Jump to content
Brewer Fanatic

  • Major League Notes

    Notes about the team are posted here.

    93 rumors in this category

      Steve Drumwright

      Outfielder Jordyn Adams, who has 38 games of MLB experience over the last three seasons, has signed a minor-league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive. The deal likely includes an invite to spring training, which begins next week.

      Adams, who plays center and right field, was the No. 17 overall pick in the 2018 draft out of a North Carolina high school. At the same time, Adams had committed to play football at North Carolina as he was a four-star wide receiver recruit. He chose a pro baseball career over football, receiving a $3,472,900 signing bonus from the Angels.

      While not possessing terrific power, having topped out at 15 homers in the minors in 2023, he does have speed, swiping 44 bags also in 2023, all at Triple-A. That was the same year he made his MLB debut, coming up Aug. 1. In two MLB stints, he played in 17 games, putting up a .128/.125/.128 slash line in 40 plate appearances. He had another cup of coffee with the Angels in 2024, but again struggled offensively with a slash line of .229/.289/.314 in 38 plate appearances over 11 games.

      He was designated for assignment that offseason, but was quickly picked up by the Baltimore Orioles for the 2025 season. He again got a small amount of MLB action, going hitless in five plate appearances over 10 games.

      In seven minor-league seasons, Adams has a .247/.328/.377 slash line with 52 homers, 288 RBIs, and 158 steals in 195 chances. One major drawback is that he does strike out quite a bit, with 758 in 2,738 plate appearances in the minors, a whopping 27.7% of the time.

      It would be hard-pressed for Adams to crack the Brewers' Opening Day lineup, but he would be a solid depth piece at Triple-A Nashville. He is the latest player to join the non-roster invitees to spring training.

      Steve Drumwright

      Milwaukee Brewers pitching prospect Frank Cairone posted an Instagram story of him throwing a ball just a month after being involved in a serious vehicle collision that left him hospitalized.

      The 18-year-old left-hander, who was a second-round draft choice by the Crew last summer, was involved in a two-vehicle collision Jan. 3 late at night in Franklin, N.J., and flown to an Atlantic City, N.J., hospital. According to police, Cairone was the driver of a vehicle that was hit by another vehicle that blew through a stop sign. 

      In the Instagram update, Cairone is in sweats and a baseball cap and slowly throws a yellow ball against a wall. While that is certainly a terrific sign for Cairone, it is unknown whether he will report to spring training, let alone pitch this season, as he continues to recover from the serious injuries he sustained. A passenger in Cairone's vehicle was also hospitalized with leg injuries.

      Cairone, a 6-foot-2, 195-pounder, was the 68th overall pick in the 2025 draft out of Delsea Regional High School and turned down a commitment from Coastal Carolina to sign with the Brewers for a $1.1 million signing bonus. He did not pitch for any Brewers affiliate, instead working out in Arizona in anticipation of making his professional debut in 2026.

      Jason Wang

      With a little over a month left before the start of the tournament, the rosters for each participating nation are all but finalized. Some countries have a few spots to fill, and Joey Ortiz was recently announced as part of the newest crop of baseball talent to join the Mexican National Team. He was added alongside Jonathan Aranda, Alek Thomas, and Taijuan Walker. 

      Ortiz has Mexican heritage through his parents and should be a big upgrade over Alan Trejo, who served as the team's starting shortstop in 2023. His offensive regression for the Brewers last season was a point of concern, but his defensive production allowed him to stay slightly above replacement, giving him 1.4 fWAR. 

      He'll be joined in the infield by Ramón and Luis Urías, the latter of whom is a former Brewer. Mexico's roster is now stacked with big-leaguers, including many returning faces from 2023 like Randy Arozarena and Jarren Duran.

      The schedule of the tournament will directly conflict with Spring Training, a crucial time for young talent like Ortiz to prepare for the upcoming season. These refusals are often due to injury risk ,but front offices have occasionally been strict with the way that their younger players are managed. Despite his regression in 2025, it's an encouraging vote of confidence by the franchise that he'll be allowed to forego spring training for the WBC.

      Ortiz will join fellow Brewers Brice Turang, Jackson Chourio, and Tyler Black in Miami for the competition.

      Telemachus Rafaelidys

      Prospect gurus Keith Law of The Athletic and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN both released their team farm system rankings on Wednesday, and both like the Brewers best! McDaniel posited that, in recent history, the Dodgers and Rays have been viewed as the model organizations, but that opinion has now shifted to the Brewers. Law agrees, though not in so many words, crediting the team with an advanced, integrated process for identifying and developing talent. The two writers laud the Brewers for acquiring amateur talent through all available pipelines, including international signings, the MLB draft, and trade acquisitions, and see the Brewers as having both upper-echelon talent and excellent depth.

      Six Brewers were featured in Law’s top 100 list, including the newly acquired Brandon Sproat (75) and Jett Williams (45). Interestingly, Law writes that the Brewers were his number one overall system even prior to the Freddy Peralta trade, while McDaniel posted on social media that the trade moved the Brewers’ system from sixth to first and moved the Mets’ from first to sixth. Overall, McDaniel has 8 Brewers in his top 100; Logan Henderson (64) and Bishop Letson (91) were included on the ESPN list but not The Athletic’s. Both experts list Jesús Made third overall behind only the Pirates’ Konnor Griffin and Kevin McGonigle of the Tigers. Luis Pena, Cooper Pratt, and Jeferson Quero were the other three prospects on both lists.

      Steve Drumwright

      Outfielder Jackson Chourio will get ready for his third season in a Milwaukee Brewers uniform by playing for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. The Brewers made what had seemed a likely decision official via social media Thursday.

      This will be Chourio's first WBC. Rosters for all WBC teams are due February 3, which is Tuesday.

      Venezuela will be one of the teams to watch in this year's tournament. In 2023, Venezuela went 4-0 in pool play before being knocked off by the U.S. 9-7 in the quarterfinals. The U.S. went on to lose to Japan 3-2 in the championship game.

      Chourio was announced to Venezuela's roster along with Ronald Acuna Jr., Maikel Garcia, and Wilyer Abreu. The team captain is Salvador Perez. Whether Brewers catcher William Contreras will be named to the roster is unknown, especially since Perez is a catcher, too, as well as the team captain.

      No other Brewers are known to have made a WBC roster at this point. Sal Frelick is a strong candidate to play again for Italy.

      Brock Beauchamp

      The 2026 MLB season is right around the corner, and we're looking to expand our video coverage. Have you ever considered being on-camera and talking about the Brewers? If yes, we'd love to talk to you about it.

      Our videos are typically in a wide variety of styles: breaking news, analysis, and historical study. We're open to any and all ideas as long as they're centered around the Milwaukee Brewers. We're looking for serious baseball talk, so leave the hot takes at home.

      If you'd like to learn more about this cool little side gig, please email Brock Beauchamp at brock.beauchamp@brewerfanatic.com.

      Here is an example of a recent Brewers video from us:

      Steve Drumwright

      Shortstop Jesus Made, the consensus No. 3 prospect in all of baseball, was one of nine players in the Milwaukee Brewers' system invited to spring training Tuesday.

      Spring training invites allow players not on the 40-man roster but under contract with the team to report when big-league camp opens, which for the Brewers is Feb. 12 for pitchers and catchers and Feb. 17 for position players. Pretty much anyone in the system can appear in a spring training game, but an invite allows prospects and veterans searching for a major-league job to get in extra work with the players on the 40-man roster. For prospects, it gives them a taste of what big-league spring training is like before ultimately joining the team's minor-league camp to get ready for the regular season.

      The other prospects joining Made, an 18-year-old who played at three levels in 2025, including Double-A Biloxi, are infielder-outfielder Jett Williams, shortstop Cooper Pratt, center fielder Luis Lara, third baseman Brock Wilken, corner infielder Luke Adams, left-handed starter Tate Kuehner, and catchers Ramon Rodriguez and Matt Wood. It is possible that more prospects are added at some point.

      Williams was one of two players recently acquired from the New York Mets in the trade for right-handed starters Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers. The other one was right-handed starter Brandon Sproat, who is already on the 40-man roster.

      Steve Drumwright

      Jesus Made, the Milwaukee Brewers' 19-year-old shortstop who has rocketed up prospect rankings, was named the No. 3 prospect in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline on Friday.

      Made, who played at three levels in 2025, including a brief stint at Double-A Biloxi, was slotted behind two other shortstops in No. 1 Konnor Griffin of the Pittsburgh Pirates and No. 2 Kevin McGonigle of the Detroit Tigers. In fact, the top five players and eight of the first 10 were all shortstops.

      The Brewers were one of eight teams to have at least five prospects in the Top 100. The others were shortstop Luis Pena at No. 26, infielder-outfielder Jett Williams at No. 51, shortstop Cooper Pratt at No. 64, and right-handed starter Brandon Sproat sneaking in at No. 100. Williams and Sproat were the players the Crew acquired from the New York Mets in exchange for right-handed starters Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers.

      Made moved up one spot from where he ended the 2025 season on the MLB Pipeline list. Catcher Jeferson Quero was on the list last year at No. 84, but didn't make the Top 100 this time around.

      Jason Wang

      MLB Pipeline recently rolled out its list of top prospects at each position, and the Brewers' only representative wasn't Jesús Made or Luis Peña but rather Andrew Fischer.

      Fischer was drafted 20th overall in 2025 out of the University of Tennessee, where he had an outstanding collegiate career with a blue-chip program. As a Volunteer, he slashed .307/.438/.672 with 56 home runs over three seasons and carried over this success into the 19 professional games he played. Across 87 plate appearances with High-A Wisconsin, he posted a 141 wRC+ and seems poised to continue rocketing up through the minor league ranks.

       

      Scouts love the power he generates from the left side, but have questions about his defensive viability. He spent the majority of his final college season playing first base because of his limited agility and range, but the Brewers moved him back to the hot corner after being drafted.

      This could be a win-win situation. The organization will likely continue assessing his ability to fill the role, and if not, they could move him to first base, where the team arguably has a greater need. While the likes of Joey Ortiz and Caleb Durbin have several years of club control left, Andrew Vaughn will be a free agent in 2028. Milwaukee does have another top corner infield prospect in Luke Adams, but more future depth at the position is certainly welcome.

      Steve Drumwright

      For Milwaukee Brewers fans planning on giving Freddy Peralta one last hurrah at American Family Field, circle the dates July 20-22 on your calendar.

      Those three days are the first time the Brewers will face the New York Mets in the 2026 season, and it happens at home. Peralta was traded Wednesday by the Brewers to the Mets along with right-handed starter Tobias Myers for two prospects, infielder-outfielder Jett Williams and right-handed starter Brandon Sproat.

      Peralta is very likely to pitch in that series and could get some help from the Mets. The July 20-22 series is the second one following the All-Star break. The Mets face the Philadelphia Phillies coming out of the break, with a game on July 16, a day off, then July 18-19 at Citizens Bank Park. When Peralta pitches would depend on whether he makes the All-Star Game. Peralta is a two-time All-Star, including in 2025.

      Let's say that Peralta makes the All-Star Game with the Mets. That would push his first start to at least Saturday, July 18, after the break. Considering teams have the chance to reset their rotations at the break, Peralta is likely to be consulted as to whether he wants to pitch in the series vs. the Brewers, which is a Monday-Wednesday affair. The Mets would need to choose not to pitch Peralta against the two-time defending NL East champion Phillies in order to save him for a sentimental start against the Brewers. That would likely mean Peralta would start the Monday, July 20 game.

      Now, if Peralta doesn't make the All-Star Game but is still pitching well, he could start the Mets' first game out of the break on Thursday, July 16. That would set Peralta up to start the finale of the three-game series at American Family Field on Wednesday, July 22, an afternoon getaway game.

      However it plays out, the Brewers are likely to have an emotional tribute video ready for Peralta for the opening game of the series as he makes his return to Milwaukee for the first time since the trade. The Brewers don't play in New York until a midweek series Aug. 25-27. Coincidentally, the Brewers did not have a Peralta-themed promotional item (bobblehead, etc.) scheduled for the upcoming season.

      Steve Drumwright

      Ryan Braun, the 2011 NL MVP with the Milwaukee Brewers, who had two incidents regarding performance-enhancing drugs, failed to receive 5% of the vote for the Hall of Fame on Tuesday and will no longer appear on the main ballot. Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones were elected to the Hall of Fame.

      After playing his entire career with the Brewers, from 2007-20, the 2007 NL Rookie of the Year was in his first year on the Baseball Writers Association of America ballot. It was a long shot for him to be elected in his inaugural appearance on the ballot, so the real question is whether Braun would hit the threshold to improve his position in future years.

      But Braun received only 15 votes from the 425 writers who turned in ballots, or 3.5%. In fact, 11 of the 12 players who were appearing for the first time did not get 5% and are off the BBWAA ballot (Cole Hamels got 23.8%). Players not elected by the BBWAA will be considered by one of the committees and could be nominated for a vote.

      While Braun has some of the best numbers in Brewers history, he also had two well-publicized incidents involving PEDs. The first came after his MVP season of 2011, when he tested positive and faced a suspension. But he became the first player to successfully appeal on the grounds that his testing sample was handled improperly. Braun admitted to lying about never taking PEDs. Braun was involved in the Biogenesis scandal in 2013 and served a 65-game suspension.

      Steve Drumwright

      Get ready, Milwaukee Brewers fans. It is less than a month until the three-time defending NL Central champions are back at American Family Fields of Phoenix.

      Official report dates were announced, with the Crew pitchers and catchers due Feb. 12 and the first full-squad workout Feb. 17. Players in the Brewers' system who are playing in the World Baseball Classic have report dates of Feb. 11 and Feb. 12, respectively, regardless of their organization. Players often report early, especially those bouncing back from injuries or just wanting to get extra work in.

      The first Brewers exhibition game is March 21, when they host the Cleveland Guardians. The Brewers also host WBC participant Great Britain on March 3, while the annual prospect showcase, Spring Breakout, will feature the Brewers traveling to the Seattle Mariners in Peoria, Ariz., on March 20. The Brewers' last home game in Arizona is the next day, March 21, against the San Diego Padres, with March 22 vs. the Chicago Cubs the last game in the desert at Mesa, Ariz.

      The Brewers will face the Cincinnati Reds in two exhibition games in Milwaukee on March 23-24.

      Opening Day for the Crew is March 26 vs. the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field.

      Steve Drumwright

      Tyler Black, a Milwaukee Brewers prospect yet to establish himself in MLB, has garnered a spot on Canada's World Baseball Classic roster.

      That came as a result of Los Angeles Dodgers superstar first baseman Freddie Freeman withdrawing from a third appearance with Canada in the WBC due to personal reasons.

      Black, a first and third baseman who has also played a little left field, ranks 24th among Brewers prospects. While having a solid .270/.399/.442 slash line with 42 homers and 222 RBIs across five minor-league seasons, Black has only seen 23 games of action at the MLB level with the Brewers, with a .211/.357/.263 slash line.

      Canada has never advanced out of pool play in its five WBC appearances.

      Steve Drumwright

      Frank Cairone, a left-handed pitcher who was a second-round draft choice by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2025, is in a New Jersey hospital following a car crash on Friday.

      In a statement released Saturday, the Brewers said, "Frank is currently being cared for at a hospital in New Jersey with the support of his family. The Brewers’ thoughts and prayers are with Frank and his family during his difficult time." No other information has been released.

      According to NJ.com, Cairone was injured during the collision new his home in Franklinville, N.J. Cairone had to be flown to a hospital in Atlantic City, N.J., for treatment, a source close to the family told NJ.com. Police said Cairone was driving a vehicle when another driver failed to stop at a stop sign and slammed into Cairone's car. 

      Cairone is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound left-hander who was taken by the Brewers with the 68th pick of the 2025 draft, a supplemental choice the Brewers received for not signing 2024 pick Chris Levonas, a right-handed pitcher also from New Jersey who instead honored his commitment to Wake Forest. Cairone, who turned 18 in September, signed for a $1.1 million bonus instead of going to Coastal Carolina, but did not make his professional debut, instead spending time at the Brewers' complex in Arizona.

      Cairone is the 26th-ranked prospect in the Brewers' system, per MLB Pipeline.

      Steve Drumwright

      John Counsell, who was the Milwaukee Brewers' former director of community affairs and the father of former Brewers manager Craig Counsell, died Tuesday. He was 83.

      John Counsell worked for the Brewers from the time Craig Counsell was 8 to 18, with his son often running with the big names in team history, including Hall of Famers Robin Yount and Paul Molitor.

      John Counsell attended Notre Dame, where he also played baseball, footsteps Craig would follow. John Counsell was signed by the Minnesota Twins and played four years (1964-67) in the minors, including three with the Wisconsin Rapids Twins. But he never made it past Class A.

      Craig Counsell would play for the Brewers in 2004 and again from 2007 to 2011, then became the team's manager from 2015 to 2023, winning three NL Central titles.

      Steve Drumwright

      The Milwaukee Brewers will hand out the fourth-highest postseason shares, giving out $168,852.76 after reaching the National League Championship Series.

      The Brewers' pool comes from the MLB total of $128.2 million, which is just shy of the record of $129.1 million. There will be 70 individual shares distributed to players, managers, and certain staff members who were eligible for the World Series or on the roster after June 1. Separate cash awards will be given to other members of the organization. Team executives are not eligible for either payout.

      The Los Angeles Dodgers, who swept the Brewers in the NLCS and won their second straight World Series, received shares worth $484,747.57. The American League champion Toronto Blue Jays' full shares are worth $354,118.39, while the Seattle Mariners, who lost to the Jays in the ALCS, received $182,376.45.

      Jason Wang

      Perhaps superstar is a bit much, but it's undeniable that Brice Turang has been one of the best second basemen in baseball over the past two years. In 2025, he posted a 124 wRC+ and accumulated 4.4 fWAR, both marks placing him fourth amongst all second basemen. Although his defensive prowess took a step back last season, it has only been a year since he was the National League's Platinum Glove award winner.

      Turang joins a growing list of exceptional baseball talent and was part of the latest batch of players to officially join the team, along with Kyle Schwarber, Gunnar Henderson, and Will Smith. The roster and depth chart are far from complete, but there's a solid chance that Turang ends up as the starting second baseman for all, if not most, of the tournament. He could split time with Nico Hoerner if he ends up participating as well, but Brewers fans can expect to see plenty of Turang on the international stage regardless.

      It's a well-deserved honor for the 26-year-old and also begs the question, what other Brewers will be participating in the World Baseball Classic? Freddy Peralta hasn't officially announced his commitment, but has expressed a strong desire to represent the Dominican Republic. Neither William Contreras nor Jackson Chourio played for Venezuela in 2023, but they could be key parts of their lineup in 2026. Sal Frelick competed for Italy but hasn't confirmed his return to the team.

      One of the biggest struggles for teams in the past has been assembling a quality pitching staff, as the best arms are typically still ramping up when the tournament starts in early March. So far, Paul Skenes is the only pitcher who has decided to play for Team USA, and depending on the willingness of other top names like Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crochet to join him, the Brewers could send a few of their own. Quinn Priester and Jacob Misiorowski would be the top two candidates, but Chad Patrick or Tobias Myers could provide some solid value as well. 

      Brock Beauchamp

      I'll preface this by saying I'm a sucker for powder blue uniforms. As a child of the 1980s when it felt like every team had one, it evokes nostalgia for a time when baseball was stupid, played on concrete, and everyone was doing something illegal.

      To my knowledge, the Brewers have never used "Milwaukee" on a powder blue jersey, making these likely to be road uniforms. The block font is a throwback, but only to jerseys that read "Brewers" in the 1970s and 1980s. Milwaukee was typically written in a script font, not dissimilar to the current dark blue jerseys worn on the road.

      What are your thoughts on these new jerseys? Yay or nay?

      Brock Beauchamp

      We're looking for contributors to write Brewers content over the offseason!

      First, feel free to reach out via email at brock.beauchamp@brewerfanatic.com or reply to this article.

      Writing Articles
      If you’ve ever wanted an audience for your Brewers takes, this is the perfect place. While we generally lean into analytics and analysis, we also take a “come as you are” approach to baseball and give writers a lot of leeway to write about the game in a way that interests them. That could manifest in historical pieces, previews, or regular series. It’s a matter of finding your niche in the fandom and carving out a space for it. 

      Making Videos
      We're also looking for videographers! Most of our content is on the shorter side (3-7 minutes), though we have space for plenty of different formats and ideas. Like the writing side of the site, we usually lean into analytics, but it's not the only path we're open to exploring.

      It is also noteworthy that we pay our content creators. It’s certainly not enough to quit your day job. So don’t do that. However, it might be enough to show that we value your time, talent, and effort.

      If you know someone who might be interested in creating Brewers content as a side job, please share this with them!

      Matthew Lenz

      For the second time this week, the Milwaukee Brewers have lost a member of their coaching staff. The first move involved associate head coach Rickie Weeks shifting into a scouting role. The second announcement has the hitting coach leaving the organization.

      David Lesky of Inside The Crown is reporting that Connor Dawson is being hired as the Kansas City Royals' hitting coach. He had been with the Brewers for the previous four seasons.

      Dawson, who grew up near Kansas City, is making a lateral move to return to his hometown team. The Brewers' offense flourished under his watch, ranking among the best run-producing teams in the league despite limited standout performances. Especially in 2025, the offense had the second-best walk-to-strikeout ratio in baseball. In addition to being analytically minded, Dawson knows that life is bigger than baseball. Stringing together quotes from prior interviews, Dawson shared his philosophy, stating, "The thing I talked about the least with players and coaches is a swing. The thing I talked about the most is how we connect with players. That's what matters, the people matter."

      He brings that philosophy to a young team that was one of the lowest-scoring teams in baseball. How do you think the Brewers will react to his loss?

      Matthew Lenz

      The Milwaukee Brewers' offseason has already gotten off to a fast start. The organization has made or been informed of multiple option decisions, and yesterday tendered a qualifying offer to Brandon Woodruff. They also announced changes to the coaching staff and the organization.

      Per a post from their official X account, Rickie Weeks will transition to a Special Assistant - Baseball Operations and Domestic/International Scouting. He served as the team's associate manager over the last two seasons.

      In a statement, Brewers President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Matt Arnold said, "This new role is an opportunity for Rickie to advance his career and broaden his experience, building off what he has accomplished already as a player, coach, and baseball operations executive." Weeks will now adjust his focus to evaluating draft-eligible and international players. He will also work with the Ops team to assess and recommend changes that impact on-field competition. It is not expected that the now vacant associate manager role will be filled.

      How do you think Weeks will impact that scouting department? Let us know in the comments!

      Matthew Lenz

      While some Major League Baseball teams have transitioned to a direct-to-consumer model, the Milwaukee Brewers will stick with the regional sports network (RSN) model for at least one more season.

      Adam McCalvy of MLB.com is reporting that the Milwaukee Brewers extended their agreement with Main Street Sports, which owns FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin. This will be the Brewers' third season on the network.

      While the product offered by MLB helps market fans avoid blackouts, RSN deals typically generate more revenue for teams. It's worth noting that there were plans for the team to be broadcast by MLB following the 2024 season before they reversed course and agreed to a deal with the network.

      While it's unknown how long the deal will run, Rob Manfred has targeted 2028 as a date to make sweeping moves with baseball's local television contracts. It is unlikely this Brewers' contract goes beyond the 2027 season, at most.

      Sentiment on X seems generally negative toward the announcement, specifically citing major issues with the app. What has your experience been with the network and its app?

      Matthew Lenz

      The Milwaukee Brewers saw catcher William Contreras's production dip a little bit in 2025 due to a broken left middle finger. The finger had actually been broken since 2024, though no announcement was made until May of 2025.

      Brewers President of Baseball Operations Matt Arnold provided an update, stating Contreras had "minor" surgery to repair his broken left middle finger. He's going to be sidelined for five to six weeks, but should otherwise be healthy by the time pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training.

      Despite the dip, Contreras was still productive at the plate, sporting a 113 wRC+ over 659 plate appearances. He has 17 home runs and has stolen six bases as well. While those numbers are impressive considering the importance of your left hand for a right-handed batter, his most impressive feat may be that he played in 150 games, only second to J.T. Realmuto.

      Yesterday, the Brewers declined his $12 million option (earning Contreras a $100K buyout), meaning the two sides will go through arbitration again this season. The move is expected to save the Brewers less than $1 million, as MLBTR projects Contreras to make $11.1 million via arbitration.

      You have to wonder how that sits with Contreras, given the sacrifices he made for the team—is saving a few hundred thousand worth it with your superstar catcher? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

      Matthew Lenz

      The Milwaukee Brewers have been busy making option decisions over the last two days. Yesterday, they exercised the option on Freddy Peralta, while declining Danny Jansen's option. Additionally, starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff informed the team that he would be opting out of his deal, making him a free agent.

      Today, they declined three more options: William Contreras, Rhys Hoskins, and Jose Quintana, per the team's official X account. Hoskins and Quintana are set to become free agents, while Contreras will be retained via arbitration.

      Hoskins was limited to 90 games in 2025 due to injury, but once available, he was a plus bat in the lineup. Across 328 plate appearances, he carried a .748 OPS with 12 home runs and two stolen bases. This resulted in a 109 wRC+, indicating he was 9% better than the average MLB player. The Brewers will pay him a $4 million buyout instead of a $16 million salary in 2026.

      Quintana, who was set to make $15 million in 2026, will receive a $2 million buyout after making 24 starts and sporting a sub-4 ERA. However, his 4.61 FIP and 7% K-BB suggested he wasn't as effective as his ERA would suggest. Though he is a solid innings eater and provides a veteran presence, FanGraphs Value metric estimated he was worth just $6.8 million in 2025. At 37 years old, he will look to find a major league deal with another club.

      Contreras is in his second year of arbitration and is projected to make slightly less than his $12 million option would have paid him.

      Do you think the club made the right call on Hoskins and Quintana? Would you like to see them bring either player back? Let us know in the comments!

      Jason Wang

      Signing Rhys Hoskins was a big deal for the Brewers back in 2024. Milwaukee is typically very conservative in the free-agent market, but several circumstances made it possible. First, they had a desperate need for a first baseman after another unproductive season from Rowdy Tellez. Second, Hoskins had missed all of 2023 due to an ACL tear he suffered in spring training, so while he may have ordinarily been seeking a longer-term deal, the rest of the league needed to see what he could do after such a long layoff and serious injury. This paved the way for an affordable two-year deal worth $34 million, with an $18 million mutual option afterward.

      Mutual options are rarely ever exercised, but, unsurprisingly, the Brewers were quick to decline their end of the bargain. Hoskins was lukewarm at best, posting a 102 OPS+ over 845 plate appearances and accumulating just 0.7 total rWAR with the team. It was a considerable step back from his production in Philadelphia and, when combined with recurring stints on the injured list, necessitated other options at first base, such as Jake Bauers. One of the players brought in this year to fill a gap left by Hoskins was the prodigious Andrew Vaughn, who the Brewers have under team control for a few more years. He played exceptionally well and is likely slated to be a significant part of the team's future at the position.

      Still, Milwaukee could be in the market for more depth at first base, especially since we've yet to see a full season of work from Andrew Vaughn, and whether his resurgence was the result of actual mechanical adjustments or just smoke and mirrors. Nonetheless, history suggests that Hoskins won't be worth the money he's owed, and it's probably better to use the roster spot and extra money elsewhere.

      Hoskins is one of three Brewers with mutual options that have been declined, and it seems like Milwaukee will have a very different roster heading into next year.  

×
×
  • Create New...