The Brewers have promoted general manager Matt Arnold to president of baseball operations, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. “Since joining our organization in 2015, Matt Arnold has been instrumental in developing a culture and process that has led to seven postseason appearances over the past eight seasons,” said Brewers owner Mark Attanasio, adding, “We are proud of what Matt has accomplished and even more excited for what the future holds under his leadership.” McCalvy notes that Arnold’s responsibilities atop the front office will not change, though he will now hold both the president of baseball operations and GM titles.
Arnold was hired in October 2015 by then-president of baseball operations David Stearns and was promoted to GM in November 2020. Stearns would step down from his role after the 2022 season, leading to Arnold being put in charge of the front office, but still with the GM title. Clearly, the club is impressed with his results in the years since for him to receive this promotion. Since the start of 2023, the Brewers have posted a record of 282-204 (.580) and finished in first place in the NL Central in every year. This year’s 97-65 (.599) record was the best in the majors. The club lost in the Wild Card Series in 2023 and 2024 but made it to the NLCS in 2025, though they were swept by the Dodgers in four games.
While Arnold’s responsibilities with the Brewers are unchanged, he will presumably get a raise to go with his new title. More importantly, his promotion also prevents other clubs from offering the president title to hire him away from Milwaukee. Teams generally allow their executives to interview with other teams if they are offered a promotion. By promoting Arnold themselves, the Brewers are signaling their confidence in his leadership and securing their front office as they look to continue their recent dominance in the NL Central.
This year, the Brewers finished ninth in the majors with a 107 team wRC+ while scoring 806 runs, which ranked third. As a group, the team succeeded by avoiding strikeouts and getting on base, with a 20.3% strikeout rate that was tied for fourth-lowest in the majors and a 9.1% walk rate that was tied for fifth-best. The team saw five qualified hitters – Brice Turang, Christian Yelich, Sal Frelick, William Contreras, and Jackson Chourio – finish with a wRC+ of at least 110. The last of them, Chourio, was signed to an eight-year, $82MM extension before he debuted in the big leagues, which was the largest pre-debut extension at that time. Chourio has rewarded the team’s faith with a 115 wRC+ and a combined 6.9 fWAR from 2024-25, and the contract looks like it will be a highlight of Arnold’s tenure atop the baseball ops department.
Of course, the Brewers are also known as a strong pitching team, and that strength was on full display in 2025. The team pitched to a collective 3.59 ERA, a mark only bested by the Rangers (3.49), while striking out opposing hitters at a rate of 23.7%, which was tied for sixth in the majors. In addition to missing bats, Brewers pitchers also excelled by limiting hard contact. The team allowed hard hits at a rate of just 38.6%, which was second-best behind the Reds, while opponents hit for an average exit velocity of just 88.9 mph, which tied for fourth-best. The rotation was led by ace Freddy Peralta, who posted a 2.70 ERA and struck out an above average 28.2% of hitters in 176 2/3 innings. Quinn Priester, Jose Quintana, and Chad Patrick all posted ERAs under 4.00, while Jacob Misiorowski showed promise in 15 appearances (14 starts). The bullpen also excelled in 2025. Headlined by Abner Uribe, Trevor Megill, and Aaron Ashby, Brewers relievers tied for sixth in the majors with an ERA of 3.63 and posted the ninth-best strikeout rate at 23.3%. Peralta, Uribe, and others had been in the organization before Arnold took over as head of baseball ops, but Priester, Quintana, and Megill (acquired in 2023) stand out as solid additions under his tenure.
Ultimately, the club’s sustained performance over 2023-25 was enough for the club to give Arnold his promotion. The team will surely be looking for more of the same in 2026. Yelich and Contreras are under club control through at least 2027, while Chourio, Turang, and Frelick are under control through at least 2029. The club should fare well offensively next year with those five in the lineup. The pitching is a little less certain. The team holds mutual options on Quintana and Brandon Woodruff, who did well upon his return from injury but is expected to depart this winter. Mutual options are almost never picked up anyway, though the club may look to retain Quintana for the back of the rotation on another one-year deal.
The Brewers have historically run a low payroll compared to other teams. RosterResource has them at $123MM in payroll in 2025, which ranks 22nd in the league. The club holds an $8MM club option on Peralta. That’s practically a bargain for a player of his caliber, but he has been floated as a trade candidate recently. For his part, Arnold downplayed the possibility of a Peralta trade in the club’s end-of-season presser. “To be honest, it’s not at the front of my mind,” he said during the conference. The club will also see the departures of Woodruff, Rhys Hoskins (assuming his own mutual option is not picked up), and Shelby Miller, who combined for $24MM in payroll in 2025. If Arnold retains Peralta and reinforces the rotation through trades or low-cost signings, the Brewers will look to win the NL Central and make another deep postseason run in 2026.
Dude has been delivering playoff teams and NL Central titles with a small market payroll, I think he knows what he’s doing. Good on the Brewers for rewarding him with a new title and a pay bump.
GM title is pretty useless these days with a POBO really running the show. He was one of the few who actually did the GM job as a GM because there was no one above him.
I agree though the guy is doing a great job within his limitations.
Bill Schmidt of the Rockies was a GM with no PBO, but the results were not admirable.
Yeah but pobo is a pobo. So pobo away
Cohen now realizing it wasn’t Stearns.
Stearns is a genius, he built a great organization in Milwaukee filled with very talented people like Arnold. A huge part of Milwaukee’s success is depth, specifically pitching depth, you cant build that overnight. When Milwaukee faced multiple SP injuries, they had guys who were picked up years ago ready to go in AAA. Stearns has barely been there long enough to even overhaul the pitching dev, let alone have excess guys like Chad Patrick ready to fill in.
Stearns turned Milwaukee into a pitching factory from the jump. In his first appearance on a Brewers telecast, he said, “We’re going to develop pitchers in such quantities as to allow us to trade them at the ir peak value.” He persuaded owner Mark Attanasio to build a pitching lab, and he promoted Chris Hook to pitching coach after Derek Johnson left for Cincinnati. Pitching excellence has been the backbone of the Brewers’ continued success.
Running circles around a self ballyhooed team to the South. Where has one seen that script before?
Yes, I agree the Cubs have run circles around the Sox the last couple of seasons.
It won’t be long before he’s poached by a team like the Yankees.
Or Mets after they realize David Stearns isn’t that good!!!!
I’d take some moderately used urinal cakes from Miller Park over Stearns at this point.
Stearns is basically proof that just because a guy succeeded with hardly any money, Doesn’t translate to success when you suddenly toss all the money in the world at a guy. I mean take Hoyer( Please!), Most of the good moves he makes are the low end low risk ones he does. Where he digs himself a hole is when he tries to make the big splash he fails most of the time. I mean his bullpen by cheap is probably his best success story. He reminds me of Ryan Pace the Bears old GM. He missed on every pick he ever made in rounds 1-3 but the few successes he had were in 4-7. he couldn’t hit on a 1st round pick if his life depended on it. I mean Hoyer doesn’t have the top end budget a few teams do but he has a bigger budget than 3/4 of the teams in baseball. He doesn’t trust his own prospects and every time he spends big he whiffs or gives out dumb conditions that cripples his own deal. I mean Friedmann is an outlier because he has an unlimited budget that even when he misses he just wipes it away. But a lot of POBO’s whiff with big money behind them. The Brewers and Rays probably do it better than anybody with less. Just because you CAN spend more, Doesn’t necessarily mean you HAVE TO!
Uncle, you and others picked on Stearns because of 25 but what did you say the prior year? The jury is still out but 24 can’t be forgotten. Moreover, what we fans don’t know is what deals were dictated by Cohen As a Sox fan, I have come to realize it’s not easy being Boston’s head because Henry is more concerned with his global brand and not just the Red Sox.
Agree, especially re the dumb conditions part.
Stearns is proof just because he has the title doesn’t mean he’s doing the work.
Hoyer can’t judge talent.
This “promotion” makes that more difficult. Teams often allow staff to explore promotion opportunities but, generally, do not give permission for lateral moves.
I’m listening…
It will be long — very long — because Matt is surrounded by great people in Milwaukee. He spent nine years in Tampa Bay’s front office before spending 10 in Milwaukee’s, and the Brewers are on top of their game as far as scouting, drafting, signing foreigners and developing players. All it will take for the Brewers to raise their profile is a new Basic Agreement with TV revenue sharing and salary guardrails.
People said the same thing about Stearns. And before that Andrew Friedman. Truth is that there comes a time when a talented GM wants more money to go shopping.
No, they didn’t say the same thing about Stearns. Stearns was linked to the Mets several years before he took the job. MLB will be improving its sharing of TV revenue because the system for small market teams is broken and because Rob Manfred is determined to help raise the values of the small- and mid-market teams. The Brewers stand to profit the most if they continue to turn out great young players under Pat Murphy’s managerial skills.
Not sure it was about money with Stearns. I think he saw a franchise he could turn around and “fix”. So far not much fixing has happened. I think that sometimes the fixing part plays a bigger role. You get credit for turning a franchise around.
@Mustard: Brewers hand was forced to elevate him to POBO or he would have been poached by any number of teams this offseason that starts soon. Only question is did Arnold demand a massive annual salary? He could have turned down the promotion if it was a lowball amount relative to other POBO he’s better than and interviewed with other teams. It’s not just changing the title, any sought after FO guy like this needs to make sure they are getting competitively paid to keep them.
Not too sure about that. Rich teams loved to poach Rays executives because of how great Friedman has been in LA but after seeing how much of a dumpster fire Stearns is in NY, they might not be so enthusiastic about his protege.
Cashman has a lifetime contract, don’t worry about the Yankees taking Arnold away
Congratulations to Kevin Arnold’s illegitimate step Brothers promotion.
However there’s a small chance Tom Arnold as a illegitimate kid someone in the world.
POBO’s
Brewers- Matt Arnold
Cubs- Jed Hoyer
Advantage- Brewers
AND it’s not even close.
Nice. Now do the managers.
Do the Cubs really need to be reminded they pick the wrong half of that duo and gave him a massive overpay?
What Arnold and his staff have, that nobody else seems to have, is the ability to scout for and identify players with the kind of superior bat-to-ball skills that result in multi-run rallies when those players are coming to bat one after another in well-designed lineups. During the stretch when the Brewers were going 53-16 mid-season, that is how they were doing it: they were stringing together hits better than any other team was. Some uncomprehending sourpusses among the Cubs press muttered about “insane BABIP luck,” but it wasn’t luck, it was a learned, repeatable skill. And when the Cubs have scouts that can look for that skill and recognize it when they see it, and thus acquire such players for the team, the Cubs will seriously challenge the Brewers for the division.
The Brewers got a lot better after Counsell left for the Cubs because Pat Murphy isn’t hung up on analytics and doesn’t believe a bunt is a wasted at-bat, as Counsell does.
I’m not a fan of Counsell but I don’t know that I would agree that they “got a lot better” when he left. I do like Pat Murphy though. Milwaukee.
Well, they won more games and, finally, a playoff series.
Yup, they are better because guys are constantly bunting themselves into 0-2/1-2 counts, and giving away outs. The arrival of Chourio, and breakout of Turang after Counsell left are just happy accidents that in no way contribute to the improved offense.
I’ve stated the exact same thing multiple times on this site and some analytic nerds come around and try to debunk it. Counsell lost as many games as he won with his “analytics”. Murphy has NOT, thankfully. He’s more old school than geek to the betterment of the Brewers.
Analytics has its place, and we don’t want to go back to the ignorant old Don Zimmer / Dallas Green days when everything was by gut instinct. But some analytics can be misleading. Tucker might have a higher bWAR, for example, than Turang. But Turang is the guy you want at bat when the tying run is on second.
You mean like in the 9th inning of game 1 in the Dodgers series with Turang facing the “rock solid” Treinen with the tying & winning runs in scoring position?
Look I loathe the Dodgers and wanted nothing more than for Turang to deliver there. But it just doesn’t work that way. He may have been great this season with RISP but that doesn’t hold across years. A lower K rate likely correlates there but is Turang’s K rate lower than Tucker’s?
Not even close
Nyy…that’s just Alan on his anti Cub and anti Tucker rant. He amused us all by being wrong all summer and apparently has decided not to participate in downtime during the off-season.
It’s not a coincidence that out of over 1,000 ball players he chose Tucker to compare with Turang.
Also, not a coincidence that he is wrong yet again.
Certainly Kyle Tucker didnt put up a top 5-10 player in baseball season, but pretty much across the board, even in his “down” year he nestled in the 20-30 range.
And this is not in any way anything against Turang….that is one good, tough ball player.
Counsel always waits for the homerun ball. He did it in milwaukee for years. Hes obsessed with Homer’s. Murphy plays baseball the way it should be played.
Jimmy Rollins had a message for Pete Crow=Armstrong at the end of the Home Run Derby telecast: “Go back to small ball.” With Counsell at the helm, that didn’t happen.
@Whitecowboy: I mostly agree, but not totally: Counsell did have the Cubs running a lot, stealing a lot of bases. But when the hitting faltered, he tended to get MORE conservative, as managers often do. In fact, when the hitting falters, a manager should be more daring and strategic, because there’s little to lose in doing so.
Stearns and Counsell were working at cross purposes for all those years in Milwaukee because they were emphasizing slugging and OPS without drafting any corner infielders, guys who profile as sluggers. Travis Shaw and Rowdy Tellez weren’t going to power any teams very far. Since Stearns left, Arnold has drafted a half dozen corner infielders, and they’re coming up the pipeline. Meanwhile, Murphy is making the most of the contact hitters Stearns drafted.
And traded for.
I lost respect for Counsell when it was revealed after he left. He would ask players if they would bunt when given the sign.
The biggest difference between the teams is the pitching, not the hitting. The Cubs’ pitching is propped up by their defense.
Crazy how he went from a college catcher… to a GM of a MLB team… to be promoted to president of operations… all in a few months
He was also noted Victorian poet.
All in a few months? Care to explain?
And then he went from sweeping floors to running his own sock hop – soda fountain – gin joint that all the hep kids swooned for in Milwaukee when that 34 yr old teenager in the biker jacket did the Russian splits to Buddy Holly and Mary Tyler Moore. A humble abode he named quite simply: Arnold’s. Place to be until Potsie and Malph ruined it for everyone
The link in the article is wrong.
After Arnold wins his second consecutive executive of the year award from his peers, the Brewers FO will unquestionably be the best in the game. Many Brewers fans have known this for some time now, but soon the rest of the baseball world will know.
The Brewers organization is getting stronger by the year. A mostly 4-6 years controlled, playoff-worthy core. A powerhouse infrastructure, with among the best in baseball PDS, amateur draft department, international department and the #1 farm system in the game (BA).
This organization is set to win for the next decade.
Win what though? They just got embarrassed by the Dodgers. They didn’t even show up for that series.
Division titles two years in a row destroying the “greatest manager in MLB history” that currently resides at Wrigley, while being predicted to finish 4th or 5th both years.
The cub “fans” rejoicing in finishing in 2nd place while predicted to runaway with the division is priceless…
I get your point, but it is hyperbole to say that Brewers were predicted to be 4th or 5th in both 2024 and 2025. Who predicted the Pirates and Cardinals to be ahead of them?
And if Horton and Steele had been healthy for the postseason, the Cubs had a very solid team. Not their bad that the Brewers were just better.
The Athletic’s first power ratings of the season had the Brewers at No. 25.
@ohmy: Not all of us Cubs fans thought they were going to win the division; some of us knew better. And not all of us rejoiced when they finished second; some of us were embarrassed by the clubhouse celebration. Some of us have been around for a while and know the game. Please don’t paint with such a broad brush.
I can vouch for Alan on that one. He was doubting that the Cubs would even be a wild card for a while.
The Cubs won the number of regular season games that I expected them to win. The Brewers just won half a dozen more than I expected and the Reds won three of four less than I expected. Actually, the Cardinals also won four or five more than I expected, although I did expect them to unload more players mid-season.
“Win what though? They just got embarrassed by the Dodgers. They didn’t even show up for that series.”
Lazy, casual comment
They got shut down by the Dodgers pitching, yes.
Yeah embarrassed by the Dodgers. You mean embarassed like the Giants, DBacks, little brother Padres, Phils, Mets…those teams? Being the second to last man standing is no mean feat, on a paupers budget no less. Good on the plucky brew crew for rolling out the likes of jedi warriors like Q and young Ashby for serviceable match ups while the Empire (cue the theme) respond with their $25 mill per 3 headed monster of Snell, Yamamoto, and Glasnow and (checks notes), and oh yeah that gazillion funded unicorn 🦄 as their death star. No mean fete being second best in this case. Nice goin Mister Smart Aleckie
Very true. Brewers fans usually settle for the NL Central World Series win!!!!
Cubs are gonna Cub
I wonder if this is the year that other clubs look to hire away some of the Brewers brain trust that can be poached. It is a little weird that for a consistent club like the Brewers that other clubs haven’t raided the Brewers for FO talent.
Not that weird when you consider how bad Arnold’s predecessor is in his current dream job. Teams loved TB guys because Friedman is such a success in LA, but the only Milwaukee guy to get “promoted” to a rich team is a total failure.
The Giants hired Brewers assistant GM Zack Minasian as their GM a couple of years ago.
I mean, the Mets just stole the PBO. The Cubs stole the manager.
Cubs stole? CC contract was over and he left.
What’s incredible is they’re not just riding on what counsel had left, in fact they’ve actually taken some “QUANTUM LEAPS” forward (if u will, thanks Murph) since his departure for “greener” (bluer) pastures and it stands to reason not many would’ve said thats what’s about to happen in ‘23, thanks again Murph!!
Consider too that Murph plucked Craig from obscurity and could largely be responsible for his entire career in sport, and then outfoxxed him when it counted. This isn’t just Michael Scott being outwitted by his hapless lackey Dwight or Brutus taking out Caesar (of salad fame). This is master spanking student- like Obi-Wan striking down Annakin in the climatic battle. Imagine such a world. One movie, show over no sequel or trilogy or nine-quel or theme parks or Mandalorian world building. Much simpler. Then again an emptier place if that happened. No Mandaloria, no baby Green Elmo in a backpack and no Pedro Pascal in every movie ever going forward.
Arnold did win his second straight Executive of the Year Award, sponsored by The Sporting News. Murphy repeated as NL Manager of the Year, and Yelich was named Comeback Player of the Year.
These aren’t the “official” awards from the baseball writers, but they’ll win those too.
Well deserved, very happy to see him get the recognition he deserves. This should also allow Milwaukee to elevate someome to the GM spot.
I continue to be shocked to not see any Arnold lieutenants linked to open POBO/GM jobs, so maybe its not necessary to to elevate someone just yet, but its good to have the option
It’s bound to happen at some point eh!?
It’s bound to take off at some point, eh? And the rest of the baseball world down south get hosed by the hosers to the Great White North. Take off, eh?
The Matt Arnold they linked is a college catcher. Great baseball website, but they sure do link a lot of wrong BR profiles.
They should link to Arnold’s diner next, so we can see clips of the dashing 34 yr old teenager doing the Russian splits to Buddy Holly while the Bobby soxxed set all swoon, all before he became a broken down manager fated to obscurity in the swamps until Billy Madison came out of nowhere to rescue him
Peralta to the Padres for prospects and a current MLB reliever.
And bags of chips who turn out to be a man in a Durbin (who’s from Lake Forest you know)
They got the bread, now they need the butter.
The bar is a little higher in Milwaukee than Baltimore. The Orioles promoted Elias in the same fashion and all he did this year was slice 20 wins off the season total and conduct a fire sale at the end of July.
Is it just me or does Matt Arnold look like he’s thinking “get your fricken hands off me” in this picture?
It’s just you. He’s often in the Brewers TV booth and is a low key, likable guy.
Stearns and Counsell were working at cross purposes all those years they were together in Milwaukee. They were both stressing slugging and OPS yet Stearns never drafted any corner infielders, the guys who profile as sluggers. Matt Arnold has been drafting sluggers ever since, and they’re coming up the pipeline. Meanwhile, Pat Murphy has been making the most of the contact hitters Stearns drafted by playing small ball.