Brewers Considering Stretching Out Aaron Ashby to Start in 2027

The Milwaukee Brewers boast the newly crowned National League Cy Young Award winner, in Jacob Misiorowski. They have long-term control of Misiorowski, right-hander Logan Henderson, and lefties Kyle Harrison, Robert Gasser and Shane Drohan, all of whom looked like solid starters for at least a portion of last season. They're hopeful that Quinn Priester and Brandon Sproat can help the team next season, and depth options Coleman Crow and Colton Gordon have some big-league work under their belts. Top pitching prospect Tyson Hardin could debut early in 2027.

Yet, beyond Misiorowski and Henderson, the Brewers often played a kind of pitching roulette down the stretch last year. They know they'll need even more starting pitching depth to sustain the excellence that has characterized their last decade, and the injury-related disappearance of Harrison in the second half of 2026 was just one example of how quickly a position of strength can become an area of urgent need. Therefore, they're keeping all options open. That includes the possibility of a move back to the rotation by former starter (but October relief ace) Aaron Ashby.

"Yeah, I certainly think it's possible," Arnold said Tuesday at the league's annual GM Meetings in Las Vegas. "Again, sort of weighing that against the value that he provided as a guy that provided a record-level scoreless streak for us in the playoffs, out of the bullpen, is something we'll just have to continue to discuss."

It's a tricky decision, because in addition to the sheer brilliance of Ashby's work out of the pen, there's the question of how high-effort his delivery appears to be, and the history of injuries plaguing him when he was attempting to start. Arnold said he believes the delivery (and Ashby's body) can handle the move back into the rotation, if need be, and there's no doubt about the robustness of the southpaw's arsenal. He boasts one of the game's heaviest sinkers; two excellent breaking balls; and a changeup that he consistently calls his favorite pitch. All of those factors might speak in favor of moving him back to a starting role, but when he was attempting to start, he suffered a major shoulder injury, as well as more minor (but still worrisome) forearm and oblique issues. Size-wise, he looks exactly like the type of player who might do better in relief; he doesn't have the height or the burliness of a standard-issue workhorse starter.

Nor is the difference between how many innings Ashby might throw as a starter and how many he throws in relief as great as it would be for many pitchers. He racked up 89 1/3 innings in relief this season, not counting his dazzling 18-inning scoreless showing in the playoffs. The Brewers only had 21 starts on four days' rest in 2026, and Arnold said that's a trend he expects to continue, so a realistic number of starts for Ashby next season might be the same 30 that Misiorowski made in 2026. Given Ashby's occasional command issues, he's unlikely to pitch much more than 150 frames in a full season as a starter. Perhaps he's also unlikely to keep going at a 90-inning pace out of the bullpen, but if there are only 65-70 innings to be gained from a move (compared to 90 or more for many other candidates to make such a switch, in other circumstances and organizations), the risk might outweigh the reward.

Either way, Arnold knows, he'll have the player's buy-in—or, more precisely and more importantly, Pat Murphy, Chris Hook and the rest of the coaching staff will have it. A proud warrior, Ashby has long sought to take the ball as much as possible, not for selfish reasons, but to protect and maximize the value of his teammates, including their health. That mindset became contagious in the Brewers clubhouse over the last two years, and Arnold believes it's a key part of how the team won it all, as much as Ashby's actual performance was.

"Oh my gosh, that's who he is," he said. "I mean, that says everything about Aaron Ashby, is that he just wants to help his teammates and do what he can to contribute.
And again, that kind of guy is really special."

It's no crime to want to be compensated for that kind of heroism, and one source familiar with Ashby's thinking said the pitcher would like to re-up with the Brewers on an extension that would keep him in Milwaukee beyond the end of his current deal, while increasing his earning power. The team-friendly contract to which the team signed the southpaw in July 2022 reaches the end of its guaranteed term next year, when Ashby is due to be paid $7.5 million. The Brewers then hold team options worth $9 million (with a $1-million buyout) in 2028 and $13 million (with no buyout) in 2029. 

Having already suffered an injury that required major shoulder surgery and cost him a season during the life of the deal, Ashby knows that he's made some money based on having taken the early security. Now, however, he's borne one of the heaviest reliever workloads in recent memory, exposing him to an elevated risk of another injury, and he's locked in for up to three more years, with two of them non-guaranteed and all three far below his open-market value. There are incentives and escalators in the deal, but they all depend on him being a starter. He's already lost considerable earning power because of the lower innings totals he pitched by being a reliever the last two years.

The Brewers have all the leverage, and Arnold declined to comment on whether they would explore such a deal with Ashby. One option, however, would be a contract that keeps the 28-year-old in Milwaukee just a couple seasons more, while giving him (again) more of the security the current deal denies him. An extension could replace the final two years of Ashby's current deal, and even give the Brewers slight savings during them, while also allowing Ashby to regain some upside:

• 2027: Deal in place stands, but Ashby also receives $2-million signing bonus
• 2028: $8 million, but Ashby receives an escalator clause that covers 2029 in current deal, allowing him to earn up to $1.5 million more based on his innings pitched in 2027, should he move to the rotation; he also gets a bonus clause added for Reliever of the Year finishes
• 2029: $11 million, with the escalator clause preserved and the new Reliever of the Year bonus clause added
• 2030: $15-million club option with $2-million buyout; same escalators and bonuses
• 2031: $20-million club option with no buyout; same escalators and bonuses

Ashby's 2022 deal only guarantees him $20.5 million. If he plays it out and the Brewers exercise both options, he's likely to make $41.5 million from it. That's not unreasonable, given that he would hit free agency only one year later than he otherwise could, based on his service time. The deal above is just a sketch—one possible formulation of many—but it would make that $41.5 million all guaranteed, and add the ability to earn at least $33 million more. It would give the Brewers longer-term control, but also substantially increase Ashby's earning power, especially if he does move to the rotation. Even if he doesn't, it would give him a chance to earn incentives based on his work as a reliever, which the current contract effectively denies him.

The Brewers might ask Ashby to make a major role change next season, even in the wake of him carving out a unique and exceptionally valuable role over the last two. They might not, after all. Either way, Ashby will happily take the ball and do great work for the team. It's worth rewarding that kind of selflessness, though.

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