Eddie Rosario To Opt Out Of Minors Deal With Brewers

Eddie Rosario signed a minor league deal with the Brewers on May 14, and has yet to be called up to the big leagues.  Rosario will therefore enact a June 15 opt-out clause in his contract and become a free agent, according to reporter Francys Romero.

The 2021 NLCS MVP has hit .290/.373/.449 with two home runs over 83 plate appearances with Triple-A Nashville, which comes on the heels of an even more impressive .339/.406/.542 slash line in 69 PA with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate earlier this season.  While these numbers indicate that the 33-year-old has something left in the tank, Rosario’s subpar production in the majors over the last two seasons likely gave the Brewers some pause about bringing him up to the active roster.

Since Opening Day 2024, Rosario has hit only .174/.212/.311 over 327 Major League plate appearances with the Nationals, Dodgers, and two separate stints with the Braves.  His 2025 output consists of only five games and eight PA, as he has only briefly played with the Dodgers and Braves while spending the bulk of the year in Triple-A.  Even dating back to the start of the 2021 campaign, consistency has been an issue for Rosario, though his highs were epic — most notably a red-hot stretch for Atlanta late in the 2021 season and through the playoffs, helping the Braves win the World Series.

The Milwaukee lineup has been average at best in 2025, and power has been in short supply since the Brewers’ 64 homers rank only 24th of 30 teams.  An argument can be made that the Crew wouldn’t have lost much in giving Rosario a shot, especially since the team’s outfield ranks were thinned by injuries to Blake Perkins and Garrett Mitchell, plus Christian Yelich has mostly been a DH this season with only a handful of appearances in left field.

With Yelich, Jackson Chourio, and the emerging Sal Frelick all getting everyday at-bats, however, Rosario’s only real avenue into the lineup would’ve been as part of the left field mix with Isaac Collins and Jake Bauers.  The Brewers might’ve simply preferred to roll with their present options rather than bring Rosario aboard, especially if the team though Rosario’s Nashville numbers may have been the product of an inflated .340 BABIP.

Rosario will now hit the open market again in search of another team.  There are plenty of clubs with more clearer openings in the outfield than Milwaukee, so it might not be long before Rosario lands elsewhere on another minor league deal.