Brewers Sign Devin Williams to Two-Year Deal and Avoid Arbitration for 2024

The deadline for exchanging arbitration figures has passed. By 7 P.M. Thursday, the Brewers had to make a decision with six players who were eligible for an arbitration hearing. Would the organization come to an agreement with the player on a salary to avoid a hearing, or would they have to exchange arbitration figures and settle for a deal in February?

Turns out, the Brewers were able to sign all players involved to a deal. Each was a one-year deal, with the exception of one. With that in mind, here are the six players who struck a deal Thursday night and what they are expected to make this season.

Corbin Burnes: $15,637,500 (est. $15,100,000)
The Brewers didn’t want to repeat what happened last year with Burnes. Last year at this time, the Crew elected to go to an arbitration hearing when the parties were separated by $740,000. This year, he signed an interesting deal worth around $15.6 million. He got the third-richest deal signed amongst those who avoided arbitration, behind Juan Soto ($31 million) and Pete Alonso ($20.5 million).

At this point, what did the Brewers have to lose. Burnes will more than likely sign elsewhere in free agency following the 2024 season. The team already dented their relationship with the ace with what was discussed during the last arbitration hearing. Whether the Brewers planned to trade Burnes before spring training or at the deadline, it in everyone's best interests for the team to agree with whatever number he comes up with this time around. We've reached the point where it's not worth fighting.

Next season, he could be paid more than double what he is making this year. MLB Network has rated Burnes the second-best pitcher in the league. If teams see him that way, then he will be in line for a deal near $300 million in guaranteed money.

Willy Adames: $12,250,000 (est. $12,400,000)
Like Burnes, Adames is set to be a free agent after the 2024 season. His was one of the first deals the Brewers agreed to Thursday, as it was announced by Robert Murray at around noon.

He did sign a deal for less than the projected amount, but is still the 14^th-highest-paid shortstop entering the 2024 season. It’s a decent pay raise from his $8.7 million last season, but it was well-deserved.

Adames is coming off three straight seasons of 20 or more home runs and is seen as MLB Network’s eighth-best shortstop in baseball. If he replicates his 2021 numbers with the Brewers, he will easily remain among the top 10 highest-paid shortstops in MLB. To give you an idea how much he would get paid, Javier Baez is tied for the nineth-highest-paid with an annual value of $23.3 million.

Time and time again, the Brewers have said they are willing to compete this season. Adames is the second-biggest name in trade rumors for the Crew. At this point, selling the star would be seen as a rebuilding strategy. There’s no saying the organization won’t try to extend him before the end of the season, though. As of now, he will continue to be a spark plug in the lineup and the dugout for the 2024 season.

Devin Williams: $7,250,000 with 2025 Club Option (est. $6,500,000)
There was a point where the Brewers and Williams exchanged arbitration numbers for a hearing in February. According to Brewers beat writer Curt Hogg, the two parties were quite a bit apart on a deal. By the deadline, Williams filed for a $7.3-million contract, whereas the Brewers went for $6.65 million, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com

After the figures were announced, the two sides came together and made a deal after all, with a club option for the 2025 season and a $250,000 buyout. Williams’s base salary is set at $7 million, and the option the Brewers hold for the second year is worth $10.5 million. There are other bonuses and incentives that can raise the salary for the 2025 season, but more importantly, this locks Williams into a contract for his final years of arbitration eligibility. This gives the team the option to avoid an arbitration hearing for next season at a set salary, rather than doing the same negotiation process that has occurred the last three seasons.

So, what made the Brewers come up to Williams's suggested salary? That club option plays a key factor in this deal. Depending on how the closer would’ve performed this season, there is an argument the pitcher could be paid significantly more than $10.5 million. The Crew can afford to throw an extra few hundred thousand dollars at hime for 2024, if it results in saving a million for the following season.

It’s a good deal for both sides, as Williams gets paid while the Brewers keep their closer for the next two seasons at an affordable price. Beyond 2025 will be a mystery, but at least they got some cost certainty until then.

Joel Payamps: $1,650,000 (est. 1,700,000)
For a pitcher who has no minor-league options remaining and three years of club control left, this is a reasonable price for an eighth-inning arm. With a 2.69 ERA and a .216 opponent batting average between the seventh and ninth innings last season, Payamps will be a decent arm out of the pen in late innings.

If he continues to thrive in that role, he could receive an even higher pay raise. For now, an increase of more than $900,000 in pay is a good start for a pitcher who has bounced between teams throughout his entire career.

Jake Bauers: $1,350,000 (est. $1,300,000)
At around lunchtime in the Midwest, Hogg announced that the Brewers had settled for $1.35 million with potential starting first baseman, Bauers. Although more than the projected amount from MLB Trade Rumors, you have to remember Bauers is coming off a season with the highest recorded slugging percentage in his entire career.

He is 28 years old, and could still show signs of improvement with a change of scenery to a smaller market. If the coaching staff can find a way to adjust Bauers's swing, he could be a cheaper option at the corner outfield for the next couple of years.

Bauers is on this team without any minor-league options remaining. Should he struggle, the team will have to remove him from the 40-man, leaving an opening at first. It is a low risk that can lead to a high reward if done correctly.

Even if he is removed from the roster, he could clear waivers and play for the Nashville Sounds for the season. It’s not like they haven't done something like this before. Do you remember Keston Hiura last year? Last season, the Brewers paid Hiura $2.2 million to avoid arbitration. He never saw a single pitch in the major leagues. He was removed from the roster and played with Nashville the whole year. Hiura did show signs of improvement, but was never called back up to see if it would translate to MLB pitchers.

For now, the team has their “Rowdy Tellez” for the season. We’ll have to see if it works out for the team in the end.

Bryse Wilson $1,000,025 (est. 1,300,000)
I kid you not; this is not a typo. Wilson and the Brewers agreed to a deal that looks like it was charged tax on a purchase at the team store. Brewers beat writer Adam McCalvy first announced the deal at around noon Thursday.

An unsung hero for the Brewers indeed. For his first year as a regular bullpen arm, he was the most effective middle relief arm for the Crew. A 2.58 ERA and a perfect 6-0 win-loss record looks beautiful on paper for any team. So why is it lower than projected?

Perhaps it’s because Wilson had a career season in 2023. This is the first time in his six years that he put up the numbers he did. The Brewers finally found a role he could thrive in. Should he continue to put up these numbers, he will have a steady increase in pay. I believe he can do it; he just has to prove it.

Did I mention he has no minor-league options left? Like Bauers, the club will have to send Wilson through waivers and remove him from the 40 man should they need to send him down. This shouldn’t be a problem for Wilson. At only 26, he has found a home in Milwaukee.

With all of their arbitration cases settled, the Brewers' current active payroll. according to Spotrac, sits at around $96.5 million. The team can now focus on adding some free agents if they desire. We are about five weeks away from the pitchers and catchers reporting for Spring Training. It’s time to get ready for baseball season.

What do you think of the finalized arbitration deals? Were any of the players overpaid? Underpaid? Let us know in the comments.