Where Are the Holes in the Brewers’ Roster Entering the Offseason?

[Steve Drumwright]

Unlike many teams coming off a World Series championship, the Milwaukee Brewers are in a pretty good position heading into the offseason.

And that is even considering they are losing a few key free agents.

This team is built for sustainability, as evidenced by four straight NL Central titles, and that has now paid off in a World Series title. That includes having one of the top farm systems in baseball, which helps keep talent coming and allows the Crew to trade away star players before their contracts are up.

Here is a look at where the Brewers’ roster stands going into the offseason, where they are strong and where they need to focus on strengthening.

Catcher

Who’s here: William Contreras, Bo Naylor, Jeferson Quero

Position status: Strong

Wild Bill has logged three straight seasons of 1,000 innings behind the plate, quite an accomplishment in itself, but then has been solid to good offensively during that stretch. Contreras posted a .270/.341/.417 slash line with 18 homers and a career-best 94 RBIs, while being one of the top defensive catchers in MLB and guiding a young starting staff to the best record in baseball, not to mention what he did in the postseason. Barring a stunning trade of Contreras, who is entering his final season of club control, the only question at this position is who will be his backup. Naylor was acquired at the trade deadline from the Cleveland Guardians, but provides little offensively. Due to injury, Quero mainly was the designated hitter at Triple-A following his brief call-up and doesn’t feel ready defensively. Could that lead to Gary Sanchez coming back on a cheap deal?

First Base

Who’s here: Andrew Vaughn

Position status: Questionable.

There is a very real chance that neither Vaughn nor Jake Bauers is back. Bauers, of course, is a free agent in line for a nice contract, two years after the Brewers cut him and he nearly retired. Vaughn is projected to earn $8.5 million in his final year of arbitration. Considering Vaughn’s lack of power this season (six homers), that might be too steep a price for the Crew to keep him, although he did have a .306/.390/.444 slash line. Vaughn started just twice in the postseason, then came in late as a pinch-hitter on a handful of other occasions. The Brewers could bring Vaughn back on a cheaper contract if they can’t work something out with Bauers. No, power-hitting prospect Andrew Fischer is not ready to jump to MLB yet, so a stopgap would be needed if neither Vaughn nor Bauers returns.

Second Base

Who’s here: Brice Turang

Position status: Strong.

The left-handed hitter continued to elevate his offensive game, driving in 100 runs for the first time in his four-year career, while also smashing 21 homers, also a career best after hitting 18 a year ago to go along with 81 RBIs. He was again a tremendous defender, up for a second Gold Glove. He also stole 19 bases and had a 7.3 bWAR. Rarely needs a day off, with his 151 games this year the fewest of his last three seasons.

Third Base

Who’s here: Joey Ortiz, David Hamilton, Jesus Made

Position status: Questionable.

There is no question that Ortiz and Hamilton can handle the hot corner defensively. It is on offense where the questions arise. Ortiz became a much better offensive contributor once he was moved off of shortstop and finished the season with a very league-average .270/.328/.402 slash line. Hamilton, meanwhile, was at .245/.314/.336 for his slash line but stole 30 bases. One thing to consider here: Made, the top prospect in all of baseball, could be on the Opening Day roster. While that wouldn’t necessarily change the position's level at the start of the season, Made would bring huge offensive upside. But the Brewers might also want Made to get his feet wet at Triple-A before bringing him up.

Shortstop

Who’s here: Cooper Pratt, Jett Williams

Position status: Strong.

Pratt was always a defense-first shortstop from the time he was drafted in the sixth round in 2023. That was borne out by his slash line of .257/.354/.380 in three-plus minor-league seasons. But he was a nice surprise with the bat during his rookie season, putting up a .281/.350/.368 mark with three homers, 34 RBIs and 19 stolen bases in 74 regular-season games. He added to that with his postseason performance, posting a 1.139 OPS over the Brewers' championship run. Ortiz, Hamilton and Made can also move over to short when needed. Another option is Williams, the better of the two prospects (Brandon Sproat) that the Brewers acquired from the New York Mets for Freddy Peralta. He slashed just .233/.340/.384 at Triple-A Nashville in 81 games, which got him another stint in the Arizona Fall League. Williams is also in play at third base and the outfield.

Left Field

Who’s here: Jackson Chourio, Akil Baddoo

Position status: Strong.

Chourio displayed superstar potential during the postseason after posting a 20-homer, 20-stolen base season in each of his three MLB seasons. He had his best offensive season (.291/.351/.487, 25 HRs, 75 RBIs, 129 OPS+) while missing the first month of the season with a wrist injury. He will turn 23 in March, so the ceiling on his production still hasn’t been seen. Combine that with Chourio not committing an error this season and up for a Gold Glove and the total package is there. I wouldn’t expect Baddoo to be on the roster much longer.

Center Field

Who’s here: Garrett Mitchell, Brandon Lockridge

Position status: Very good.

Mitchell stayed healthy this season for the first time since he was taken in the first round of the 2020 draft. While at times disruptive, he showed there is still more to develop in his game. He had a .262/.354/.416 slash line with 11 homers and 65 RBIs in 145 games, more than he played in his previous four MLB seasons. He should be a 20-20 performer like Chourio. That can come with better plate discipline. He struck out 31.5% of the time this year, way above the MLB average of 22.4%. He also didn’t run as much during the regular season, perhaps part of the plan to keep him healthy. Lockridge had a lost season due to the gruesome gash in his knee while making a catch. He is a fine backup who can play any of the three spots and brings a speed component. Williams can also play center.

Right Field

Who’s here: Sal Frelick, Luis Lara

Position status: Very good.

This position could be considered strong if Frelick and Lara had produced more offensively. Frelick was hampered by shoulder and knee injuries, with the shoulder needing offseason surgery. He struggled to a .230/.295/.319 slash line in 111 games. Lara found himself offensively at Triple-A Nashville this year and earned a long-term contract and MLB promotion. That part has yet to surface at the MLB level (.246/.311/.325 in 61 games), but his defense was highlight-worthy. Lara can also play center, as can Frelick, adding to the versatility of this outfield.

Designated Hitter

Who’s here: Christian Yelich, Tyler Black

Position status: OK.

That is not a slight on Yelich the person or the newly christened captain, but on the hitter he has become (derogatory). No, we aren’t expecting the NL MVP numbers of 2018 or runner-up of 2019, but Yelich put up the worst offensive season of his career with a .235/.315/.378 with 12 homers and 59 RBIs. He had a 91 OPS+ and 0.1 bWAR. Not good for a position where your only job is to hit the ball. Considering Yelich’s production in the last few years, you have to chalk it up as a blip on the radar and hope he comes back strong in 2027. He can still make a token outfield appearance, but is better served as the daily DH. Black will continue to have a hard time finding a spot on this roster.

Starting Rotation

Who’s here: Jacob Misiorowski, Logan Henderson, Robert Gasser, Kyle Harrison, Shane Drohan, Quinn Priester, Brandon Sproat, Coleman Crow, Colton Joseph

Position status: Strong

How can you say anything but strong after what this group did in 2026—and mostly as rookies? Injuries and potential trades will sort out how this group lines up in 2027, with Priester being added to the mix after missing all of this year due to right thoracic outlet syndrome. Misiorowski blossoming into the ace and probable NL Cy Young Award winner is one of the developments that put the Brewers over the top this season. The all-around leaps he made were surprising, given how he finished 2025. The biggest project for next season will be figuring out what made Sproat struggle so much. Harrison seemed to get straight in a relief role at the end of the regular season, but wasn’t used in the postseason at all. If you ask the Brandon Woodruff question, the guess here is that he will retire and join the Brewers in some sort of coaching role. Of course, a concern will be the innings that these arms logged following the World Series run. There could be some early-season caution.

Bullpen

Who’s here: Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby, DL Hall, Chad Patrick, Jared Koenig, Garrett Stallings, Bryse Wilson, Angel Zerpa, Brian Fitzpatrick

Position status: Strong.

This group will be bolstered by an arm or two from whoever does make the rotation. There could be some movement here, too, as Megill is entering his final year of club control and will be coveted by other teams. Ashby had an otherworldly postseason, which will also make him popular on the trade market as some teams could commit to him as a starter. Patrick and Koenig will need to bounce back. Zerpa, following Tommy John surgery in May, might not pitch at all in 2027, late season at best. There will also be a free agent or two brought in. As with the starters, the postseason innings could affect performance in 2027.

The Bottom Line

Not many world champions return as intact as what the Brewers could potentially bring back in 2027. Plus, with a couple of key prospects in Made and Williams waiting in the wings, there are internal upgrades waiting. The biggest question will be at first base, where the Brewers might be able to attract a free-agent bat for a season as Fischer gets more seasoning in the minors. There will be surprise moves as not everyone will or wants to come back, pursuing greener pastures (cha-ching!) elsewhere. Trades could also be a big factor in this abbreviated offseason.

Image courtesy of USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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[82brewcrew82]

Obviously first base will be the big question.  Assuming they have zero faith in guy like luke Adams, they will need to find someone to replace Bauers whose approach at the plate really drove a lot of what the Brewers did.  Gonna be hard to replace him.  I'd love to see a big bat added.  I think they live with third as it is and give Made some time at AAA but I don't believe they make an addition.  Other than that, I would love to see some veteren arms added to the bullpen and rotation.  A Miley/Quintana type add to the rotation and whom ever they can dig up in the pen.  They will have Hardin and Crow in the minors for depth and I really like Cameron Wagoner too.  I think if they make a few smart adds (and one big one at first) they are going to be just fine and, potentially, even better.

[long ball]

3 positions of note I’d like to comment on. 

catcher: a reunion with Gary Sanchez makes a lot of sense to me. Quero very well end up with a 4th option granted due to losing practically a full option year to injury. Sanchez is good enough against lefties to fake it as a quasi short side of a platoon at DH to complement Yelich. I think he’s solid enough in a game management role and defensively to bring back as a veteran backup. 
 

first base: a QO to Bauers makes sense at this point. He was one of the best hitters in baseball this year and hit well against lefties and righties. If he accepts the QO, you’re ok with bringing him back. I love what he did this season and it seems like he was an integral member of the clubhouse, but he’s a 30+ late career breakout with bad defense. I’m not interested in a free agent deal longer than 2 seasons. Andrew Vaughn is an interesting case, theoretically his power could return a year off the hamate surgery. If they think he bounces back power wise and could be playable against righties, bring him back. If they’re doubting either, he’s worth tendering a contract to, but probably trade fodder (not expecting a huge return, similar to the Adam lind trade- a couple lottery ticket prospects). Now Adams, Burke, and/or Fischer could play a role at some point in 2027, but you aren’t likely to just hand over the job to any of them. Adams as a short side of a platoon is probably the most feasible opening day option. If the Brewers don’t bring back Bauers and decide to move off of Vaughn… the only free agent worth monitoring to me is Ty France. He doesn’t need to be platooned, has a bit better track record than Bauers, and would be a nice improvement defensively. However, im not sure he comes any cheaper than Bauers. 
 

third base: I’d just run it back with Ortiz/Hamilton. If Made signs an extension this offseason maybe you can look to trade Ortiz or Hamilton, but if he doesn’t… he’s probably a mid season call up. 

[Snoebird]

This wasn't a good time to mistake Colton Gordon for a Badger QB. 

[GAME05]

Catcher: Even if the team decides to bring Contreras back, it feels super unlikely they'd extend him. I've written Quero off and hope I'm wrong, and Dinges is a ways yet and may not be starter-level. There's a need to look down the road and probably pick up a starter or near-starter because Naylor probably won't cut it.

CF: Am I wrong in assuming Lara starts in CF next year? I don't see how his offense is suited for a corner position.

RF: I gotta think the Brewers will be looking for a bump in SLG out of the RF position next year. I don't know if a light-hitting .270 hitter in Frelick really cuts it and I see him and Mitchell being fairly redundant players. We seemed to have cornered the market on scrappy center fielders. Extra need for a little more juice here if Bauers leaves. Or maybe you just have to roll with it while waiting for Adamz/Payne to be ready?

1b: I agree Fisher needs another full year to cut down on his whiff rate, but is Adams or Burke ready? Maybe Burke is a good platoon partner with Vaughn or Adams gets some time partly just to see if his 3b defense is even playable at the ML level.

SP: Can't do the up/down stuff with guys like Crow forever and I think we have a big need for a solid #3 guy, basically May, to anchor the rotation against youthful workload and the possibility 2nd-half-Harrison returns.

 

Overall I think RF and SP are our biggest need, and without any real name prospects waiting to take over.