Which Brewers Farmhands are Minor League Free Agents at Season's End?

For players on this list, their future continuing in the Brewers' system relies on one of two paths. Milwaukee could add the player to their 40-man roster before the late October deadline to finalize rosters pre Rule 5 draft. Last October 23rd, Nashville outfielder Chris Roller, coming off one hot month after being acquired in a cash deal with Cleveland, impressed enough to net a 40-man roster spot which he carried all offseason (Roller was designated for assignment on June 29th, cleared waivers and remains in the system today). Another prime example of this type of 40-man addition was Tyrone Taylor, added in October 2018 after his 7th season with the Crew, completing a roller coaster minor league portion of his journey.

The other way a player can remain in the system is if the Brewers, the player and his agent agree to a new minor league deal to extend the relationship. From last fall, RHP Harold Chirino, C Brian Navarreto and 1B Ernesto Martinez went this route. Players who sign such contracts before the actual Rule 5 draft are eligible to be plucked in Rule 5.

Here is the alphabetical list of the players who will reach minor league free agency in late October 2024. This article will be pinned to the top of the BrewerFanatic Minor League Forum for your future reference, and the list will be edited as circumstances warrant.

Below this alphabetical list will be a brief grouped breakdown that may help your own review.

NOTE: As of today, 7/22/24, RHP Joel Kuhnel is in DFA purgatory. The last time the Brewers DFA'd him, Kuhnel chose to remain in the organization even though he had the right to seek opportunities elsewhere. Should that situation again play out later this week, Kuhnel's name will be added to this list.

An asterisk (*) indicates a player has been with Milwaukee the entirety of his career-to-date.

INF/OF Jose Acosta
INF Christian Arroyo
RHP Nolan Blackwood
RHP Sam Carlson
*RHP Harold Chirino
RHP Taylor Clarke
INF Patrick Dorrian
C David Garcia
INF Yonny Hernandez
*1B Ernesto Martinez
C Francisco Mejia
*OF Reidy Mercado
INF Owen Miller
C Brian Navarreto
*OF Carlos D. Rodriguez
C Ramon Rodriguez
OF Chris Roller
OF Connor Scott
OF Lamar Sparks
INF/OF Felix Valerio
RHP Mitch White
C Andrew Yerzy
 

Perhaps the toughest consideration: OF Carlos D. Rodriguez was signed out of Venezuela in July 2017 at age 16. Now 23 years old (24 in December), the current Biloxi Shuckers CF has yet to reach AAA, but in nearly 200 games at the AA level, sports a line of .295/.371/.375 for a .746 OPS, including only three home runs at that level (two of them coming this past week). Rodriguez has 29 steals in 41 attempts while with Biloxi this season and last. Rodriguez has a solid but not elite glove. Despite the career-long lack of pop, Rodriguez has perhaps worked his way into the 40-man consideration conversation. Rodriguez was also absolutely fantastic in a 36-game sample in the Venezuelan Winter League this past winter, posting an .891 OPS while with players averaging six years older than he. It's more likely Milwaukee will approach Rodriguez about an 8th minor league contract year than go for the 40-man add.

Done enough during the return engagement?

Ernesto Martinez turned 25 years old in May, and the outgoing 6'6", 250 pound native of Cuba is sporting a .264/.352/.432 line (.784 OPS) in 2024, with 29 of 72 hits being of the extra-base variety. His bombs are as prodigious as his splits:

Have MLB Experience, Will Travel:

INF Christian Arroyo
RHP Taylor Clarke
INF Yonny Hernandez
C Francisco Mejia
INF Owen Miller
C Brian Navarreto
OF Chris Roller
RHP Mitch White

This is likely the end of the Brewers' relationship with these veterans of varying MLB experience.

Hoping to extend the dream:

INF/OF Jose Acosta
RHP Nolan Blackwood
RHP Sam Carlson
*RHP Harold Chirino
INF Patrick Dorrian
C David Garcia
*OF Reidy Mercado
C Ramon Rodriguez
OF Connor Scott
OF Lamar Sparks
INF/OF Felix Valerio
C Andrew Yerzy

Two players to highlight here. Keep a sneaky eye on outfielder Connor Scott, because the recent signee (released by Pittsburgh) is off to a scorching start with Biloxi, won't turn 25 until October, and has a prospect pedigree (drafted 13th overall in 2018 out of a Florida high school).

Also wanted to give a shoutout to OF Reidy Mercado, the 23-year-old Dominican native who topped out with 22 games at Wisconsin in 2022, and is currently in a backup role at Carolina. Mercado's career OPS is only .610, though he has racked up 112 steals in 142 attempts. The young man is I'm guessing a respectful teammate and a willing contributor in any regard for the coaching staffs.

Within the next week, I'll be posting BrewerFanatics' annual list and rundown of the players who need to be considered for protection from Rule 5 in October via addition to the 40-man roster. Those players are not minor league free agents at season's end.

Interested in learning more about the Milwaukee Brewers' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!