The Brewers are retaining one of their starters, signing Colin Rea to a one-year deal with a club option for 2025. The right-hander is guaranteed $4.5MM — a $3.5MM salary for next season and a $1MM buyout on the option, which is valued at $5.5MM. The deal also contains up to $500K annually in innings-based incentives. Rea is represented by Joe Speed.
Rea, 33, signed a minor league deal with the Brewers coming into 2023 and was added to the roster in mid-April. The club dealt with multiple injuries to its rotation throughout the year, with each of Brandon Woodruff, Eric Lauer and Wade Miley missing significant time. While the starting staff was fronted by Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta, Rea was able to step in and support them with some serviceable innings. He made 26 appearances, 22 starts, logging 124 2/3 frames with a 4.55 earned run average. He struck out 21.3% of batters faced while walking 7.4%, and kept the ball on the ground at a 43.8% rate.
Though Rea is shy of the six years of service time required for automatic free agency, it was reported in September that his contract would allow him to return to the open market. That’s a common contractual clause for players who spend time in foreign leagues. Rea pitched in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball in 2022, throwing 100 innings for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks with a 3.96 ERA. When he signed with the Brewers, he was able to secure himself a return to the open market in the language of his deal. He became a free agent today but the Brewers have quickly locked him up for another season.
Rotation depth could be a question for the club yet again in 2024. Woodruff recently underwent shoulder surgery and is expected to miss most of the upcoming season. He is heading into his final arbitration season and might wind up non-tendered, given that injury uncertainty and a projected $11.6MM salary. Burnes is also headed into his final arb year and has long been a speculative trade candidate due to the club’s low-spending ways and his rising salary, projected for $15.1MM next year.
Even if the club hangs onto Burnes, there are questions behind him and Peralta, with Miley now a free agent again. Adrian Houser will likely be in the mix while Janson Junk is on the 40-man and could earn himself a spot after posting a 4.18 ERA in Triple-A last year. Robert Gasser is the club’s best pitching prospect and should be in line for a promotion in 2024, though he’s yet to make his major league debut.
Perhaps the Brewers find room in there for Rea or he ends up in the bullpen or a swing role. Although it’s possible Burnes and Woodruff stick around for 2024, both are slated to be free agents after that. Rea’s 2025 option gives the Brewers a bit of extra depth for that season as well.
Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel first reported that Rea would make a $3.5MM salary and was guaranteed a $1MM buyout on the $5.5MM option. MLBTR’s Steve Adams reported the incentive value.
Nice…. Very nice.
Hip hip hoo…
Thank god as every team needs a guy named Ray. Hopefully he cashed in big time I will wait for those details.
That’s a good, low key depth move. He was a life saver at times this year and pitched fairly well most outings.
Glad the Brewers re-signed him. He pitched surprisingly well at times.
Good depth move as long as they’re not paying him too much.
5ish million for an average starter is a good price honestly.
Not in my view. If he makes the Roaster out of Spring, we are in Big trouble!
Barring injury, he’s making the roster. We’re already down woodruff and Burnes might be traded before we even get there.
Nice job wouldn’t mind seeing them lock up some more of these young guys. Think they should definitely lock up Contreras. Plus non tender Tellez and trade Taylor away. Try to sign a SP that there lab could straighten out. Only free agent name I would go after maybe is Hoskins. Arnold made some really nice minor league depth pieces early last year that helped out during the season.
Contreras has at least 4 more years of arb, so there’s no rush on him. And after last season, they probably couldn’t get him to agree to a team friendly deal anyway. Nit saying ignore the idea, but he’s not an immediate priority to extend. Remember, we’re not the Braves.
Keep Taylor. Trade Wiemer. While not great, Taylor, Mitchell, Yelich, and Frelick is not a bad OF. Sign Santana and dump Tellez.
Ham and Egger minus. Not worth the money .by about 2 million!
With their starting depth being questioned early not a bad deal for a swingman that’ll eat innings
It’s more money than I expected I guess. Based on the Brewers cheapiness, but yeah if they can get 5ish innings when he starts, or 3-4 potentially as a long reliever it’s worth it. People seem to think 5th starters/swing guys either grow on trees and shouldn’t get more than league minimum, or their stats should be comparable to a team’s top 2 starters.
It actually reminds me of several years ago, I think it was Claudio Vargas..fans were dumping on him for going 6 innings and giving up 3-4 runs nearly every time out. For 1, as a 5th starter that wasn’t bad. Second, the other guys we had generally weren’t that much better (except I believe Sheets was there at the time, but injury plagued).
Anyway, people should relax. No doubt they’ll sign at least 1 reclamation project who hasn’t pitched/well in 3 or 4 years for more money than this.