Milwaukee Brewers Roster Check: 2027 Contract Status For Every Player on the 40-Man Roster

[Steve Drumwright]

The World Series is over. The Milwaukee Brewers are world champions for the first time in their 58-year history. Now the cycle of MLB life quickly turns to roster decisions.

President of baseball operations Matt Arnold and his crew have been working hard behind the scenes to map out a game plan for how this offseason, with a looming lockout, will transpire. There will be decisions made by fan favorites to leave and by the club to go in a different direction from some who were on the World Series roster.

This is meant to be a primer on where everyone on the 40-man roster sits contractually for the 2027 season.

All options—player, club, or mutual—must be exercised within five days of the end of the World Series. Mutual options are almost universally declined. Players eligible for a qualifying offer must receive one with that same five-day period, then have another seven days to decide whether to accept, which puts the player under contract for the 2027 season. This year's qualifying offer is reportedly $23.15 million, although that could change when formally announced by MLB.

Players who are eligible for arbitration must be tendered a contract by the end of November. This is different from exchanging figures for a hearing, but it guarantees a player will be under contract. Those who are non-tendered become free agents. Players who are pre-arbitration or on minor-league contracts also must be tendered a contract by this same deadline. Minor-league contracts are generally one-year deals.

All arbitration projections are courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors. Pre-arbitration players basically make a version of the MLB minimum salary, which was $780,000 for 2026 (slight raises for second and third years). The minimum is expected to be $1 million in the new collective-bargaining agreement. Super 2 players become eligible for arbitration a year early and have four years of arb.

This article is a reference list to know the contract status of every play on the 40-man roster. If you do some rudimentary math, you'll see that there are more than 40 players listed (there are 42). Players on the 60-day injured list do not count toward the 40-man. All players come off the injured list after the World Series as a matter or procedure, regardless of their health status.

Any player, whether eligible for arbitration or a free agent, can re-sign with the Padres at any time. Negotiations with other teams can't begin until five days after the World Series ends. Unless otherwise noted, any free agent can be given a qualifying offer.

Contract info courtesy of Cot's and Spotrac.

Pitchers (24)

Grant Anderson: First year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $1 million.

Aaron Ashby: Due $7.7 million as final year of five-year, $20.5 million contract that has club options for 2028 ($9 million) and 2029 ($13 million).

Coleman Crow: Pre-arbitration.

Shane Drohan: Pre-arbitration.

Brian Fitzpatrick. On 60-day IL (Tommy John surgery on left elbow). Pre-arbitration.

Robert Gasser: Pre-arbitration, outside Super 2 candidate. 

Colton Gordon: Pre-arbitration.

DL Hall: First year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $1 million.

Kyle Harrison: Pre-arbitration.

Logan Henderson: Pre-arbitration.

Jared Koenig: First year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $800,000.

Dustin May: Mutual option for $20 million in 2027 with a $500,000 buyout.

Trevor Megill: Final year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $8 million.

Jacob Misiorowski: Pre-arbitration.

Chad Patrick: Pre-arbitration.

Quinn Priester: On 60-day IL (right thoracic outlet syndrome).

JoJo Romero: First year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $1.3 million.

Antonio Senzatela: Club option for $14 million for 2027 with no buyout.

Brandon Sproat: Pre-arbitration.

Garrett Stallings: Pre-arbitration.

Abner Uribe: Pre-arbitration.

Bryse Wilson: Final year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $1.1 million.

Brandon Woodruff: Free agent. Not eligible for qualifying offer.

Angel Zerpa: On 60-day IL (Tommy John surgery on left elbow). Second year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $1.3 million

Catchers (4)

William Contreras: Club option for $14.5 million. If declined, final year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $14.6 million.

Bo Naylor: First year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $1.5 million.

Jeferson Quero: Pre-arbitration.

Gary Sanchez: Mutual option for $1.75 million for 2027 with a $250,000 buyout.

Infielders (6)

Jake Bauers: Free agent.

David Hamilton: First year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $1.6 million.

Joey Ortiz: First year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $2.4 million.

Cooper Pratt: Due $3.875 million as part of eight-year, $50.75 million contract through 2033.

Brice Turang: Second year eligible for arbitration as Super 2. Projection: $9.5 million.

Andrew Vaughn: Final year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $8.5 million.

Outfielders (6)

Akil Baddoo: Second year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $1.3 million.

Jackson Chourio: Due $8.25 million as part of eight-year, $82 million contract through 2031.

Sal Frelick: First year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $2.4 million.

Luis Lara: Due $2,285,714 as part of seven-year, $31 million contract through 2032.

Brandon Lockridge: Pre-arbitration.

Garrett Mitchell: Second year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $2.7 million.

Designated Hitter (2)

Tyler Black: Pre-arbitration.

Christian Yelich: Due $26 million as part of nine-year, $215 million contract through 2028.

Image courtesy of Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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[keephopealive]

I get about $125 million without Woody, Senzetala, May, and Bauers.  That's about comparable to this year's number.  I suspect we let Bauers go, and go in with a Vaughn and Fischer/Burke platoon.

[wallus]

Romero is a free agent 

[SF70]

Incredible roster returning.

Give Bauers the QO and let him go. Hold Contreras & Megill and tender the rest including Zerpa, who should be a weapon the second-half of the season.

This is THE WS favorite.

The rotation alone makes them another 100+ win team. 

Miz-Ashby-Henderson-Gasser-Harrison plus Priester & a boatload and a half of SP arms in the uppers. WOW.

[ChapelHeel66]

Non-Tender:

,Koenig, Wilson, Zerpa, Hamilton, Baddoo

Decline Option:

May, Senzatela, Naylor

Tender:

Anderson, Hall, Megill, Ortiz, Turang, Vaughn (and let him play), Frelick, Mitchell

Exercise Option:

Contreras, Sanchez

There’s a Sanchez vs Naylor issue, bat vs field.  To me tendering Sanchez gives more flexibility with Contreras.  If they move him, do I want Quero/Sanchez or Quero/Naylor?  If Naylor had spent more time with our staff I might lean that way, but he is one of the worst hitters in the majors.  If Contreras is traded and Quero starts slowly, we would have a huge dead spot in the lineup with Naylor as the alternative.

I think there is also an Ortiz vs Hamilton issue.  Recency bias aside, Ortiz is the better player and that’s the direction I would go.  But Murphy seems to have a crush on Hamilton and a high frustration level with Ortiz.  I expect to see a lot of Fischer at 3b, and Ortiz is the better defensive replacement and part-time player there (when Fischer also plays 1b), and an even better backup at SS.  Later in the year I think either guy may be squeezed out if/when Made or Pena is ready.

I can’t help but notice that with Romero a free agent (and probably too expensive), and declining options on May, Senzatela and Naylor, all the deadline deals will be rentals.  But it worked!  I’m just sad we lost Ragsdale, who I think has more potential than he is given credit for.

 

[BrewCrew8675309]

1 hour ago, ChapelHeel66 said:

Non-Tender:

,Koenig, Wilson, Zerpa, Hamilton, Baddoo

Decline Option:

May, Senzatela, Naylor

Tender:

Anderson, Hall, Megill, Ortiz, Turang, Vaughn (and let him play), Frelick, Mitchell

Exercise Option:

Contreras, Sanchez

There’s a Sanchez vs Naylor issue, bat vs field.  To me tendering Sanchez gives more flexibility with Contreras.  If they move him, do I want Quero/Sanchez or Quero/Naylor?  If Naylor had spent more time with our staff I might lean that way, but he is one of the worst hitters in the majors.  If Contreras is traded and Quero starts slowly, we would have a huge dead spot in the lineup with Naylor as the alternative.

I think there is also an Ortiz vs Hamilton issue.  Recency bias aside, Ortiz is the better player and that’s the direction I would go.  But Murphy seems to have a crush on Hamilton and a high frustration level with Ortiz.  I expect to see a lot of Fischer at 3b, and Ortiz is the better defensive replacement and part-time player there (when Fischer also plays 1b), and an even better backup at SS.  Later in the year I think either guy may be squeezed out if/when Made or Pena is ready.

I can’t help but notice that with Romero a free agent (and probably too expensive), and declining options on May, Senzatela and Naylor, all the deadline deals will be rentals.  But it worked!  I’m just sad we lost Ragsdale, who I think has more potential than he is given credit for.

 

We are not going to non-tender Bunty. If anything, we are going to sell on Ortiz high and bring back talent. 40 man roster designations and Rule 5 draft candidates will show some roster direction too. 

I highhhhhlllly doubt we traded for Zerpa to cut him...especially if Ashby starts. 

I think they say goodbye to Sanchez and let Bo fight it out with Quero. It is in my mind that secretly they think that Quero is cooked.