Offseason Outlook: Milwaukee Brewers

In their 57th season in existence, the Brewers captured their first World Series championship. The team hopes it’ll take only one more season to land title #2, as Milwaukee is in good position to make another run. Guaranteed Contracts Jackson Chourio, OF: $67MM through 2031 (includes $2MM buyout of $25MM club option for 2032; Brewers also have $25MM club option on 2033 with $2MM buyout) Christian Yelich, DH/LF: $58.5MM through 2028 (includes $6.5MM buyout of $20MM mutual option for 2029) Cooper Pratt, SS: $45.25MM through 2033 (contract includes club options for 2034-35 seasons) Luis Lara, OF: $27MM through 2032 (contract includes club options for 2033-35 seasons) Aaron Ashby, RP: $8.5MM through 2027 (includes $1MM buyout of $9MM club option for 2028; Brewers also have $13MM club option for 2029) Option Decisions Dustin May, SP: $20MM mutual option for 2027 ($500K buyout) William Contreras, C: $14.5MM club option for 2027 (remains arbitration eligible if declined) Antonio Senzatela, RP: $14MM club option for 2027 (no buyout) Gary Sanchez, C: $8.5MM mutual option for 2027 ($250K buyout) 2027 guarantees: $61.75MM (assuming Contreras’ option is exercised) Total future commitments (assuming Contreras’ option is exercised): $221MM Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz) Andrew Vaughn (5.142): $8.5MM William Contreras (5.112): $14.6MM (Brewers hold $14.5MM club option) Bryse Wilson (5.049): $1.1MM Trevor Megill (5.002): $8MM Angel Zerpa (4.082): $1.3MM Garrett Mitchell (4.040): $2.7MM Brice Turang (3.165): $9.5MM Akil Baddoo (3.082): $1.3MM DL Hall (3.074): $1MM Sal Frelick (3.072): $2.4MM Joey Ortiz (3.030): $2.4MM Bo Naylor (3.014): $1.5MM David Hamilton (3.011): $1.6MM Grant Anderson (3.007): $1MM Jared Koenig (2.158): $900K Quinn Priester (2.134): $1.3MM Non-tender candidates: Wilson, Zerpa, Baddoo, Naylor, Koenig Free Agents May, Senzatela, Sanchez, Jake Bauers, JoJo Romero, Brandon Woodruff One magical October turned the Brewers from a consistent winner who couldn’t get over the hump into a dominant champion that could return much of its roster. The starting outfield projects as Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, and the Sal Frelick/Luis Lara timeshare in right field, with Christian Yelich making the odd cameo in left field when he isn’t at DH. Andrew Vaughn can platoon with Yelich at DH and potentially get a good deal of action at first base (more on that position later). Brice Turang, Cooper Pratt, and the David Hamilton/Joey Ortiz third base platoon round out the rest of the infield, and William Contreras will line up behind the plate…. …or will he? The difference between Contreras’ club option and his projected arbitration salary is so negligible that the Brewers will surely just exercise the option rather than go through the headache of the arb process (especially with an impending lockout threatening to delay arb hearings). Even though the club option is a no-brainer decision, Milwaukee’s history of trading star players prior to free agency has led to plenty of speculation that Contreras might’ve already played his final game in a Brewers uniform. The Crew’s decision to hang onto Willy Adames during the 2023-24 offseason and let him go to free agency the next winter is evidence that Milwaukee doesn’t always trade star talent early, though Adames’ trade value was diminished by an underwhelming 2023 campaign. Contreras’ 109 wRC+ (from 18 homers and a .270/.341/.417 slash line in 640 PA) was actually his lowest in the last five seasons, and his framing and blocking metrics tumbled to below-average levels, though Contreras was still excellent at throwing out baserunners. Even this more modest performance still added up to a 3.0 fWAR season for Contreras, not to mention his October heroics. There is no doubt Contreras would generate a lot of interest as a trade chip, yet the equation might change now that Contreras has cemented his place as a franchise legend. As painful as it was for the Brewers to deal Freddy Peralta, Corbin Burnes, Devin Williams, Josh Hader, and other stars, none of that group had a World Series MVP trophy, so moving Contreras for a package of young talent would be an extra tough blow to the Milwaukee clubhouse and fanbase. An argument could be made that Contreras is an extension candidate. A new deal would likely create a one-year payroll bump for the Brewers in 2028 before Contreras essentially just replaced Yelich (whose 2029 option is unlikely to be exercised) as the one big veteran splurge on the team’s books. Or, perhaps the simplest route is for the Brewers to just keep Contreras as part of their reload for 2027, and then if he does head elsewhere in free agency, some type of compensation should still be available to Milwaukee as part of the next collective bargaining agreement. Keeping Contreras also gives the Crew another year to evaluate their catching situation. Former top-100 prospect Jeferson Quero has delivered okay but unspectacular numbers in more than a season’s worth of Triple-A action, and he made his big league debut in the form of one game in March 2026. Gary Sanchez is an impending free agent. Turning backstop duties over to some combination of Bo Naylor and Quero (or bringing Sanchez back as the starter) would be a risk on the Brewers’ part, as the team would be turning a position of strength into a question mark. The team could seek out another catcher, but then the Brewers would themselves be treading into a thin catching market. 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