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Brewers Outright Joel Payamps

By Steve Adams | May 29, 2025 at 1:27pm CDT

Right-hander Joel Payamps passed through outright waivers unclaimed and has been assigned to Triple-A Nashville after his recent DFA, the Brewers announced Thursday. Payamps has enough service time to reject the outright assignment in favor of free agency, but doing so would require surrendering the rest of this year’s $2.995MM guarantee. As such, he’s overwhelmingly likely to accept the assignment and hope to pitch his way back to Milwaukee in short order.

Prior to the season, few would’ve predicted Payamps would be in a situation like this. The 31-year-old had a solid 2022 season and broke out as a quality, high-leverage reliever with the Brewers in 2023-24. Milwaukee acquired Payamps alongside William Contreras in the heist of a three-team trade sending Esteury Ruiz to the A’s and Sean Murphy to the Braves.

Contreras was the clear headliner there, but Payamps’ contributions in Milwaukee ought not to be overlooked. In his first two full seasons as a Brewer, he pitched 129 2/3 innings with a crisp 2.78 ERA, a 26.1% strikeout rate and a 6.7% walk rate. The right-hander picked up 48 holds and saved nine games along the way as well.

The 2025 season has been a struggle for Payamps. There’s no getting around that issue. He’s pitched 18 1/3 innings and been hammered for 17 runs (8.35 ERA) on 25 hits (three homers) and six walks against just 16 strikeouts. There’s been no velocity dip or radical change to his pitch selection, but Payamps is generating far fewer chases off the plate, far fewer whiffs and allowing a good bit more contact.

Any team could’ve claimed Payamps, who’s controllable through the 2026 season via arbitration, but doing so would’ve meant taking on the remaining $1.98MM in guaranteed money on his contract. Most clubs are pretty stingy about adding guaranteed money via waivers during the season, as they tend to only have a small amount of financial flexibility with regard to the trade deadline (relative to their typical slate of offseason resources, anyhow).

Were Payamps to reject his outright and be available on a minor league deal with a minimal base, he’d surely have a long line of interested teams vying for the right to take a flier on that track record. Instead, his salary pushed him through waivers. He’ll now head to Nashville and look to get back on track. Passing Payamps through waivers like this was the only way Milwaukee could send him to Nashville, since he’s out of minor league options. If he can start missing bats more in line with his past levels, he could return at any point this season.

Payamps is still under club control through 2026, at least. If he spends fewer than 82 more days on the big league roster but is selected back to the majors prior to season’s end, he’d fall shy of five years of service and see his path to free agency pushed back another year. That’s a moot point if he doesn’t pitch well enough to garner another big league look, though, and that’s where his focus will rest for the time being.

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Milwaukee Brewers Transactions Joel Payamps

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View Comments (8)
Post a Comment

8 Comments

  1. stubby66

    5 months ago

    Honestly this isn’t really a bad thing at all. Just nice depth for us and he can get back on track and if we make a trade where we lose someone he can help us. I can think of a lot worse bullpen arms out there

    4
    Reply
  2. phairgames

    5 months ago

    I would’ve been shocked if anyone claimed him at that salary, as bad as he’s been this year. Hopefully he’ll get things straightened out in AAA.

    Reply
    • cwizzy6

      5 months ago

      I’m a little surprised no one claimed him and tried to fix him up for a flip at the deadline. If you can fix him up you arent on the hook for the full 2mil still owed and you get a lottery ticket.

      Reply
  3. szc55

    5 months ago

    Bring up MIz!!!!

    Reply
  4. Phlem Johnson

    5 months ago

    The minor leagues used to be a place for veterans like him to work out their problems, correct their control issues or whatever has caused a dropoff in their performance in a less stressful situation and find success.
    Perhaps this will happen for him.

    2
    Reply
  5. Feury

    5 months ago

    Pretty sure he is tipping his pitches and teams have found it.

    3
    Reply
    • wtfCheeseheadChuck

      5 months ago

      If that’s the case….hopefully it’s an easy fix!

      Reply
      • Feury

        5 months ago

        Well easy means the Brewers would need to identify it, which they clearly havent yet or this wouldnt have happened. Then he’ll need to find consistancy in his new set position and rebuild some confidence. Hope he figures it out, he’s filthy when he’s on.

        Reply

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