How Do The Brewers Replace Christian Yelich If His Season Is Over?

The best possible news for the Brewers would be for Christian Yelich to finally fix his long-term, nagging back issue, while still returning in time for September and/or October (assuming the Brewers reach the postseason). From Yelich’s quotes, however, it sounds like season-ending surgery is very much on the table, in which case the question turns to whether the Brewers' outfield and DH mix is sufficient for a team hoping to win a World Series.

In the immediate future, in either case, there are likely to be more plate appearances for Jake Bauers, while the young quarter of Blake Perkins, Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick and Jackson Chourio roam the outfield grass and provide what should be elite defense. The problem is that Chourio is the only one you’d want at the plate in a big moment right now; there are substantial question marks over the other three. Frelick has been better in the last month, but still struggles to pose any extra-base threat. Mitchell is still hitting ground balls and whiffing a lot, while Perkins has a high strikeout rate and provides fairly minimal extra-base power, as well.

Even taking into account the lack of form from some of the Brewers' streakier power hitters (which has resulted in the Brewers ranking 27th in home runs and 30th in doubles since Jun. 1), the lineup needs more thump. Regression won't take care of this. These players might.

Jesse Winker
Poetic irony at its finest, Jesse Winker has found the health that eluded him for much of last season and has been mashing all season, especially in July. His defense hasn’t been great, but his arm has been good, and he’s stolen 14 bases, with his average sprint speed rebounding substantially from its levels in 2023. In short, he looks healthy, and the bat looks to be getting better and better as the season goes on. Since Jun. 1, he has a .294/.414/.476 slash line, thanks in substantial part to crushing four-seamers, something he couldn't catch up to last season at all.

Winker’s ending in a Milwaukee uniform last season wasn’t a fond one for fans or the player. He was made a scapegoat in the playoffs, introduced as a pinch-hitter to prolific booing. The Brewers may have been a year early on Winker, but his profile looks strong. He'd be quite the fit for replacing Yelich, given his elite chase rates, 97th-percentile walk rate and that sneaky left-handed power. He isn’t a raw slugger. He should be more consistent than that profile, as well as being the best like-for-like replacement you could get for Yelich. It’s very easy to picture Winker in a Brewers uniform come August. He won’t be too expensive as a rental, and therefore, he'd also free up the Brewers outfield mix for 2025 for a healthier Yelich to return.

Brent Rooker
Possibly the most intriguing bat available, Rooker can play the outfield, but given the Brewers' focus on run prevention, he’s likely to be purely a DH should they pursue him. Rooker is what the Brewers always hoped Keston Hiura could be, with a 31% strikeout rate that’s offset by monstrous power--as evidenced by his .290/.369/.574 line so far, with 23 home runs on the year. If you make a mistake, Rooker can punish it, and he could be the player that turns this Brewers lineup (with all its on base skills) into a legitimate threat. He elevates the ball extremely well, with a sweet spot launch angle of 35%, a hard hit rate of 51% and an elite barrel rate of 29.4%. It’s quite similar to Aaron Judge in some ways, but the contact rates are worrying:

You could very easily get a cold stretch of baseball from Rooker against elite pitchers with the command to take advantage of those swing-and-miss tendencies, which is exactly what you would face in October. I'm not entirely convinced he’s what the Brewers need and adding in his controllability through 2027, the cost doesn’t entirely align with what the Brewers really need from this trade--which is help in the short term, and hopefully only in the short term. That being said, Rooker has the eighth-highest expected WOBA for a reason; this isn’t just a lucky first half. He hit 30 homers last year, too.

Taylor Ward
Ward is particularly interesting as a platoon option here, and it’s notable that the Brewers have struggled to hit southpaw pitchers this year. William Contreras and Rhys Hoskins haven’t had the expected production against left-handers, and it’s brought the Brewers down to Earth a little. This season, Ward is slashing .333/.382/.522 against lefties, with a 94.1 mph exit velocity and 28% barrel rate. He’s struggled against right-handers, but due to the depth of left-hitting outfielders the Brewers have, a right-handed platoon bat and/or pinch-hit option may fit the roster very nicely. A competent outfield defender to boot, he doesn’t necessitate the DH spot like Rooker or Winker may, and is significantly more affordable than Rooker.

He elevates well, hits the ball hard consistently and fits a need, but he’s only hitting arbitration in 2025 and is likely going to cost more as a result of the controllability. All of that makes him less of a fit in my mind, unless the Brewers are trading from one of their own outfield crop.

Randy Arozarena
An electric player made for the big stage, Arozarena has struggled to start the year, but since the start of June, he has a .290/.402/.517 line, with an 1.173 OPS against left-handed pitchers and passable outfield defense. He’s wild, entertaining and controllable through 2025, but in a slightly down year, his value may be worth the expenditure. There aren’t many concerns about Arozarena when he hits like he has since Jun. 1, and he could be exactly the type of impact bat that not only keeps the Brewers ticking over into the playoffs, but can become a difference-maker in the postseason to a team that needs someone capable of that big hit.

The Rays are pretty much out of the race, and there are strong rumors that Arozarena is on the trade block, but he won’t come cheaply. The Rays organization, as a whole, is smart enough to extract some high-value players in return. Will the Brewers be ready to make that big splash, for once?

Joc Pederson (albeit unlikely)
The Diamondbacks had been struggling mightily prior to June, but a hot stretch this month has left them half a game back of the Wild Card spots. Given their success last year from just such a position, it’s hard to imagine them not going for it. Pederson would be ideal for the Brewers, with a $12.5 million contract this season and mutual option for 2025 (which never seems to get picked up). He's shown some really massive power, and playoff pedigree to boot. There’s still potential if Arizona slump hard over the next week, but it’s becoming less likely.

Pederson is hitting .273/.376/.492, helping to hold up the Diamondbacks offense against right-handers. He’s got big-game temperament and power the Brewers could really use. If he even remotely becomes available, the Brewers simply have to be in on him.

So What's The Best Option?
Given the lack of outfield options on the market, and the controllability needs for the Brewers, it would seem that Winker or Arozarena are the best options for the Brewers. Arozarena will be a tough get, with the Dodgers and other suitors in need of offensive reinforcements very interested in his bat, but the Brewers farm system is significantly better than theirs in terms of options. Winker will cost less, but can replicate the on-base skills with a smidgen less power than Yelich, 

Ward fits the lefty-mashing outfielder need well, but both he and Rooker will be expensive with their extensive team control. That may put the Brewers off, given the volatility and limitations of both bats.

It’s a tough call, and the Brewers may simply look to make the postseason and work things from there, while retaining the outfield corps they have. More playing time for Gary Sánchez may help his bat come around, and a hot Hoskins, Willy Adames and Sánchez can absolutely carry a playoff-caliber team for a month. Which direction they go will be fascinating, but Yelich is going to be a massive loss for this Brewers team, and if they don’t replace him proactively, then the postseason ambitions will take a major hit.