Should The Brewers Extend Colin Rea?

That’s the odyssey of Colin Rea. He’s gone from a usable back-of-the-rotation pitcher to a solid No. 3 pitcher, as has been detailed here on multiple occasions. He’s even become capable of dominating, going seven innings without allowing an earned run against the Guardians on Aug. 18 and against Atlanta on Aug. 6. There is more good news: The Brewers have a $5.5 million option for 2025 – which the Brewers are going to exercise. But what about the years beyond?

Rea will be in his age 35 season in 2026. That’s getting up there age-wise, but over the last two years, he’s arguably found a new gear, and as the 2024 season has proven, the Brewers can’t have enough insurance for the rotation. Over the last two years, Brandon Woodruff, Aaron Ashby, Wade Miley, Joe Ross, DL Hall, and Robert Gasser all are projected rotation mainstays who have, instead, spent significant time on the injured list.

At worst, Rea is depth, but his latest run puts him more in the category of rotation mainstay when he is at his best.

The Case Against An Extension
Rea’s age leaves open the question of how long he can keep pitching well, as opposed to becoming a back-end inning-eating option. He’ll be heading into his age-35 year when he is up for free agency, so any extension carries the risk that the wheels may come off due to performance (see the Randy Wolf, Kyle Lohse, and Matt Garza contracts). That is a factor weighing against handing Rea a multi-year extension.

The other major factor weighing against extending Rea really is not so much about Rea, but about the Brewers' roster situation in general--specifically, the two-fold roster management problems stemming from prospects and returnees from the injured list.

Let’s look at the young arms coming up. Carlos F. Rodriguez, Jacob Misiorowski, and Logan Henderson could be vying for spots in the Brewers rotation at some point in the 2025 season, and they are just the top prospects. Chad Patrick, Brett Wichrowski, Bishop Letson, and Josh Knoth could also make their cases.

The return of Gasser and Woodruff from the injured list is a factor to consider, as well. Woodruff will try to join Rea and Freddy Peralta at the front end of the rotation next season, and in 2026, Gasser should be back to full strength after the Tommy John surgery that ended his season early this year. It's possible Rea would be crowded out, or at least pushed well down the depth chart, by the time any extension kicked in.

The Case For An Extension
Have you seen how many starters went on the injured list the past two years? Rea has been reliable, and reliable starters are crucial to make the playoffs, let alone to have a fighting chance in a playoff series.

Rea has pitched well the last two seasons, and this year, some of his best performances on the mound have been against potential playoff opponents. He's pitched well against the Phillies once, Atlanta twice, and Cleveland once to date.

His trajectory has also been in the right direction. Even if he ends up as a back-end innings-eater, those have value over the course of a 162-game season.

Also, extending Rea may not be a real budget-buster for the Brewers either. He's only due $5.5 million next year, and it's hard to imagine him being in position to command more than that as he enters his late 30s.

Overview
Rea has been a crucial part of Milwaukee’s success over the last two seasons. He may have been an NRI for the Brewers at the start of 2023, but now, he’s a crucial part of the rotation, and probably should get an offer that reflects that. If he'd be open to a deal that renews him at $5.5 million in 2026 and gives the team another option (with a healthy buyout) for 2027, the front office should be all over it. They should even be willing to give him a signing bonus that boosts his 2025 salary, in effect, to $7 million or so. Rea has earned that, and the investment would be small and worthwhile.