Harold Hutchison

I'd say 14, just behind Luke Adams, but ahead of Craig Yoho. Floor is a more potent Monasterio. Ceiling is a righty Brice Turang with a little more pop, given his pull-hitting tendencies.

The other half of the coin is offense. Dunn's a strikeout-heavy hole in the batting order who in the best-case scenario needs a full year at Nashville. Black's bat is MLB-ready and assuming a month to six weeks of adjustment to MLB pitching, he'd be a huge offensive contributor. I think the Crew would get something like the .790 OPS Choruio posted in 2024, but with a .350-.360 OBP and a .430-.440 SLG (figure 25-30 doubles, a half-dozen triples, and 12-15 homers), plus about 25-35 steals.

In 112 minor-league game 2022-2024, Black posted a ,931 fielding percentage at third with a total of 17 errors. Braun's was .899 with 47 errors in 186 games. That's 32-point difference, which is a lot. Black isn't a Gold Glover at the hot corner, but he isn't horrible, either. In a soft platoon (he gets 3 starts a week at third, Durbin getting another 3, with Black getting a start a week at first and DH, Durbin getting 1 a week at second and short to spell Turang/Ortiz), he'd certainly be better for the Brewers than Dunn at this point.

I think a Tyler Black/Caleb Durbin platoon would work best for Milwaukee. Black's not horrible at third, and could get some PT at 1B once or twice a week to rest Hoskins and give Yelich a break at DH. Dunn's bat is too hit-or-miss for me, and I'm just not sold on him. He could prove me wrong, but the holes in his swing need to get a lot smaller.

Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings have ended, and the Brewers are two months away from spring training. With one big trade checked off the winter to-do list, how will their 26-man roster look on Opening Day? Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-Imagn Images The Brewers will have a huge hole in their lineup, left by the departure of Willy Adames, and there are going to be some changes in their pitching staff with the departures of reliable contributors like Devin Williams, Colin Rea and Hoby Milner. Still, taking the 40-man roster as it stands, the Brewers could still assemble a very good team likely to contend again for the NL Central crown. Let’s look over the team and what the 26-man roster looks like following the Williams trade. Starting Rotation The Brewers already had what they hoped was a solid 1-2-3 punch in their rotation, between Freddy Peralta, Tobias Myers, and Aaron Civale. The acquisition of Nestor Cortes adds a solid mid-rotation starter whose real value for the Brewers is two-fold: He pushes Brandon Woodruff to the fifth spot for his comeback season after large chunks of 2023 and all of 2024 were lost due to injury; and he buys time for a stocked Triple-A rotation that includes Logan Henderson, Chad Patrick, Jacob Misiorowski, and Carlos F. Rodriguez to gain seasoning. Cortes and Woodruff will determine how Milwaukee’s 2025 can go, especially in the early going. If both return to the form that made them top-10 vote recipients for the Cy Young Award not long ago, the Brewers could be able to go toe-to-toe with any team in the playoffs. Projected Opening Day Rotation: Freddy Peralta, Tobias Myers, Aaron Civale, Nestor Cortes, Brandon Woodruff Bullpen The Brewers pen is quite deep—so much so that the Williams trade did little to ease congestion. Trevor Megill will likely take up the closer role, which he performed very well in 2024. The eighth inning, though, is up for grabs. Will it be Jared Koenig, Nick Mears, Abner Uribe, Joel Payamps, or Elvis Peguero? The losers will likely end up handling the seventh inning; twirl in Triple-A Nashville for a bit; or be moved to teams looking for help. Notably, the Brewers' AL counterparts (the Cleveland Guardians, another small-market team with an elite bullpen) have traded two relievers away already this offseason, in Eli Morgan and Nick Sandlin. The Brewers will then turn to the back end of the bullpen, which will feature a number of prospective relievers who can go multiple innings. The top four contenders are all lefties: Bryan Hudson, DL Hall, Aaron Ashby and Rule 5 pick Connor Thomas. The team also has Craig Yoho knocking at the door of MLB, while injuries could see some of the Triple-A starters end up in the bullpen. Payamps, Mears, and Thomas cannot be optioned to the minors. This could be one area where the Brewers make some trades. Projected Opening Day Bullpen: Megill (closer), Payamps, Koenig, Mears, Hudson, Hall, Ashby, Thomas Catchers This is a straightforward position for the Brewers. William Contreras will likely be the starter for the third season, having secured a huge payday in his first year of arbitration. Eric Haase will be the backup to start the season, but he will be looking over his shoulder, as Jeferson Quero will be in Triple-A Nashville after recovering from a shoulder injury that cost him virtually all of 2024. Projected Opening Day Catchers: William Contreras (starter), Eric Haase (bench) Infielders Three of the four positions will be set going into Opening Day. First base will be manned by Rhys Hoskins, who opted in with the Brewers for 2025. Joey Ortiz will move to shortstop to fill the very big shoes of Adames, who took a seven-year, $182-million deal from the San Francisco Giants. Brice Turang will return at second base, where he earned both the Gold Glove and Platinum Glove. That leaves third base, where the Brewers already had some solid internal options before Caleb Durbin’s acquisition in the Devin Williams trade. Depending on how spring training goes, the Brewers could go with a platoon of Oliver Dunn and Andruw Monasterio at the hot corner for Opening Day, while Durbin may start in Triple-A Nashville to get regular playing time. Don't be surprised if Durbin bumps Monasterio out of the platoon at third, and also spells Ortiz and Turang later in the season. Isaac Collins, a switch-hitter who has seen playing time at third base, second base, and who can also play some outfield, could also be an option off the bench for the Brewers. Vinny Capra could also be in the mix, but will likely be at Triple-A Nashville. Projected Opening Day Infielders: Rhys Hoskins (1B), Brice Turang (2B), Joey Ortiz (SS), Oliver Dunn (3B/platoon), Andruw Monasterio (3B/platoon), Isaac Collins (bench) Outfielders Arguably the deepest position group on the team, all of the likely 26-man roster candidates for the Brewers have significant professional experience in center field. Blake Perkins handled most of the duties in 2024, where he was a Gold Glove finalist. Sal Frelick earned a Gold Glove primarily playing right field. Garrett Mitchell displaced Perkins in center and will likely start there most of the time, if healthy. Jackson Chourio finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in a historically strong class, and will end up in left field. That will likely bump Christian Yelich to being the designated hitter most of the time, which should make things easier on his surgically-repaired back. Collins and Tyler Black may also see some time in the outfield, with Brewer Hicklen likely to be the first callup in case of injury. Projected Opening Day Outfielders: Christian Yelich (DH), Jackson Chourio (LF), Garrett Mitchell (CF), Sal Frelick (RF), Blake Perkins (bench) Lineup Projection 2B: Brice Turang LF: Jackson Chourio DH: Christian Yelich C: William Contreras CF: Garrett Mitchell 1B: Rhys Hoskins RF: Sal Frelick SS: Joey Ortiz 3B: Oliver Dunn Bench Projection C Eric Haase IF Andruw Monasterio IF/OF Isaac Collins OF Blake Perkins Projected Rotation RHP Freddy Peralta RHP Tobias Myers RHP Aaron Civale LHP Nestor Cortes RHP Brandon Woodruff Projected Bullpen RHP Trevor Megill (closer) RHP Joel Payamps (set-up) LHP Jared Koenig (set-up) RHP Nick Mears (set-up) LHP Bryan Hudson (middle/long relief) LHP DL Hall (long relief) LHP Aaron Ashby (long relief) LHP Connor Thomas (long relief) View full article

While the Brewers acquired an intriguing lefty from the St. Louis Cardinals in the Rule 5 draft, they also lost a very promising pitcher to the White Sox that same day. Image courtesy of © Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK Shane Smith made his mark since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2021. He broke out in 2023, becoming Brewer Fanatic’s Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year that season, then was fourth in the voting for Brewer Fanatic’s Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year in 2024. With honors like that, it’s quite surprising that he was available for the Rule 5 draft, where the White Sox made him the first overall pick. The Brewers received $100,000 for Smith, who must remain on the White Sox roster for the 2025 season or be offered back for $50,000. Here’s what is a little concerning: The Brewers went into the Rule 5 draft with three open spots on the 40-man roster. They didn’t have to lose Smith; if anything, they could have come out of the Rule 5 draft with Smith alongside Connor Thomas and still have had a 40-man spot to offer Grant Wolfram. The good news of this pick, if losing a talented pitcher who was a surefire steal, is that the Brewers still have a lot of depth that they can leave Smith unprotected and not worry about him being picked up by MLB’s basketcase. The Nashville rotation has Chad Patrick, Logan Henderson, Jacob Misiorowski, Carlos Rodriguez, and Evan McKendry as likely returning pitchers, with Jon Duplantier, Coleman Crow, Nate Peterson, and Brett Wichrowski among the contenders. So, the loss of Smith via the Rule 5 draft doesn’t kill the Brewers in the short term. But it does hurt the team. Smith certainly could have replaced Elvis Peguero or Joel Payamps on the 26-man, offering more capability to go multiple innings than either of those two. The Brewers are considering creative approaches to using DL Hall and Aaron Ashby to maximize their performance. With a pitch count limit of 60 to 70, the Brewers will probably want multiple multi-inning relievers in the back end of their bullpen to bridge the gap to the top end instead of relievers like Payamps and Peguero. In other words, the Brewers didn’t need a cheap replacement for Bryse Wilson, who they allowed to walk in free agency; in their bullpen, they needed multiple pitchers like Wilson to join him (or replace him if they still wanted to let Wilson walk) to “piggyback” with Hall and Ashby. Shane Smith was looking very much like he was exactly the kind of pitcher to fill that role. The other factor is much more related to the bottom line, which the Brewers must consider down the road. The collapse of the Bally regional sports networks will make it harder to develop and keep high-performing Milwaukee players in the long term. They can’t lose prospects like Smith for less than $100,000 via the Rule 5 draft, particularly when they had an open spot to protect them. Does one back-end, multi-inning reliever break a franchise? No, but the Brewers will need to put a lot more thought into their 40-man, including taking a long look at minor deals that can set the franchise up for longer-term success and free up spots on the 40-man for prospects like Shane Smith. Unforced errors in roster management will cost the Brewers at the margins. Given the harsh hot-stove economic realities the Brewers face, they can’t afford these errors to become common. View full article

Cooper Pratt and Brock Wilken could be MLB-ready as early as Opening Day 2026 (more likely the former). Mike Boeve could be ready around the All-Star Break of 2025. That's assuming that Dunn doesn't put it together OR Black gets traded or stays stuck on the Milwaukee-Nashville shuttle, or ends up at first base or left field instead of the hot corner.

There are three 40-man roster spots to play with...

The Brewers have a hole at third base with the departure of Willy Adames to San Francisco in free agency. Could they fill that hole via the Rule 5 draft during the winter meetings? Image courtesy of © GREG WOHLFORD/ERIE TIMES-NEWS / USA TODAY NETWORK The Brewers currently have 37 players on the 40-man roster. This means that if they wanted to, they could snag a pick or two from the Rule 5 draft to audition for the opening at third base, with the likely move of Joey Ortiz to shortstop as competition for one of their internal options at the hot corner. One Who Got Away One name, in particular, could be intriguing for Milwaukee – Gage Workman, who the Tigers left unprotected. He’s on their Triple-A roster, so the Brewers would have to keep him on the 26-man roster all season, or they would have to offer him back to Detroit. Still, there’s a lot to like about Workman. Workman is familiar to Brewers fans as one of those draft picks that “got away.” He was a 14th-round pick by the Brewers in 2017 but chose to go to the University of Arizona instead, where he became a 4th-round pick for the Tigers in 2021. He primarily played third base in 2024 but had extensive experience at shortstop in the minors, playing both positions quite well on the defensive side. Offensively, Workman has displayed excellent OBP skills, power, and speed throughout his career. The big question was hitting for contact, which improved dramatically in 2024 with a career-high .280 batting average after he started hitting left-handed exclusively that season after switch-hitting throughout his career. Workman still has more strikeouts than one would be comfortable with (153 in 483 at-bats in 2024), but his on-base ability (65 walks), power (53 extra-base hits), and speed (30 steals in 43 attempts) make him very intriguing and worth an audition. The best utilization of Workman in 2024 would likely be in a platoon situation with current Brewer Andruw Monasterio. Filching From The Athletics Logan Davidson was Oakland’s first-round pick in 2019. Since then, he’s played all four infield positions and all three outfield positions, embarrassing himself at none of them. Davidson missed substantial time with an injury in 2024, and the A’s decided to chance leaving him off the 40-man. The Brewers could capitalize on that big time. Davidson’s offensive profile shows he can hit for contact (.303 in 2024, .280 over two stops in 2023), power (77 extra-base hits, including 25 homers, in 707 at-bats in 2023 and 2024), and on-base ability (73 walks in those 707 at-bats). The one area of concern is 217 strikeouts in that timeframe, but Davidson provides an intriguing, versatile profile. Davidson could get an audition for third base since he spent 2024 in Triple-A Las Vegas. But his versatility and switch-hitting make him an excellent option for a spot on the bench alongside Blake Perkins and Isaac Collins, especially if the Brewers trade Tyler Black. Davidson would give the Brewers options. If he wins the job in spring training, the team could put him at third base. He could also be in a soft platoon with Monasterio at the hot corner, getting at-bats at other positions. The other option would be for Davidson to be a bench player, using his versatility to get him playing time. Robbing The Rangers One last option could be Rangers prospect Cody Freeman. Freeman, a right-handed hitter, has power and speed, but the OBP skills are a question (only 37 walks in 470 at-bats in Double-A in 2024). Freeman is intriguing because he spent some significant time behind the plate prior to 2024, where he threw out 23% of would-be base stealers. He’s also flashed excellent defense at the hot corner. That said, he would need to win the third base job to really have a hope to stay in Milwaukee, or at least emerge as a better platoon option for Black than Andruw Monasterio or as a semi-reliable backup to William Contreras – but he’s not caught above the Advanced-A level. Overview The Rule 5 draft has some intriguing options for the hot corner – or at least players the Brewers could give a chance to. With three open spaces on the 40-man, it might be time for the Crew to roll with a Rule 5 pick or two and see if they can fill the hot corner hole that way, View full article

Much talk has centered around the Brewers filling the hole at third base created by the likely move of Joey Ortiz to shortstop to replace the departed Willy Adames. While the Crew could get a good third baseman via trade or free agency, looking at some internal options instead may not hurt. Image courtesy of © Curt Hogg / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK Internal options—players already in the farm system or on the roster—offer several benefits to an organization, relative to external additions. Firstly, the team knows the background on these players, so there is a better idea of what they can get. Second, they come without any additional cost, either in money or in players, international bonus slots, or draft picks. For the Brewers, that second consideration is huge. Let’s look at three options. The Previous Regular In 2023, Andruw Monasterio took over at third base after Brian Anderson faded into a dugout phantom. He held the position down well defensively, while providing a below-average 86 OPS+. Monasterio did make contact at an excellent rate, and was an asset against left-handed pitching, both of which were weaknesses of the 2023 team. One advantage of bringing him back is that the Crew knows what he can provide when given regular playing time. He still provided 1.3 Wins Above Replacement in about a half-season, according to Baseball Reference. That is a solid starter or excellent bench player. In 2024, with less regular playing time and some trips on the Milwaukee-Nashville shuttle, Monasterio’s offense cratered, with only a 62 OPS+, but his walk rate improved slightly. Meanwhile, Oliver Dunn showed glimpses of the same caliber of play last spring, but as a power-over-hit, left-handed bat. He and Monasterio could form a credible (if uninspiring) platoon at the hot corner. The Gold Glove Outfielder During spring training, Sal Frelick saw time in the infield, re-learning how to play second and third base as the Brewers faced a logjam in the outfield and some questions about the infield. There’s still a logjam in the outfield, despite the trade of Joey Wiemer, due to the rapid rise of Jackson Chourio and the potential move of Tyler Black to left field. There are still questions about third base. (Second base was the big question mark at this time last year.) Could Frelick be the answer to the two-fold question in 2025? He played infield in the Future Collegiate Baseball League before being drafted as an outfielder by the Brewers in 2021. Frelick’s offensive profile is well-known: he has excellent OBP skills, makes contact, and has the speed to be a menace on the basepaths. That said, he provided 2.1 WAR per Baseball Reference, and his 83 OPS+ over the full 2024 season is actually slightly below Monasterio’s. It also pulls a Gold Glove outfielder away from where his defense wins games. Frelick is an option at third base, but the Brewers would have to be desperate to play him there. The Top Prospect Tyler Black was on the Milwaukee-Nashville shuttle in 2024, but in 2023, he had a breakout season wherein he held down third base for a good chunk of the season. He moved to first base in 2024, but still saw (limited) action at the hot corner in Nashville. His defense at the position is dubious, with 17 errors in 127 games throughout his minor-league career. His bat has never been a question, though. While it lacks the punch that Chourio provides, he puts bat to ball and makes sound swing decisions. If the Brewers want someone who could hold down third base for 2025, then move across the diamond should one of Brock Wilken or Mike Boeve prove themselves ready for MLB, Tyler Black could be the best choice. Overview It might be tempting to look to a trade or free agency to fill the hole at third base now that Willy Adames is with the Giants, but the Brewers are not locked into those options. They have a handful candidates who could be serviceable at third base—at least until a number of young prospects, including Wilken, Boeve, Eric Bitonti, Luke Adams, Juan Baez, and/or Cooper Pratt force their way to the majors. View full article

As signings go, Anthony Seigler didn’t make a lot of headlines. But then again, neither did the minor-league free-agent pickups of Tobias Myers, Andruw Monasterio or Blake Perkins (Perkins with a big-league contract) in recent years. Image courtesy of © John Jones-Imagn Images All that those three signings secured the Crew was a top-of-the-rotation arm, a Gold Glove-finalist center fielder, and a valuable utility player who was a serviceable third baseman for a team that won the NL Central Division championship. The Brewers may have done something akin to those signings again. The Overview Of Offense Anthony Seigler is a former first-round pick in the 2018 amateur draft who left the Yankees in minor-league free agency. His offensive profile points to excellent on-base skills and some pop while also flashing some speed on the base paths. His major weakness has been hitting for average. The switch-hitting Seigler’s on-base ability is the most notable item of his profile: in 2022 and 2023, his walks exceeded his strikeouts (144 to 132), while he also flashed some power (33 doubles and 11 home runs) over 465 at-bats. In addition to the power, Seigler added 23 stolen bases while he was caught stealing a dozen times. In 2024, Seigler posted 64 walks to 77 strikeouts in 364 at-bats at Double-A Somerset while delivering 24 doubles and 12 home runs. Siegler added 29 steals in 32 attempts, with his baserunning going up a notch. The low strikeout rate and speed suggest that his low batting average (never higher than .236 since the pandemic) is due to bad luck rather than poor decisions. This is a bat that could break out, or at least be very solid, with either some luck or a little coaching. Defensive Details On defense, Seigler is very intriguing. He spent most of his minor-league career (through 2023) as a catcher before making a Craig Biggio-esque move to second base after some very limited time in both corner outfield spots. At second base, he made 15 errors in 118 games. He also saw some additional playing time in left and right field. Seigler’s defense at catcher was solid, even as he may have had some issues throwing out runners (the highest caught-stealing percentage since the 2019 minor-league season was 24%). He was otherwise solid, much like current Brewers farmhand Wes Clarke, who also has seen time behind the plate in the minors. Seigler’s move to second points to an ability to play other positions. His arm could possibly handle third base, where the Brewers are looking for an immediate solution. At the same time, Brock Wilken, Mike Boeve, Luke Adams, and Eric Bitonti are top prospects with experience at the position. The Andruw Monasterio Match-Up In one sense, Seigler is like Monasterio, who was signed as a minor-league free agent before the 2022 season. He had solid seasons and made his way to Milwaukee in 2023, where he performed well as the team’s third baseman down the stretch with his contact-hitting skills and ability to hit left-handers. While he hasn’t seen much action at the variety of infield positions as Monasterio, he has extensive experience at catcher and he did play both corner outfield positions very briefly. If Seigler can handle additional infield positions, like third base and first base, he could be a valuable asset with his switch-hitting. Seigler’s Likely Status Seigler appears ticketed for Triple-A Nashville in 2025, where he could continue some of his breakout in 2024 with Double-A Somerset for the Yankees. But there is an off chance he could beat out Oliver Dunn and Tyler Black for a spot on the Brewers’ bench, given his experience at catcher and the likelihood that William Contreras could see time at DH to give him semi-days off from the wear and tear behind the plate. Given the Brewers’ financial uncertainty due to the collapse of the Bally sports networks and the shift to MLB streaming for their local broadcast options, the team can’t win bidding wars to attract free agents. The almost certain departure of Willy Adames is another example. But if Seigler can become another Monasterio, Perkins, or Myers, then the Brewers can certainly improve their odds of being competitive. View full article

It certainly calls into question not exercising Colin Rea's $5.5 million option. Rea would have made an excellent 5th starter OR could have become an attractive trade piece, even at 2023 numbers for that salary.

Perkins is arguably the best defensive CF in the majors. Given how loaded their lineup is, a Gold Glove finalist. O'Rae is still a MLB Pipeline Top 30 prospect. Peguero is arguably the biggest stretch, but it could be upgraded to Payamps or I could instead offer Jorge Quintana, who's basically the third-best shortstop prospect behind Jesus Made and Luis Pena from the Crew's 2024 international, but still a Top 30 prospect. The Brewers have depth, too.

Color me a little less willing to part with Mitchell or Frelick. Maybe Perkins, Peguero, and Dylan O'Rae in return for Miller and some international bonus money. Perkins is caught in the logjam, is a Gold Glove finalist, and has some pop and speed.

When a team has won back-to-back division titles, it’s best to go with the adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The Brewers are far from completely broken, but they don’t need to change things… unless it’s for a good reason. This time, though, we are channeling the movie, "Sliding Doors." While we earlier discussed an offseason where the Brewers retained Willy Adames, this time, the door closes a little earlier. For the sake of this discussion, we’re going to assume that despite Adames saying he would take less money to stay in Milwaukee, and the Crew channeling the spirit of Bobby Bonilla, he moves on to another MLB team. The Brewers have multiple battle royales brewing in the position player group and the rotation. They’ve done well building up a bullpen out of almost nothing for years before the run of success they had. So, what could they do in the offseason? Here’s what I’d do if I were in Matt Arnold’s chair. Trade: Send 1B Rhys Hoskins to the Arizona Diamondbacks for C Ivan Luciano The first order of business is to get some financial flexibility – a necessity with the collapse of the Bally Sports regional networks – and the best way to do that is to move Rhys Hoskins. Arizona will be looking for a replacement for Christian Walker, who is drawing interest from the Yankees – and the Brewers can provide that in Hoskins, who did not do poorly in his first season back from knee surgery. The Brewers don’t ask for much for this salary dump, in this case the return is a catcher in rookie-league ball. Luciano looks a lot like Darrien Miller with better defense, and he is a left-handed hitter. Luciano could be a viable #2 catcher behind Jeferson Quero starting in 2028, which is the year William Contreras will likely depart as a free agent (if he isn’t traded sooner). Reunion: Sign 1B Carlos Santana for one year, $6 million with a mutual option for 2026 for $7.5 million and a $1.5 million buyout In hindsight, the Brewers might have been better off retaining Santana in the 2023-2024 offseason. For about half of Hoskins’ salary, he played 150 games, posted a .749 OPS, and added Gold Glove defense at the position. A reunion in this case makes sense. Santana is a switch-hitter, and while he is seven years older than Hoskins, his bat still looks potent, his OBP skills are sharp, and it actually improves the Brewers defensively in 2025 and provides a possible bridge to Ernesto Martinez (or one of the Brewers in the third-base battle royale) in 2026. Yes, the Brewers may want to give the defense less to do, but it never hurts to boost defense, and if it can be done for a third of the cost and with about the same offensive production, that’s a much better bargain for a team that will need it sue to revenue uncertainty. The International Star: Brewers sign Roki Sasaki for $3 million in international bonus money Yes, this probably blows up plans surrounding the 2025 international free agent class. The team will have to re-configure how they do the other signings to an extent, but Sasaki is a game-changer for the 2025 Brewers. Sasaki’s description of what he is looking for seems to fit Milwaukee very well, and it gives the Brewers a new Big Three when you add Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers to the mix. It’s an excellent replacement for Colin Rea on a one-for-one basis (with higher upside) and a good insurance policy if Brandon Woodruff isn’t the same after his shoulder surgery. Plus, Sasaki will have an outstanding bullpen behind him. It's hard to imagine a better situation for a starting pitching phenom to air-drop into. As for the contract itself? How about something along the lines of the contracts Freddy Peralta and Aaron Ashby signed? Pay $2 million in 2025, $4 million in 2026 and 2027, $6 million in 2028 and 2029, $8.5 million in 2030 and 2031, with team options of $15 million in 2032 and 2033. Other Moves I’d retain Devin William, offering him a four-year, $30 million deal with an opt-out after the second year with the money saved by moving Hoskins. Williams is coming off the back injury that cost him about two-thirds of 2024 and will likely be glad to get some financial stability. At the same time, it’s a deal that could make Williams an enticing trade target for other teams, especially if he proves the back problems were a one-time thing. Aaron Civale also becomes a hold in this case, becoming the team’s fourth starter. Yes, this will be expensive, but at the same time, the money isn’t just for Civale – it’s buying a year of Triple-A seasoning for Carlos F. Rodriguez, Logan Henderson, Jacob Misiorowski, Shane Smith, Chad Patrick, and K.C. Hunt, among others, and it buys Robert Gasser and Brandon Woodruff time to rehab properly. Bryse Wilson will also be brought back after being outrighted to Triple-A Nashville, simply because he’s been a solid performer as a multi-inning reliever and emergency starter. Hoby Milner, Elvis Peguero, Joel Payamps, J.B. Bukauskas, Vinny Capra, and Brewer Hicklen will likely end up also being moved, ideally for international bonus money to make up for the massive bonus it will take to lure Sasaki to Milwaukee. Projected 26-Man Roster On Opening Day Lineup: 3B: Tyler Black LF: Jackson Chourio DH: Christian Yelich C: William Contreras CF: Garrett Mitchell 1B: Carlos Santana RF: Sal Frelick SS: Joey Ortiz 2B: Brice Turang Bench: C Eric Haase IF Andruw Monasterio IF/OF Isaac Collins OF Black Perkins Rotation: RHP Freddy Peralta RHP Tobias Myers RHP Roki Sasaki RHP Aaron Civale LHP DL Hall Bullpen: RHP Devin Williams RHP Trevor Megill RHP Nick Mears LHP Jared Koenig RHP Abner Uribe LHP Bryan Hudson LHP Aaron Ashby RHP Bryse Wilson 60-Day Injured List Brandon Woodruff Robert Gasser View full article

Ironically, Gage Workman was once drafted by the Brewers, but didn't sign.

Agreed. Clearly someone I'd have put on.

When a team has won back-to-back division titles, it’s best to go with the adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The Brewers are far from wholly broken, so they don’t need to break anything, including the bank… unless it’s for a good reason. Like a miracle... This series of articles is a primer for the release of our new "You're The Brewers GM!" tool, where you play the role of Matt Arnold and build your own Brewers offseason. Please visit the tool here and join in on the fun! We know what the conventional wisdom about Willy Adames is. Even though Adames has said he would take less money to stay in Milwaukee, the expectation is that he’s headed to a big-market city. But that hasn’t been determined for sure, not until the ink is on the contract. We’re run down how an offseason strategy could bolster the Brewers in that situation. The fact is, miracles can happen, whether it’s Easter Sunday 1987, the United States Men’s Olympic Hockey team toppling the Soviets, Jim McMahon’s Hail Mary at the 1980 Holiday Bowl, or any one of the improbable comebacks in sports history. So what if the miracle happens? Here’s an offseason plan for that. The Miracle: Willy Adames signs a 6-year, $120 million contract with a team option for 2031. Somehow, between Mark Attanasio opening the checkbook, the Brewers channeling the spirit of Bobby Bonilla, and a little extra luck, Adames returns to Milwaukee to hold down shortstop. The deal is, on paper, $20 million a year from 2025 through 2030, with a team option for 2031 that includes a $10 million buyout. Of that money, $45 million is deferred over 30 years after the contract expires. This cements the Brewers' excellent defense at third base (Joey Ortiz), shortstop (Adames), and second base (Platinum Glover Brice Turang) for the next four years. Given the battle royales at shortstop and third base, this will cause a bit of havoc, but the Brewers could always use the prospects as trade assets or move Ortiz and Turang if the prospects are clear upgrades. The Brewers also get the off-field benefits of Adames’ clubhouse leadership for that timeframe. Trade: Send 1B Rhys Hoskins to the Arizona Diamondbacks for C Ivan Luciano The next order of business is to get some financial flexibility after retaining Adames – a necessity with the collapse of the Bally Sports regional networks – and the best way to do that is to move Rhys Hoskins. Fortunately, the Brewers could have a potential buyer in the Arizona Diamondbacks. Arizona will likely be looking for a replacement for Christian Walker, who is drawing interest from the Yankees – and the Brewers can provide that in Hoskins, who did not do poorly in his first season back from knee surgery. Hoskins is also cheaper than Walker (by as much as $4.6 million, per Sportrac’s projection). Tyler Black would likely replace Hoskins. The Brewers hope for an OPS similar to Jackson Chourio's, albeit with more on-base percentage and less slugging. The International Star: Brewers sign Roki Sasaki for $3 million in international bonus money This move is not very different from what the Brewers would do if Adames goes elsewhere in free agency. Again, this probably blows up plans surrounding the 2025 international free agent class. The team will have to re-configure how they do the other signings to an extent, but Sasaki is a game-changer for the 2025 Brewers. Sasaki’s description of what he is looking for seems to fit Milwaukee very well, and it gives the Brewers a new Big Three when you add Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers to the mix. It’s an excellent replacement for Colin Rea on a one-for-one basis (with a higher upside) and a good insurance policy if Brandon Woodruff isn’t the same after his shoulder surgery. Plus, Sasaki will have an outstanding bullpen behind him. It's hard to imagine a better situation for a starting pitching phenom to air-drop into. As for the contract itself, How about something similar to the contracts Freddy Peralta and Aaron Ashby signed? Pay $2 million in 2025, $4 million in 2026 and 2027, $6 million in 2028 and 2029, $8.5 million in 2030 and 2031, with team options of $15 million in 2032 and 2033. Other Moves In this case, the Brewers will probably move Aaron Civale and Devin Williams again to free up some money. The returns will likely be some prospects in Double-A or Triple-A who are relatively close to the majors. Hoby Milner, Elvis Peguero, Joel Payamps, J.B. Bukauskas, Vinny Capra, and Brewer Hicklen will likely also be moved, ideally for international bonus money to make up for the massive bonus it will take to lure Sasaki to Milwaukee. One move that will help is a reunion with Colin Rea on a two-year contract at $5 million yearly. Rea spent most of 2022 in NPB and, in this case, can be a touchstone for Sasaki in his first years in Milwaukee. Projected 26-man Roster On Opening Day Lineup: 1B: Tyler Black LF: Jackson Chourio DH: Christian Yelich C: William Contreras CF: Garrett Mitchell SS: Willy Adames RF: Sal Frelick 3B: Joey Ortiz 2B: Brice Turang Bench: C Eric Haase IF Andruw Monasterio IF/OF Isaac Collins OF Black Perkins Rotation RHP Freddy Peralta RHP Tobias Myers RHP Roki Sasaki RHP Colin Rea LHP DL Hall Bullpen RHP Trevor Megill RHP Nick Mears LHP Jared Koenig RHP Abner Uribe RHP Craig Yoho LHP Bryan Hudson LHP Aaron Ashby RHP Bryse Wilson 60-Day Injured List Brandon Woodruff Robert Gasser What do you think of this offseason plan? Do you think you can do better? Then build your own Brewers roster and hit the button below! Start Your Payroll Blueprint Now View full article