Even as Regular Season Winds Down, Brewers' Offseason William Contreras Dilemma Looms

[Ray Stuedemann]

Image courtesy of James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

Since his arrival, William Contreras has been a staple in Milwaukee’s lineup, making the possibility of his departure a significant potential problem. The organization has shown a pattern of trading away star players when they reach their final year of team control, particularly when the front office determines that moving a player can provide greater long-term value than keeping him. With Contreras approaching that point in his Brewers tenure, his future in Milwaukee will be one of the organization’s biggest offseason decisions.

First, to be clear: the Brewers still have control of the situation. Contreras signed a one-year, $9.4-million deal with the Brewers this past offseason with a club option worth $15.5 million for 2027. However, declining that option would not make Contreras a free agent. Instead, he would remain under team control and go through the arbitration process for the 2027 season. Milwaukee has used this type of contract structure before, including with Contreras last offseason and Devin Williams. Rather than go to arbitration with a player with whom they could not settle immediately, the Brewers can agree to a deal that is worth a little more than they would like to pay in the short term, while securing a team option for the following year. This gives the organization additional flexibility in the next arbitration cycle and puts a ceiling on what the player can earn through arbitration in that follow-on campaign.

If Contreras were having an MVP-caliber season right now, the Brewers would likely pick up the $15.5-million option. Since his performance has been up-and-down this season, however, it's an interesting question whether Milwaukee believes he is worth that amount, or whether the team could get him for less by sending him back to arbitration via declining the option.

After his 18th home run of the season Sunday night in Baltimore, Contreras enters the final week of the regular season batting .271/.342/.423. He’s pulling the ball in the air more, up to 16.2% of the time in 2026 (11.1% in 2025), and is striking out considerably less than his career average (14.5% this year, 20.3% overall). He’s been a consistent bat (and player, overall) for the Brewers throughout his tenure, worth at least 3.0 fWAR and with a wRC+ of at least 110 in each of his four seasons with the team. The 28-year-old is a three-time All-Star (two with Milwaukee) and has won two Silver Slugger Awards at catcher. 

It would be hard to move on from Contreras, but fans said the same thing in the past, including with Freddy Peralta and Corbin Burnes. The team has a history of doing this kind of transaction, and if they do it again, they do have some internal options to take the place of Contreras. The current backup catcher, Gary Sánchez, signed a one-year contract late last offseason with a mutual option for 2027. That option is unlikely to be picked up; it's just a way to roll a small part of his salary into next season via a buyout. Still, a reunion is hardly out of the question, given that this is already Sánchez's second stint with the team. He's slashed .209/.352/.419 in 264 plate appearances this year. Moving forward with him as the starter isn’t a viable option, but he’d be welcomed back as a backup catcher and occasional designated hitter.

Bo Naylor is the other option currently on the major-league roster. Naylor was acquired from the Guardians on August 1 and called up to be a third catcher when the rosters expanded at the start of September. He hasn’t played much since then, amassing two hits in only eight plate appearances so far. He’s struggled offensively throughout his career, slashing .200/.280/.374 in over 1,000 plate appearances, but there are reasons to hope the Brewers could turn his offensive profile into something productive. He will enter his first year of arbitration in 2027, so he'll probably be around the organization. Jeferson Quero and Marco Dinges are solid prospects in Triple-A and Double-A, respectively, but both have spent more time at designated hitter than behind the plate this year. Neither can start the 2027 season as the full-time starter in the majors.

As for options outside of the organization, top free-agent catchers this winter include Ryan Jeffers, Carson Kelly and Tyler Stephenson. It would make little sense to sign any of them in the stead of Contreras, though; they'd cost almost as much and require a multi-year commitment. If the team does trade Contreras, his replacement would probably have to be found in either that deal or a separate one, such as one that sends Trevor Megill elsewhere.

Ultimately, the Brewers have several options available. The decision will come down to how Milwaukee evaluates Contreras’s production, his projected arbitration salary, and his importance to the team in ways that go beyond the numbers—as a leader, as a handler of the pitching staff, and as an exemplar of the toughness, work ethic and high standards of the club. This feels more like a Willy Adames situation than a Peralta, Burnes, or Williams case—but if the right offer presents itself, that could change.

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What are your thoughts? Will William Contreras be on the Brewers roster in 2027? If not, who will take his place as the primary catcher?

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[Sixtolezcano]

I don’t understand why the Brewers didn’t play either Quero or Dinges at catcher more often rather than DH this past year. Their defensive development should have considered more important than how they handled it in 2026. Quero would have been an excellent backup for Milwaukee in late 2026 and in 2027 with Dinges in AAA. It has been over 2 years since his shoulder surgery and Quero was considered a gold-glove caliber catcher earlier in his career. With a pop time less the 1.8 sec. and above average catching instincts he is at least the equal of Contreras defensively, now. He has also dramatically improved his hitting skills with his plate disciple and power as a hitter. With a year to develop in Nashville in 2027 Dinges would be more than an adequate backup to Quero when Contreras leaves.

[sveumrules]

5 minutes ago, Sixtolezcano said:

I don’t understand why the Brewers didn’t play either Quero or Dinges at catcher more often rather than DH this past year

Because they were both dealing with injuries which prevented them from catching more.

[JohnBriggs12]

My strategy would be to try and pry Hunter Goodman from the Rockies using either Quero or Dinges as part of a prospect package, then deal Contreras for at least one premium prospect to offset the some of the cost of Goodman.