Steve Drumwright

People love to talk about the Milwaukee Brewers' payroll. People also like to talk about the on-field success the Brewers have, with postseason appearances in seven of the last eight seasons. Sure, there are only two postseason series victories in that span, but a short series (one, three or five games) can be determined by luck, as much as talent or even teamwork. Thus, Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold sought to keep the train on that track this offseason. The Brewers appeared to be in good shape entering the winter, with no glaring holes to patch. More power from the starting lineup would be nice, but some of that could be achieved from what the Crew already had. Is outfielder Jackson Chourio capable of 30 homers? How about 20 from second baseman Brice Turang? Over a full season, first baseman Andrew Vaughn can crank out 30, right? And what can the Brewers get from a healthy Garrett Mitchell, who remains toolsy and tantalizing despite all the missed time? Believing positive answers to those questions await, Arnold focused on amassing maximal pitching depth this winter. With camp underway in Phoenix, it is time to assess what Arnold did this offseason. In a winter that didn't need a lot of news to be made, Arnold created enough headlines to keep things interesting, but didn't acquire enough talent to impress projection systems, which once again make the Cubs the favorites in the NL Central. Will the Brewers prove them wrong again? It will take 162 games to figure that out. For now, let's review the six moves made that affected the MLB roster before pitchers and catchers reported to Phoenix. That doesn't include Friday's addition of Luis Rengifo, who plugs a hole that Arnold created just four days earlier, but that move feels relatively minor, anyway. Grading Every Brewers Move This Offseason Free-Agent Signing: RHP Brandon Woodruff to 1-year, $22.025 million contract While some fans were surprised that the Crew would actually hand out a qualifying offer, it was the right thing to do. If Woodruff were to sign elsewhere, they needed to at least get a draft pick to compensate for the loss. Instead of testing the free-agent market beyond his three-week trial period, Woodruff accepted the offer and will stick around for (in all likelihood) a final season in Milwaukee. This came after Woodruff declined his end of a mutual option that would have paid him $20 million in 2026, instead receiving a $10-million buyout. That $10 million was figured into the Brewers' budget for 2025, when Woodruff nominally made just $5 million, so the raise here is not as drastic as it might first appear, but it's substantial. The biggest reason Woodruff accepted the QO was the shoulder injury that (again) ended his season. The right-handed starter, who has been in the organization since being drafted in the 11th round out of Mississippi State in 2014, missed the last two weeks of the regular season and the postseason due to a strained lat. This followed his return from surgery in September 2023 on his right shoulder, from which it took him 21 months to fully return. When he did come back, though, it was like he never missed a beat. The two-time All-Star posted a 3.17 FIP in 12 starts, with career bests of a 5.4% walk rate and a 32.3% strikeout rate. He appears to be fully healthy at the start of spring training. Arnold said Woodruff's return played a role in the trade of Freddy Peralta. Grade: A Free-Agent Signing: OF Akil Baddoo to 1-year, $1.25-million contract Given all the outfield depth the Brewers already had, Baddoo was a curious addition. He signed a split contract that will pay him less while he is in the minors, which is probably where he'll spend most of the campaign. The left-handed-hitting outfielder, who mainly plays left, was a success story as a Rule 5 pick before the 2021 season. Baddoo ended up starting 107 and appearing in 124 games for a Tigers team that went 77-85. He put together a .259/.330/.436 line in 2021, hitting 13 homers, driving in 55 runs and stealing 18 bases in 22 attempts. But those numbers plummeted over the next four seasons, as he put up a combined .201/.288/.323 mark with 15 homers, 49 RBIs and 25 steals in 223 games. He was designated for assignment by the Tigers after the 2024 season, but returned on a minor-league deal and played in just seven MLB games in 2025. Baddoo is simply a depth piece, in case injuries take their toll on the outfield. Grade: C- Trade: LHP Ángel Zerpa acquired from Royals for OF Isaac Collins and RHP Nick Mears This deal had fans scratching their heads. Collins is coming off a surprising 2025 in which he finished fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting, but also wasn't a big part of their postseason lineup, getting 10 plate appearances over seven games. Mears had arguably the best of his six MLB seasons, with a career-high 63 appearances and career-low 0.97 WHIP to go along with a 3.86 FIP (3.49 ERA). But in Zerpa, the Brewers saw a left-hander who could either relieve or start and had an additional year of control over Mears. Unlike Mears, Zerpa can also be optioned to the minors. Collins, a superb defender perhaps squeezed out of regular playing time with a healthy Mitchell, still has five more years of club control, but probably wouldn't have been in the team's plans for more than two of those years. Zerpa has 129 appearances over the last two seasons with the Royals, with FIPs of 3.97 in 2024 and 3.86 in 2025. With some fine-tuning, perhaps more can be unlocked with Zerpa. As a sinkerballer, he should work well with the Brewers' stellar infield defense. Zerpa could work his way into a role as the top lefty in Pat Murphy's bullpen, pending the roles, health and performance of Jared Koenig and Aaron Ashby. Grade: B- Trade: IF-OF Jett Williams and RHP Brandon Sproat acquired from Mets for RHP Freddy Peralta and RHP Tobias Myers This was the headline move of the offseason, and one on which speculation began just hours after the Brewers were eliminated from the postseason by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Losing Peralta is a tough blow to the team in general and the rotation, specifically. Peralta grew from a fresh-faced rookie with braces to a clubhouse leader and two-time Opening Day starting pitcher who led the NL in wins in 2025. Those are the attributes that also made him attractive to other teams, augmented by the fact that he's set to make a very affordable $8 million in 2026. Myers didn't have a guaranteed spot on the big-league staff, as a starter or reliever, so his loss is minimal—especially given the other notable move the team made, after this one. In exchange, Arnold extracted two of the Mets' top five prospects, in infielder-outfielder Jett Williams and right-handed starter Brandon Sproat. While Williams is the better (at least more highly rated) of the two prospects, Sproat will get most of the attention immediately; he's in competition for the rotation spot vacated by the very trade in which he arrived. A specialist at inducing grounders, Sproat is seen more as a No. 3-type starter than as a potential ace, but the team seems fine with that. H made his big-league debut in 2025, with four late-season starts for the Mets. Williams, however, is more dynamic. Think of a right-handed-hitting Sal Frelick with a bit more power and more of a threat to steal bases, while being able to play either middle-infield spot or center. Williams had 34 games at Triple-A in 2025, so he probably needs a bit more seasoning before joining the parent club. That also suits the Brewers, as they don't have a need up the middle at the moment. Williams is likely to get some work at third base following the Caleb Durbin trade, though they've also patched the hole that move briefly created. Grade: B+ Trade: LHP Kyle Harrison, IF David Hamilton and LHP Shane Drohan acquired from Red Sox for 3B Caleb Durbin, IF Andruw Monasterio and IF Anthony Seigler This one hit like a surprise snowstorm in late April (or, I guess, a heat wave in February). The Brewers took Durbin, the third-place finisher in last year's NL Rookie of the Year voting, and two spare-part infielders, and acquired a similar utility player and two left-handed starting pitchers who have a ton of potential. Durbin was the guts of the return in the Devin Williams trade with the New York Yankees following the 2024 season. He was bypassed in spring training by Vinny Capra and Oliver Dunn, partially because Capra was out of options but partially, too, because it didn't look like Durbin could handle third base defensively. But it was Durbin who was one of the underlying stars of the Brewers' run to an MLB-best 97 wins, making leaps and bounds with the glove and being enough of an offensive contributor to keep the line moving. His departure left a gap at the hot corner just days before pitchers and catchers were to report. Monasterio was a solid backup infielder, but his days were numbered, anyway. Seigler was a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency guy, with more versatility than real utility. Getting Harrison is the initial headline of this deal. He was part of the four-player return the Red Sox got in the Rafael Devers trade with the San Francisco Giants—three of whom are now with yet another organization. Harrison, just two years removed from being the Giants' No. 1 prospect, still has five years of club control, though he's already made 37 MLB starts and five relief appearances since debuting in 2023. He has a career 4.43 FIP and, like Zerpa, could benefit from Milwaukee's strong developmental infrastructure, though he already benefited from Boston's, too. Hamilton returns to the Brewers' organization (he was shipped, along with Jackie Bradley Jr. and another prospect, to the Red Sox for Hunter Renfroe after the 2021 season), and is the favorite to be the Monasterio replacement as the backup infielder. Drohan is the piece in this deal to keep an eye on. He has battled some injuries, but had a nice stint at Triple-A in 2025 to increase his value. Was this a deal that needed to be made? No. Was it one that could pay off handsomely for the Crew? Most definitely, especially if you believe that what Durbin showed in 2025 was close to his ceiling. Grade: A- Free-Agent Signing: C Gary Sánchez to a 1-year, $1.5 million contract Sánchez returned a day before pitchers and catchers reported, for a minimal price. He figures to get most of his action as a pinch-hitter, as William Contreras hates taking a day off and Christian Yelich seems locked into the designated hitter role. Sánchez can still provide the long ball and is a solid backup catcher, as the Crew found out in 2024. It might be that Contreras finally plays less this year, whether he likes it or not. Grade: B- Conclusion The moves executed by Arnold and his front office this offseason felt like efforts to optimize the team's chances in the medium term, even if that meant getting very slightly worse in the short term. However, the underlying logic of each move seems sound. The best move of the offseason could be bringing back Woodruff to sit atop the rotation. He is likely to be the Opening Day starter for the third time (2020, 2021), as long as he truly is healthy—even if that honor is conferred more out of deference to his veteran bona fides than because he's expected to be the ace. If he can stay in the rotation for the whole season, the signing will stand out. But it also could stand out for the wrong reasons, if Woodruff's shoulder has more issues. Zerpa, Harrison and Sproat are the newcomers likely to have the most impact in 2026. While fans might have rather seen Peralta sign an extension and Durbin still holding down third base, this is what the Brewers do, and why they have won three straight NL Central championships. Final grade: B

Just four days after creating a vacuum at third base by trading Caleb Durbin, the Milwaukee Brewers have theoretically plugged that hole via free agency. Luis Rengifo, a versatile defender who stole 24 bases in a limited 2024 season, has agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Crew, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. The deal, which is currently unofficial and pending a physical, includes a $10 million mutual option for 2027. Rengifo, a top outside candidate to fill the void left by the Durbin deal, immediately vaults to the top of the depth chart at third base, a position he has played 199 times at the MLB level. A former Los Angeles Angel, Rengifo was having a breakthrough 2024, posting a .300/.347/.417 slash line with those 24 steals to go along with nine homers and 30 RBIs in 78 games. Then, he injured his right wrist in early July. He tried to come back, but lasted just nine games before requiring season-ending surgery. The versatile infielder, who turns 29 on Feb. 26, came back in 2025 and had a subpar showing for the last-place Angels, putting up a slash line of .238/.287/.335 with nine homers, 43 RBIs and 10 steals in 147 games, below his career marks of .250/..307/.382. He split 2025 between second and third base, playing in 76 games at the hot corner, committing two errors in 146⅓ innings. The switch-hitting Rengifo does hit left-handed pitchers better than right-handers, registering a .268/.311/.438 slash line with 23 homers in 349 career games vs. southpaws, while owning a .242/.305/.360 mark with 39 homers in 619 games against righties. David Hamilton, a former Brewers prospect who was part of the Durbin trade, was the leading candidate to start at third, but now is the top choice to fill the role vacated by Andruw Monasterio's inclusion in this week's trade as the main utility man on the roster.

There was a time when Gary Sanchez was only valuable because of his ability to hit home runs. When you hit at least 30 homers twice for the New York Yankees, your hype train will be out of control. But Sanchez, who returned to the Milwaukee Brewers as a backup catcher on a one-year, $1.75 million contract, wasn't very good with the glove. In his last two seasons with the Yankees, he had a run value of -5 in the 60-game 2020 season and -11 in 2021, per Statcast. The Fielding Bible had Sanchez with a -4 defensive runs saved in 2020, which ranked 94th among 101 catchers, and -10 in 2021, which was 114th out of 116. He turned a corner when he went to the Minnesota Twins in 2022, where he had a +2 run value and a zero DRS. Splitting 2023 with the New York Mets, who cut him at the end of May, and the San Diego Padres, he had a +4 run value and +7 DRS. So maybe it was a Yankees problem? In only 28 games at catcher with the Brewers in 2024, Sanchez was at zero run value and -1 DRS. But it was noticeable how Sanchez was no longer a liability behind the plate. His framing numbers were horrible with the Yankees, registering a -5 each of his last three seasons there (2019-2021), then were at zero, +3, and zero from 2022-24. For some reason, Sanchez regressed in 2025 with the Baltimore Orioles. He had a -5 run value, -8 DRS, and -3 framing. Sanchez was limited to 29 games with the Orioles in 2025 due to a sprained right knee and inflammation in his right wrist after signing for $8.5 million. Sanchez made $3 million with the Crew in 2024. But now the 33-year-old is back for a second tour of duty with the Brewers, who have a reputation for fixing and developing catchers. So that is perhaps what drew him to return, getting back to what made him an OK defender. As the backup to William Contreras, Sanchez won't be needed that much behind the plate. The Crew's two backups in 2025, Eric Haase and Danny Jansen, had a combined 34 starts behind the plate. Sanchez had a .231/.297/.418 slash line with the Orioles in 2025 in 101 plate appearances, with five homers and 24 RBIs. That came after a .220/.307/.392 showing with the Crew in 2024. What the Brewers do need from Sanchez, a right-handed hitter, is his ability to hit the long ball. In 2024, he hit 11 homers in 280 plate appearances over 89 games. He had 27 starts at catcher, 40 starts as the designated hitter, and one at first base. As a pinch-hitter with the Crew, Sanchez had a .294/.368/.471 slash line (5-for-17) with one homer and three RBIs. Never known for his batting average, Sanchez had similar splits against right-handed pitchers as he did against left-handers. Against righties, he has a career mark of .228/.309/.459, while posting a .214/.309/.468 line when facing lefties. He has homered in 5.5% of his plate appearances vs. righties and 6.1% vs. lefties. How much time Sanchez gets at designated hitter will depend on how much regular DH Christian Yelich plays in left field, which, at the moment, doesn't appear very often (19 games in 2024). Injuries can change that scenario, however. So Sanchez will get about two dozen or so games starting in place of Contreras, who will DH on most days he isn't catching. That will leave Sanchez to be a pinch-hitter, although manager Pat Murphy will need to be careful as to when to deploy him in case of an injury to Contreras. Sanchez would be the best power option off a bench that is likely looking like first baseman-left fielder Jake Bauers, outfielder Brandon Lockridge, and one of either Garrett Mitchell or Blake Perkins, whoever isn't starting in center. Following the trade of Andruw Monasterio in the Caleb Durbin deal with the Boston Red Sox, there is one open bench spot for an infielder.

For the second year in a row, the catcher William Contreras and the Milwaukee Brewers came to a last-minute deal to avoid an arbitration hearing. Contreras and the Crew settled on a one-year, $9.4 million contract for 2026 with a $14,5 million club option for 2027. The Brewers were set to enter the hearing with an offer of $8.5 million, while Contreras was seeking $9.9 million, so Milwaukee definitely moved above the midpoint, which would have been $9.2 million. A three-person arbitration panel would have decided on one of the two figures and nothing else. Last year, the two sides settled at $6 million for 2025 with a $12 million club option for 2026. The Brewers declined that team option, setting up another arbitration battle. A third and final trip through this process looms next offseason. Contreras was the only player the Brewers didn't come to terms with before needing to exchange figures. Since being acquired from Atlanta in a three-team trade before the 2023 season, Contreras has won two Silver Sluggers (2023, 2024) and was a 2024 All-Star. He received down-ballot NL MVP votes in each of his first two seasons. His slash lines for each of his three seasons are .289/.367/.457 in 2023, .281/.365/.466 in 2024 and .260/.355/.399 in 2025. He hit a career-high 23 homers in 2024, with 17 each in 2023 and 2025, typically hitting in the No. 3 or cleanup spot in the batting order. Contreras' 2025 production was hindered by a broken left (catching hand) middle finger, an injury he sustained late in the 2024 season and carried over. It became a big issue early in 2025, but he played through it, starting 128 games at catcher and another 22 at designated hitter. Contreras is one of the top catchers in all of MLB due to his offensive prowess and strong defense. The Brewers' filing of $8.5 million matched the record for a second-time arbitration-eligible catcher, which was set by Will Smith of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Contracts with options are considered multiyear deals and can't be used as comps for other arbitration cases. It is likely that the Brewers will decline next year's club option.

Suddenly, the Milwaukee Brewers have two more left-handed options for not only their starting rotation, but their pitching staff as a whole. That came with Monday's trade, in which the Crew shipped three infielders (led by starting third baseman Caleb Durbin) and a draft pick to the Boston Red Sox for left-handed starters Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan, as well as infielder David Hamilton. As spring training begins this week in Phoenix, Harrison and Drohan will be in the mix to make the Opening Day roster. But where? Harrison was the No. 1 prospect with the San Francisco Giants in 2024, and was part of the return the Red Sox got in June 2025, in the Rafael Devers trade. Still just 24, the 2020 third-round draft choice has 42 games of big-league experience, with 37 starts. Of those, 24 came during the 2024 season, in which he had a 4.33 FIP with a 7.9% walk rate and 22.2% strikeout rate. After getting a bit of an overhaul with the Red Sox, Harrison joins a Brewers system well-known for getting the most out of pitchers, so there could be a little more to pull out of him. Harrison will compete for a rotation spot with fellow left-hander Robert Gasser, as well as right-handers Logan Henderson, Chad Patrick and Brandon Sproat. DL Hall, another left-hander, could be battling to be a starter. A second tier of prospects includes Carlos Rodriguez and Coleman Crow, if they each survive the 40-man roster crunch that could develop in camp. Being southpaws could lend Gasser and Harrison a leg up, as the top three of Brandon Woodruff, Quinn Priester and Jacob Misiorowski are all right-handers. Harrison also has minor-league options remaining, though. As recently as 2024, the Brewers worked without a left-handed starter for most of the season. Drohan, on the other hand, is a 27-year-old lefty who has yet to make his big-league debut. The Red Sox drafted him in the fifth round in 2020 out of Florida State. His potential was good enough for the Chicago White Sox to select him in the Rule 5 draft following the 2023 season, but he had nerve decompression surgery in his shoulder a few months later and was returned to the Red Sox in June 2024, after recovering but without cracking the active roster. In 2025, Drohan made 14 starts and one relief appearance, primarily at Triple-A Worcester. He posted a 2.27 ERA over 47⅔ innings in 12 Triple-A games. The Red Sox added him to the 40-man roster this offseason—one reason why he was available in the trade, as the Brewers shipped three 40-man players to the Red Sox and got three back. While likely to be stretched out as a starter this spring, Drohan could be an option as a long reliever. That could be his best path to the roster, given his age and skill set. The Brewers currently feature a wealth of left-handers in the bullpen with Hall, Aaron Ashby, Jared Koenig, Rob Zastryzny and Ángel Zerpa. That puts Drohan on a path to Triple-A Nashville to begin the season, but a top choice to come up if one of that group gets hurt. Unless there is another trade, whether it is to use this pitching depth to acquire a potential Durbin replacement or something else, Harrison and Drohan will be second-tier contributors to the 2026 Brewers. Harrison has five years of team control remaining, though, and Drohan has all six. Harrison can be optioned to the minors not only this year, but in another season, and Drohan has all three options left. They're incredibly flexible pieces, given their upside. They just might have to wait a while to have an impact.

With Monday's surprising trade of Caleb Durbin to the Boston Red Sox, the Milwaukee Brewers created a big question just days before spring training officially gets going: Who plays third base Opening Day? There are some internal options, but they fall into two categories: underwhelming, and not quite ready for prime time. Rather than accept one of those imperfect solutions, they could go out and find someone to play the hot corner via trade or free agency. As a reminder of what Durbin contributed in 2025, he finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting, with a .256/.334/.387 slash line, 11 homers, 53 RBIs, and 18 steals. He was hit by pitches an NL-high 24 times and played pretty good defense. In short (no pun intended), he won't be easy to replace, per se. Let's take a look at who is out there: Isaac Paredes The most expensive of the logical candidates is Isaac Paredes. A right-handed hitter with a bit of punch, Paredes doesn't have a starting role with the Houston Astros following their trade deadline acquisition of Carlos Correa. The Houston infield also includes Jeremy Peña, Jose Altuve and Christian Walker, and the DH spot will go to Yordan Alvarez. Whether it's to the Brewers or not, a Paredes deal is likely. The soon-to-be 27-year-old Paredes is a valuable piece to any club, and has been pursued all offseason. But Paredes also comes with a contract price tag of $9.35 million for 2026, with a $13.35 million club option for 2027. The Astros, always concerned with their proximity to the luxury tax, would love to move on from that contract, but taking on that kind of money in February would be an uncharacteristic move from the Crew. After Houston dealt for him last offseason, the pull-happy Paredes put together a .254/.352/.458 slash line, with 20 homers and 53 RBIs. He's slow and unathletic, and doesn't play great defense at third base. He got a lot of those homers by yanking the ball into the Crawford Boxes down Houston's left-field line, which makes him a suspect fit for Uecker Field. He's the most obviously available third baseman on the market, though, and it's easy to imagine Houston wanting to land some of the excess pitching with which the Brewers find themselves after adding two solid arms in the Durbin deal. CJ Abrams After a report of the San Francisco Giants nearly acquiring Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams last month, the Brewers could step in and take Abrams and put him at third. No, he wouldn't be an option to replace Joey Ortiz at shortstop. Abrams ranked 122nd among all MLB shortstops with -6 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS). Moving him off short will be the first order of business for whoever pries him away from the rebuilding Nats. The 25-year-old Abrams is a little more dynamic than Paredes. Last year, he had a slash line of .257/.315/.433 with 19 homers, 60 RBIs and 31 steals, with the power and speed fitting what the Brewers need and seek. That slash line is very close to his career mark of .249/.306/.411, while averaging 19 homers and 63 RBIs over the last three years. He's not a good shortstop, but he could work at third, or the team could shift him to second, move Brice Turang to shortstop, and slide Ortiz to third, after all. Abrams will make $4.2 million in 2026, as he makes his first trip through arbitration. He comes with three years of team control. His 2024 ended early, when the Nationals sent him to the minors after an all-nighter at a Chicago-area casino, but there were no reported issues in 2025. A new front-office regime could simply be looking to move on from Abrams, lowering his price. Enrique "Kiké" Hernández Still recovering from elbow surgery, Enrique Hernández is expected to miss the first two months of the season and is probably a far-fetched option, considering his ties to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hernández is probably best when he is in a platoon situation, instead of a full-time starter at one position, but he does bring positional versatility, able to play anywhere on the infield or outfield. The 34-year-old is less of an offensive threat than others on this list, compiling a .236/.305/.403 career slash line. While 21- and 20-homer seasons (2018, 2021) decorate his baseball card, he's more of a 10- to 12-homer guy now, depending on his playing time. Hernández made $6.5 million last season with the Dodgers and would likely need a similar number not to return to the two-time defending World Series champs—although it's far from clear that they have room for him on their roster. Luis Rengifo A potentially sneaky-good free-agent addition would be Luis Rengifo. The former Los Angeles Angels utility man turns 29 at the end of February and has played seven MLB seasons. In 657 games, Rengifo has 409 appearances at second base, but also 199 at third. His offensive numbers were down in 2025, producing a .238/.287/.335 slash line with 9 homers, 43 RBIs and 10 steals. That came after a combined slash line of .273/.323/.431 from 2022-24, with 39 homers and 133 RBIs. His 2024 ended prematurely due to surgery on his right wrist, limiting him to 78 games. He has some speed to offer, posting a career-best 24 steals in that abbreviated 2024. Rengifo made $5.95 million in his final year of arbitration with the Angels, so he could be signed for something similar for 2026, especially to join a contender like the Brewers. Thairo Estrada Coming off an injury-plagued 2025 in his only season with the Colorado Rockies, Thairo Estrada could be more of an affordable platoon option in free agency, instead of a full-time third baseman. Mostly a second baseman, Estrada has just 13 appearances at third base in 483 MLB games. Estrada was at his peak in 2022 and 2023 with the San Francisco Giants, posting a combined slash line of .266/.319/.408 along with 28 homers, 111 RBIs and 44 RBIs over the two years. His 2025 was cut short by a fractured right wrist, a sprained left thumb, and a hamstring strain that limited him to 39 games. He made $3.25 million with the Rockies and could be had cheaply again, due to his injury-marred 2025. Ramón Urías The older brother of former Crew infielder Luis Urías, Ramón Urías enters his age-32 season having split 2025 with the Baltimore Orioles and Astros. He has played 371 of his 518 games at third base and is a good defender, with 5 DRS in 638 innings at the position. Durbin had 5 DRS at third in 1,060 innings. Urías had a .241/.292/.384 line across the two stops in 2025, with 11 homers and 44 RBIs in 112 games. For his career, his line is .257/.321/.403. He peaked at 16 homers and 48 RBIs in 116 games in 2022, but has never stolen more than three bases in any year. He earned $3.125 million in 2025 and was non-tendered by the Astros as a third-year abitration-eligible guy. Urías would be inexpensive, but feels like more of a platoon option. Whatever else the Brewers have up their sleeve, we should see it materialize soon. If nothing else happens this week, perhaps they're happy to roll the dice with the guys already coming to camp. That, however, feels unlikely, and the players named above are the most obvious options to effectively replace Durbin and keep the NL Central dynasty rolling.

There are multiple reasons the Milwaukee Brewers felt comfortable trading away ace righthander Freddy Peralta this offseason. One of the big reasons was the presence of controllable righty starter Logan Henderson. The soon-to-be 24-year-old has scaled the ranks of Crew prospects, currently ranked No. 7 by MLB Pipeline, and made his big-league debut early in 2025. Overall, he had three call-ups: a one-start sneak peek in April, three turns as an injury fill-in in May, and one more in August before a right flexor strain ended his season. This article is the second in a series of breakdowns of the Brewers pitchers in ambiguous positions at the outset of spring training. To see the first entry, on left-handed starter candidate Robert Gasser, click here. A fourth-round draft choice in 2021 out of a Texas junior college, Henderson has now been a hot prospect name for long enough that his pedigree feels better than that. He was really good in those five starts in the majors, too. In 25⅓ innings, allowed just five runs, with eight walks and 33 strikeouts. As a bonus, the Brewers won all five starts. At Triple-A Nashville, Henderson had 16 outings with a 3.71 ERA, notching 24 walks and 87 strikeouts over 77⅔ innings. Alas, his season was derailed by the flexor strain in early August. He rehabbed and worked his way back to be in consideration for the NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He didn't make the roster for that series, but the good news was that he was ready then, so he should be fine entering spring training. With two spots to be claimed in the rotation behind fellow righties Brandon Woodruff, Quinn Priester and Jacob Misiorowski, Henderson is in prime position to make his first Opening Day roster. Logan Henderson's Stuff Due to the injury, we have a small sample of big-league data with which to work. However, Henderson worked relatively deep into each of his appearances, so there is a solid sense of what he does to be successful. He relies on a four-seam fastball and a changeup to get most of his work done. Henderson's four-seamer is effective due to having 3.4 inches more arm-side run than that of an average right-handed pitcher, while his changeup has 4.4 more inches of horizontal movement. After accounting for his low-three-quarters arm slot, the horizontal movement is a bit less deceptive than the raw numbers suggest, but the rising action on his four-seamer is more so. Using his unique combination of arm slot and movement, he limited right-handed batters to a .216 average and .473 OPS, while left-handed hitters had a .167 average and .602 OPS. All three homers he allowed were to left-handed batters on four-seamers. The movement and deception are vital, because Henderson's velocity is below average on each of his pitches, with his four-seamer coming in 2.1 mph below the typical big-league righty's. Logan Henderson's Pitch Arsenal As mentioned above, Henderson uses two of his four pitches a bulk of the time. In fact, eight of every nine pitches he threw in the majors were either four-seamers or changeups. In the minors, he was a bit less extreme, throwing his cutter and curveball about 10% of the time each. Henderson used those last two pitches depending on the type of batter he was facing. He used his cutter only against left-handed batters in the big leagues, while he went to the curveball (or slider, as Statcast tags it) almost exclusively against right-handed hitters. Regardless of batter handedness, he throws the fastball around half the time, and the changeup plays against lefties and righties, alike. No batters got a hit off his cutter (0-for-5, 32 pitches), but his breaking ball was tagged a bit (2-for-4, 14 pitches). To be successful at the highest level, Henderson will need those two pitches to achieve greater utility, especially as he works his way through the order again and faces teams multiple times. What Should Logan Henderson's Role Be In 2026? Henderson has made 65 appearances as a professional, and the only non-start was a four-inning piggyback appearance last year in Triple A. The Brewers have a defined role for him: rotation or bust. He, Robert Gasser, Chad Patrick and Brandon Sproat will be the top contenders for the final two starting spots this spring. Patrick showed his versatility in the postseason by being a quality reliever, so he has that experience and could easily slide into the bullpen and be ready to jump into the rotation as needed. Sproat is like Henderson, in that he's been a starter throughout his pro career. Gasser would be the only lefty in the team's rotation, which might give him an edge on the other three. If you were to pencil in a rotation entering spring training, Henderson would have one of those final two spots. Had it not been for his right flexor strain, Henderson would have been a solution for the Crew's lack of starters in the postseason. He does have two minor-league options remaining, though, should others surpass him this spring. Eventually, if enough other hurlers stay healthy and he struggles enough to refine the cutter and the breaking pitch, he might make more sense in the bullpen, where he could find an extra tick of velocity and be played as a reverse-split matchup guy with the great changeup. For 2026, though, he enters camp as a starter who will get a chance to fill that role with the parent club. The fallback plan is still to start, but in Nashville.

Milwaukee Brewers fans have a few choices when it comes to which team they will throw their support behind in the World Baseball Classic. It might just boil down to who their favorite member of the 2026 Brewers is. Or, of course, you can root for all the Brewers players until they end up going up against one another. There will be 14 players from the Brewers' organization playing in this year's WBC, representing eight countries. You can add one more to each of those totals if you include a member of the 2025 team who is a current free agent. The 30-player rosters were announced Thursday for all 20 WBC teams. The tournament begins on March 4. Venezuela and Nicaragua lead the way with three members of the Crew. Venezuela, though, has the Brewers' star power in outfielder Jackson Chourio and catcher William Contreras as well as left-handed reliever Angel Zerpa, while Nicaragua's roster includes three minor-leaguers in right-handed starter Carlos Rodriguez, infielder Freddy Zamora, and right-hander Stiven Cruz. Two countries have a pair of Brewers, as Canada has left-handed reliever Rob Zastryzny and minor-league infielder Tyler Black, while Great Britain includes minor-league right-handers Myles Langhorne and Jack Seppings. Going it along are second baseman Brice Turang on the U.S., shortstop Joey Ortiz with Mexico, right-handed reliever Abner Uribe on the Dominican Republic, and 2025 first-round draft pick Andrew Fischer, a corner infielder, with Italy. Left-handed starter Jose Quintana, currently a free agent, will play for Colombia for a third time in the WBC. Turang (US), Ortiz, and Fischer (Italy) are in Pool B in Houston, with Turang and Ortiz meeting on March 9. Italy faces the U.S. on March 10 and Mexico on March 11 to conclude group play. Also in their group are Brazil and Great Britain. Pool D in Miami will have the largest representation by the Crew. That is where Chourio, Contreras, and Zerpa (Venezuela), Uribe (Dominican Republic), and Rodriguez and Zamora (Nicaragua) will be. Seeing Contreras and Chourio face Uribe on March 11 is a possibility. Canada, with Zastryzny and Black, will be in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for Pool A. Cuba, Colombia, Panama, and host Puerto Rico are the other teams in that bracket. The top two teams in each pool advance to the quarterfinals. The championship game ison March 17 in Miami.

Perhaps flying a bit under the radar, left-hander Robert Gasser might be the most interesting starting pitcher to watch in Milwaukee Brewers spring training this year. Gasser came to the Crew with much fanfare, part of the package that came from the San Diego Padres in the Josh Hader trade at the 2022 trade deadline. Gasser had been a second-round pick of the Padres in 2021 out of the University of Houston and was the Padres' No. 7 prospect (MLB Pipeline) at the time. He was the biggest piece of the deal in terms of what he meant for the future. After having been at High A with the Padres at the time of the deal, Gasser went up to Double-A with the Crew and made four starts before getting another promotion to Triple-A Nashville. He spent all of 2023 in Nashville, posting a 3.79 ERA, then started 2024 at Triple-A. He made three starts before getting the call to make his MLB debut as the Crew's No. 4 prospect. When he did debut, he did not disappoint. In five starts, Gasser had a 3.38 FIP (2.57 ERA) with a microscopic 0.9% walk rate and a 14% strikeout rate (one walk, 16 strikeouts in 28 innings). But in that final start, he went five innings and gave up three runs, including his first two homers allowed, not looking as sharp as he had in the other four outings. It ended up being his final start of 2024 as he eventually chose Tommy John surgery, which would sideline him until the end of the 2025 season. He came back to make two late-season starts and was included on the postseason roster. Thus bringing us to where we are today and Gasser's candidacy for Milwaukee's Opening Day rotation. With two open spots behind right-handers Brandon Woodruff, Quinn Priester, and Jacob Misiorowski, Gasser has the advantage as the only left-hander among the other contenders (Chad Patrick, Logan Henderson, Brandon Sproat). Sure, Aaron Ashby could be in the mix, but it would be hard to see him being removed from his key role as the top lefty out of the bullpen. DL Hall is another lefty who might get a shot, but he seemed comfortable in a relief role in 2025. Robert Gasser's Stuff Due to Gasser's limited time in the majors, a total of seven games and 33⅔ innings over 2024 and 2025, the data is fairly incomplete. The 26-year-old isn't a high-velocity guy, ranking in the 28th percentile with a 93.2 mph four-seam fastball. He does have an advantage with 6.8 inches of extension, which is in the 79th percentile. His four-seamer was on pace with where it was in 2024 before surgery, when it was at 93.3 mph. All of his other pitches were above their 2024 velocities, which is a positive now that he will have had a normal offseason to get ready for 2026. In 2025, his four-seamer, sinker, and cutter were within solid margins of MLB averages for lefty pitchers, but his sweeper had 4.1 inches less drop, and his changeup had 2.6 inches more tail and 3 inches more drop, not good things when it comes to controlling the pitch. Again, this came in a very small sample of two abbreviated starts. Robert Gasser's Pitch Arsenal Gasser has a very traditional five-pitch mix: four-seamer, sweeper, sinker, cutter, and changeup. As a lefty, Gasser relied on his 82 mph sweeper in his 5⅔ innings in 2025 the most, throwing it 33.3% of the time. In 2024, the sweeper was at 80.6 mph and 32.1%. His 93.2 mph four-seamer and 92.9 mph sinker were each used 26.5% of the time, both up from 2024, when his 92.5 mph sinker was used 24.3% and 93.3 mph four-seamer 20.1%. His changeup averaged 88.9 mph and was used 10.8% of the time, compared to 87.9 mph and 14.3% usage, while his 89.4 mph cutter was used a mere 2.9% of the time, as opposed to 2024, when it was 88.4 mph and 9.3%. Year Pitch Type # # RHB # LHB % MPH PA AB H 1B 2B 3B HR SO BBE BA XBA SLG XSLG WOBA XWOBA EV LA Spin Ext. Whiff% PutAway% 2025 Sweeper 34 17 17 33.3 82.0 10 8 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 .000 .078 .000 .087 .138 .197 86.1 14 2416 6.7 40.0 18.2 2025 Four Seamer 27 22 5 26.5 93.2 6 6 1 1 0 0 0 2 4 .167 .093 .167 .123 .147 .093 90.2 52 2247 6.8 27.3 22.2 2025 Sinker 27 8 19 26.5 92.9 9 6 2 2 0 0 0 1 5 .333 .277 .333 .455 .430 .442 85.2 32 2040 6.7 10.0 20.0 2025 Changeup 11 11 0 10.8 88.9 2 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 .500 .448 1.000 .633 .626 .456 98.1 5 1891 6.8 0.0 0.0 2025 Cutter 3 3 0 2.9 89.4 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1.000 .889 4.000 3.536 1.380 1.257 107.1 29 2393 6.7 0.0 0.0 2024 Sweeper 128 95 33 32.1 80.6 25 21 4 3 0 0 1 8 15 .190 .135 .333 .232 .245 .190 86.0 21 2497 6.7 34.5 19.0 2024 Sinker 97 79 18 24.3 92.5 27 27 6 6 0 0 0 2 25 .222 .268 .222 .318 .196 .262 87.1 6 2043 6.7 17.6 11.8 2024 Four Seamer 80 70 10 20.1 93.3 35 33 7 7 0 0 0 4 29 .212 .250 .212 .298 .217 .268 83.1 20 2183 6.7 14.6 10.8 2024 Changeup 57 56 1 14.3 87.9 16 15 5 4 1 0 0 1 15 .333 .299 .400 .419 .319 .321 82.2 2 1985 6.7 17.2 20.0 2024 Cutter 37 32 5 9.3 88.4 11 10 6 5 0 0 0 1 10 .600 .379 .900 .607 .587 .411 93.3 17 2430 6.7 20.0 11.1 What Should Robert Gasser's Role Be In 2026? Of all the candidates mentioned above, Gasser has the inside track to the No. 4 or 5 spot due to his pedigree and performance thus far, especially considering he is really the only lefty in the primary mix. While he still has three minor-league options remaining, Gasser should have a spot on the Opening Day roster one way or the other. If Hall, another lefty, surprises this spring in a starter's role and lands a spot, Gasser could go to the bullpen. Of course, both could grab the last two spots, although that is unlikely. Brewers fans should be looking forward to a full year of Gasser in the rotation.

Outfielder Jordyn Adams, who has 38 games of MLB experience over the last three seasons, has signed a minor-league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive. The deal likely includes an invite to spring training, which begins next week. Adams, who plays center and right field, was the No. 17 overall pick in the 2018 draft out of a North Carolina high school. At the same time, Adams had committed to play football at North Carolina as he was a four-star wide receiver recruit. He chose a pro baseball career over football, receiving a $3,472,900 signing bonus from the Angels. While not possessing terrific power, having topped out at 15 homers in the minors in 2023, he does have speed, swiping 44 bags also in 2023, all at Triple-A. That was the same year he made his MLB debut, coming up Aug. 1. In two MLB stints, he played in 17 games, putting up a .128/.125/.128 slash line in 40 plate appearances. He had another cup of coffee with the Angels in 2024, but again struggled offensively with a slash line of .229/.289/.314 in 38 plate appearances over 11 games. He was designated for assignment that offseason, but was quickly picked up by the Baltimore Orioles for the 2025 season. He again got a small amount of MLB action, going hitless in five plate appearances over 10 games. In seven minor-league seasons, Adams has a .247/.328/.377 slash line with 52 homers, 288 RBIs, and 158 steals in 195 chances. One major drawback is that he does strike out quite a bit, with 758 in 2,738 plate appearances in the minors, a whopping 27.7% of the time. It would be hard-pressed for Adams to crack the Brewers' Opening Day lineup, but he would be a solid depth piece at Triple-A Nashville. He is the latest player to join the non-roster invitees to spring training.

Milwaukee Brewers pitching prospect Frank Cairone posted an Instagram story of him throwing a ball just a month after being involved in a serious vehicle collision that left him hospitalized. The 18-year-old left-hander, who was a second-round draft choice by the Crew last summer, was involved in a two-vehicle collision Jan. 3 late at night in Franklin, N.J., and flown to an Atlantic City, N.J., hospital. According to police, Cairone was the driver of a vehicle that was hit by another vehicle that blew through a stop sign. In the Instagram update, Cairone is in sweats and a baseball cap and slowly throws a yellow ball against a wall. While that is certainly a terrific sign for Cairone, it is unknown whether he will report to spring training, let alone pitch this season, as he continues to recover from the serious injuries he sustained. A passenger in Cairone's vehicle was also hospitalized with leg injuries. Cairone, a 6-foot-2, 195-pounder, was the 68th overall pick in the 2025 draft out of Delsea Regional High School and turned down a commitment from Coastal Carolina to sign with the Brewers for a $1.1 million signing bonus. He did not pitch for any Brewers affiliate, instead working out in Arizona in anticipation of making his professional debut in 2026.

The death spiral of Main Street Sports Group took its biggest fall of a brutal last couple of years Monday when the Milwaukee Brewers and five other MLB teams officially said they were no longer going to have their games telecast on FanDuel Sports Network. The Brewers were joined by the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, and Tampa Bay Rays in completely ditching Main Street. MLB will take over the telecasts of those teams, as it already has for seven others. The three still hoping for a Main Street miracle regarding their regional sports network are Atlanta, the Detroit Tigers, and the Los Angeles Angels. Main Street, formerly Diamond Sports Group, restructured under Chapter 11 bankruptcy for 20 months and emerged about a year ago, hoping the new structure would last. But Main Street missed payments to multiple teams across its portfolio of MLB, NBA, and NHL clubs in recent months; the Brewers were among nine MLB teams to announce last month that they were terminating their deals. Shortly thereafter, there was some renewed hope that Main Street could continue as it searched for a potential buyer — DAZN was one of the rumored suitors — but that appears to have fizzled out. The timing is also important, as teams are less than two weeks from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, with the first exhibition games shortly thereafter. For the Crew, the report dates are February 12 for pitchers and catchers and February 17 for position players. The first Cactus League game is Feb. 21. How does that affect how fans can watch the Brewers? For in-market games, which include most of Wisconsin and include all home and road games during the regular season not on a national outlet, you will still be able to watch the Crew on your cable or satellite provider, as well as streaming through MLB.tv. But those games will be a separate package, likely priced at $19.99 per month or $99 for the entire season (the better deal), from a typical MLB.tv package. The Brewers said those packages will go on sale this month. Instead of FanDuel Sports Network, you will see the branding of Brewers.tv. On cable and satellite, that will also likely mean new channel locations. The TV announcing teams will remain the same, with Brian Anderson, Bill Schroeder, and Sophia Minnaert leading the way. The announcers are hired by the team. Main Street continues to provide TV coverage of its NBA and NHL teams through the end of the current season, but what happens after that is unclear. Main Street offered a reduced rate to continue carrying the nine MLB teams, with the Reds offered $42 million, down from $52 million, according to The Athletic. The Brewers were reportedly getting $35 million in regional sports network fees. Teams that lost their RSN (FanDuel Sports Network) received about 50% of what they did with their previous deals. Before this latest announcement, the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, and Washington Nationals were slated to be carried by MLB in 2026. Some teams have faced this situation for a couple of years, with the Nationals just recently joining the fray after a dispute with the Baltimore Orioles was resolved. That brings the number of clubs whose television rights are being taken over by MLB to 13.

Caleb Durbin knows what Jett Williams is going through right now—and we aren't talking about dealing with both being 5-foot-7. Durbin was the other guy acquired by the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade for a popular pitcher. The difference is that Durbin was more of a finished product, ready to see what he could do in the majors. Williams, currently the Brewers' No. 3 prospect and a consensus top-100 guy in baseball, played 34 games at Triple-A Syracuse last season and might make his way to Milwaukee at some point in 2026, but not before honing his craft at Nashville. Durbin, by contrast, was in the mix for an Opening Day spot with the New York Yankees before he was dealt to the Crew in the Devin Williams trade. Durbin was never a highly-rated prospect, perhaps due to being undersized and relying on his speed as a big attribute, along with a solid and unspectacular bat. When they acquired him, it was hard to see where the Brewers would play Durbin. Brice Turang was coming off a Platinum Glove season at second base, and Joey Ortiz was seen as the heir apparent at shortstop following Willy Adames's departure via free agency, perhaps sliding from third base to second base if Turang was the choice at short. After playing shortstop in college at Division III Washington University in Missouri, he played a lot of second and some short in the minors. He dabbled at third base, seeing action in 75 games in total at the hot corner. He worked at the position in spring training last year, but the Brewers chose to go with Oliver Dunn and Vinny Capra as a platoon at third base on the Opening Day roster. It was off to Nashville to begin 2025 for Durbin, but offensive struggles prompted the Brewers to send Dunn down and call up Durbin for his debut in mid-April. The rest, you might say, is history. What Durbin did in 2025, while not spectacular, was part of the backbone of the Brewers' run to a third consecutive NL Central title. He adapted to become a more-than-competent third baseman, quelling worries that he didn't have the arm for the position and improving massively in his footwork and feel for the spot. He was a solid contributor offensively, including being a magnet for pitches from opposing pitchers. As a rookie with a new team at a new position, Durbin put up .256/.334/.387 slash line, with 11 homers and 53 RBIs in 136 games. He didn't utilize his speed as much as expected, but added 18 steals in 24 attempts. All of that led to Durbin finishing third in NL Rookie of the Year voting, one of three Brewers in the top seven and four to get votes. One thing stood out. In addition to being plunked 24 times—second-most in MLB—he was very disciplined at the plate. While he only drew 30 walks (eighth on the team), Durbin only struck out 50 times in 506 plate appearances, ranking in the 98th percentile of big-league hitters. Among Crew hitters with at least 200 plate appearances, only Andrew Vaughn had fewer punchouts (37). Heck, Jake Bauers had 59 strikeouts in 218 plate appearances (although also 32 walks). Durbin figures to be just as solid defensively in 2026, following almost a full season at third base. He had 5 Defensive Runs Saved, tying for the 10th-most at the position. However, it's on offense where Durbin could make more progress. His Statcast numbers say that his actual slash line (.256/.334/.387) was pretty close to what was expected (.253/.317/.384). While his plate discipline is a strength, Durbin needs to improve on hitting the ball hard consistently. He ranked in the bottom 4% in exit velocity (85.2 mph) and hard-hit percentage (26.9%), and the bottom 6% in bat speed (67.9 mph) and launch-angle sweet spot (29.6%). Boosting those numbers even nominally will add more doubles and a few more homers to his stat columns, while nudging his entire slash line upward. As we saw with Turang and Sal Frelick in 2025, that type of improvement from one season to another is possible. We know Durbin is capable of it, too, because he was both more selective and better at pulling the ball in the air in Triple A in 2024 than he was last year in the majors. Even a modest leap from him would give the Brewers another offensive weapon in 2026. The feistiness in Durbin won't allow him to not put up a fight, especially when others are already talking of Williams replacing him.