injury, Jeferson Quero would already have made his major-league debut. He would even be a natural fit as the Brewers' backup catcher for 2026, and perhaps he'd have done enough that the team would have more seriously considered trading William Contreras this winter. Instead, Quero missed virtually all of 2024, and he had less than a full campaign in 2025, too. He's still the only non-Contreras catcher on the 40-man roster, and none of those beyond the 40-man are serious candidates to play in the big leagues in more than an emergency role. Naturally, then, the assumption has been that Quero will start 2026 as the complement to Contreras behind the plate, as the Crew gradually eases their top catching prospect into the big leagues.

Maybe that assumption needs to be more closely interrogated, though. Quero had a fine season, divided between rehab work in the Arizona Complex League and his first meaningful stint at Triple-A Nashville. However, he batted just .255/.336/.412 for the Sounds, a below-average output for that level and league. In 119 plate appearances for the Cardenales de Lara in his native Venezuela, he has batted .238/.328/.438. In Triple A and in winter ball, he combined for a 10.2% walk rate and a 15.4% strikeout rate, which are both impressive—but he only slugged .421.

In Nashville, Quero showed a good knack for generating pulled batted balls in the air, but not as much sheer power as his profile promises. Worse, he chased over 40% of the pitches he saw outside the zone there. His feel for contact helped him foul off many of those pitches and extend at-bats, keeping his strikeout rate low and allowing him to walk much more than such an aggressive hitter typically does, but that doesn't work nearly as well in the majors as it does in even the highest level of the minors. Without a significant refinement of his approach, Quero isn't ready to help with the bat.

That can all change in one spring training, of course. The Brewers teach swing decisions as well as any team in baseball, and Quero has plenty of teammates who can back up what the coaching staff preaches as he learns to lay off pitches he can't consistently drive. Still, it seems as though Quero would benefit from more time at Nashville this season, to complete his development. Keeping him down for at least a few weeks would also guarantee that the Brewers have control of him through the 2032 season—not a reason to avoid using him, but a bonus if the team does deem him unready for the majors to begin the year.

Therefore, it would make sense for the Crew to pursue one of the solid remaining options to back up and complement Contreras. Having a veteran to fill what is often a role heavy on off-field responsibilities always has some appeal, but in this case, it feels especially urgent. A quartet of remaining free agents could be good fits for Milwaukee as the offseason approaches its endgame.

Old friend Victor Caratini is back on the open market, after playing for the Astros the last two years. He batted a sturdy .263/.329/.406 during his stint in Houston, a marked improvement over the .224/.312/.359 he put up in two seasons with the Brewers. He made some changes to his left-handed swing that produced more fly balls, and so far, he's held onto his bat speed better than most catchers entering their 30s. His familiarity with the organization would make integrating him into the team again a bit easier, and he could also claim playing time at first base if needed. No available catcher makes a tidier fit, but he could land a two-year deal again; the Brewers probably won't go there.

Fellow switch-hitter Jonah Heim hasn't yet found a new home, after the Rangers non-tendered him in November. Heim is huge for a catcher, and the combination of his size (which tends to catch up to professional squatters in myriad ways) and the difficulty of maintaining two swings while also playing the game's most demanding defensive position derailed him after a strong 2023. He'd be a reclamation project, but arguably, he's the perfect one for the Brewers. Fixing him could give them a head start on solving catcher for 2027, or a trade chip at midseason if Quero is ready by then.

When the Cubs lost Miguel Amaya for a huge chunk of the 2025 season, emergency call-up Reese McGuire saved their bacon. He showed a terrific nous for slowing the running game, and although his approach is no more polished than Quero's, he ran into enough balls with his big swing to produce some key home runs. The quintessential backup catcher, he bats left-handed, which maximizes matchup value; is well-liked in the clubhouse; and prioritizes his defensive duties. He's also likely to cost much less than Caratini or Heim.

If the Brewers are more focused on veteran influence and maximizing defense and leadership than they are on real production, they could turn to Christian Vázquez, who's likely to be gettable on a minor-league deal with an opt-out date late in spring training. Vázquez is now 35 years old, and his bat was disastrously bad for the Twins over the last two seasons. If he can produce even an occasional positive outcome at bat, though, he more than pays for himself with intangible contributions and stout receiving.

Quero remains the medium-term plan behind the plate for the Brewers, but he doesn't need to be on the Opening Day roster. In fact, barring an exceptionally strong spring training, he shouldn't be. The Brewers don't need to spend big money to supplement their catching corps, but they should invest a little bit in it, to ensure depth and optimize the developmental arc of their would-be rookie backstop.

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[sveumrules]

Trade for Drew Millas.

Currently the 4th catcher on the Nats 40 man so shouldn’t be prohibitively expensive to acquire and offers more intrigue / upside than the veteran FA options.

[long ball]

Unless it’s a split deal or minor league deal I’m not sure I agree they should be adding a catcher. 
 

Quero probably isn’t good enough to manipulate the service time. Murphy has lauded his ability to manage a game which to me is enough to get him onto the big league roster at this point. 
 

this is probably the last year with Contreras so let’s get quero as much experience in the bigs to see if he could be the primary catcher in 2027. developing Quero is also an excuse to get Contreras more DH appearances. I don’t need to see Yelich facing many lefty starters at this point. 

[Devinep]

Being a backup to Contreras (who seemingly gets to decide himself how much he plays), wouldn’t be appealing to a Caratini, who should get at least part-time if not more, starts. That is also why it would be better for Quero to start playing everyday in AAA then taking over as backup mid season. Quero would only start 40-50 games if he was the backup all season. 

since the brewers are so good at improving the defense of catchers, I’d like to see them use their “open” MLB roster spot as a way to get someone like Mickey Gasper as a buy low and low risk backup option. 

 

[Ro Mueller]

I might be wrong, but I think fringe catchers are struggling to get MLB contracts this year: Eric Haase, Yohel Pozo (split contract), Jose Herrera, Ali Sanchez, Jorge Alfaro, Sam Huff.

Maybe that means we can sign Jonah Heim for three cents, figuring he’ll deliver better production in a clear back-up role in light of less daily wear-and-tear.

[Sugarrayray]

What a great usage of nous!!!!!