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Brewers, Josh Maciejewski Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Brewers are in agreement with left-hander Josh Maciejewski on a minor league contract, reports Ari Alexander of KPRC 2. He’d elected minor league free agency after being outrighted by the Yankees last September.

Maciejewski, 29, was a 10th-round pick by New York in 2018. Despite the modest draft position, he pitched his way to the majors after six seasons in the Yankees farm system. Maciejewski made four appearances in pinstripes last year, working seven innings of two-run ball. He struck out seven while issuing a pair of walks. While he pitched well in his small big league sample, he had less interesting numbers in the upper minors.

The 6’3″ southpaw divided his time between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Maciejewski started 13 of 26 appearances between the two levels. He tossed 73 innings with a 5.67 earned run average. He had a decent 22.7% strikeout percentage with a tolerable 8.9% walk rate.

Opponents fared well when they put the ball in play, though, running a lofty .327 average on balls in play. That predictably had an impact on his bottom line results. Maciejewski had found better results in the minors in 2023. He combined for a 2.96 ERA over 45 2/3 frames between three levels that season. He’s capable of working multiple innings and has an even 4.00 earned run average over his minor league career.

Maciejewski doesn’t throw hard. He averaged 90.1 MPH on his sinker during his limited big league work; that checked in at 89.6 MPH during his Triple-A time. He has a low-80s changeup and mid-70s breaking ball to round out his arsenal. Maciejewski could vie for a long relief role in Pat Murphy’s bullpen at some point next season.

Brewers, William Contreras Avoid Arbitration

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The Brewers and catcher William Contreras have avoided arbitration, reports Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He and the Brewers have signed a one-year deal with a club option for 2026. Per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the backstop will make $6MM this year and there’s a $100K buyout on the $12MM option, so he’s guaranteed $6.1MM. He will still be under club control if that club option is eventually turned down.

January 15 was the deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players to exchange filing figures. The majority of players agreed to terms with their respective clubs ahead of that deadline but Contreras was one of the 17 that did not. He filed at $6.5MM and the club at $5.6MM. This agreement puts him slightly beyond the midpoint of those two figures. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected the backstop for $7.6MM.

After the filing deadline, teams and players are free to continue negotiating. However, most clubs adopt a “file and trial” policy, meaning that they refuse to negotiate one-year deals after the deadline. It’s quite common to see deals emerge after the deadline but before a hearing, though a club or mutual option will be involved. That’s a technicality since the option means the deal can’t be used as a comparable for future arb cases. That has come to pass in this case.

This is the first of three arbitration chances for Contreras, who is under club control through 2027. His subsequent raises will be based off his base salary in 2025, making this a significant case for player and club. As mentioned, the option is mostly a technicality. Even if the club eventually turns it down, he will still be under club control by the Brewers via arbitration.

Contreras came to the Brewers from Atlanta prior to the 2023 campaign, part of the three-team deal that sent Sean Murphy to Atlanta. In his two seasons in Milwaukee, he has slashed .285/.366/.462 for a wRC+ of 128. His defensive metrics also greatly improved relative to his time in Atlanta. He’s been worth 11.2 wins above replacement over those two campaigns, in the eyes of FanGraphs.

Reds, Wade Miley Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Reds and veteran lefty Wade Miley have agreed to a minor league contract, reports Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The O’Connell Sports Management client will earn a prorated $2.5MM base salary in the big leagues and can bump that to $4MM via innings-based incentives, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Miley, who’s on the mend from Tommy John surgery performed late last April, is aiming for a return in mid-to-late May. That’d mark a roughly 13-month recovery window if he’s able to do so. (Nightengale also adds that there’s a June 1 opt-out, though that’s standard for any Article XX(B) free agent who signs a minor league contract; Miley will also have opt-outs five days prior to Opening Day and on May 1, but he’ll still be rehabbing at both points.)

It’s the second stint with the Reds for Miley. He also pitched in Cincinnati from 2020-21, signing a two-year, $15MM contract with the Reds in the 2019-20 offseason. The Reds don’t have a glaring rotation need, as they’re currently expected to deploy Hunter Greene, Brady Singer, Nick Lodolo, Nick Martinez and Andrew Abbott — with prospects like Rhett Lowder, Chase Petty and Connor Phillips all climbing the ranks as well. However, injuries are an inevitability for any pitching staff, and Miley could provide some veteran reinforcement at about the one-third mark of the 2025 season.

Miley, 38, made only two starts with the Brewers in 2024 before requiring elbow surgery. Emotional at the time, the southpaw said he’d take some time to determine whether he wanted to return to pitching or whether the torn elbow ligament would effectively end his career. In late December, Miley made clear that he indeed planned to return to the mound and hoped to do so as a member of the Brewers, with whom he’d spent the past two seasons. However, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that Miley’s shortlist of clubs for which he’d pitch also included his other two most-recent employers — the Reds and the Cubs — and that Cincinnati put together a more compelling contract structure for the southpaw.

The last mostly healthy season for Miley came with Milwaukee in 2023, when he tallied 120 1/3 innings and posted a tidy 3.14 earned run average along the way. He posted just a 16.1% strikeout rate, one of the lowest in the league, and surely benefited from a .234 average on balls in play. However, Miley also displayed good command (7.8% walk rate), kept the ball on the ground at a solid clip (46.3%) and continued a careerlong trend of inducing weak contact far more often than most pitchers.

Miley has never missed many bats. Earlier in his career, he was the consummate crafty left-hander/innings eater, making 30-plus appearances each season from 2012-17. Late in that stretch, however, his career looked to be on the downswing. His already pedestrian fastball velocity dipped to just over 91 mph on average, and he was tagged for a 5.37 ERA and 5.61 ERA in consecutive seasons in 2016-17.

Miley’s career had a second act beginning with a minor league pact in Milwaukee back in 2018. Since that time, he’s only reached 100 innings three times in seven years but has been better than ever on a rate basis. Dating back to 2018, he’s tossed 589 2/3 frames with a 3.46 ERA between the Brewers, Astros, Cubs and Reds.

JB Bukauskas Accepts Outright Assignment With Brewers

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The Brewers have passed right-hander JB Bukauskas through waivers and outrighted him to Triple-A, per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The righty was designated for assignment last week. He had the right to elect free agency but has decided to accept, per Hogg, and will be in camp with the Brewers as a non-roster invitee.

Bukauskas, 28, has been with the Brewers for almost two years now. He was claimed off waivers from the Mariners in April of 2023. Despite that fairly lengthy span of time on the roster, he hasn’t pitched much for the big league team, spending much of it on optional assignment or on the injured list.

Lack of health was the story last year, as a right lat strain kept him on the IL for most of 2024. He was only able to toss six innings in the majors and another six in the minors. When combined with his previous seasons, including time with the Diamondbacks and Mariners, his big league track record is still small. He has 30 1/3 innings in total, having allowed 5.04 earned runs per nine.

Despite that limited résumé, Bukauskas is appealing in other ways. He’s a former first-round pick and was once a top 100 prospect. He’s also shown flashes of his potential in the minors. In his 83 2/3 innings on the farm over the past four years, he has a 3.23 ERA, 26.1% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate. He still has one more option year remaining.

But that’s apparently not enough to get him a roster spot at the moment, on the heels of his injury-marred season. That suggests he would likely be limited to minor league deals if he were to head out to the open market. He had the right to do so because he was previously outrighted in his career, but decided to stay with the Brewers and accept an invite to camp. He should be looking to show his health and effectiveness in camp as he tries to push for an opportunity to prove himself in 2025.

Brewers Sign Elvin Rodriguez, Designate J.B. Bukauskas For Assignment

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The Brewers have signed right-hander Elvin Rodriguez to a one-year deal with a club option for the 2026 season, reports Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Rodriguez, represented by A&F Sports Agency and JP Sports Advisors, spent the 2024 season in Japan and is returning stateside on a big league deal after an impressive showing overseas. The Associated Press reports that he signed a split deal that comes with a $900K salary for his MLB work and a $300K sum in the minors. The team option is valued at $1.35MM, while Rodriguez could unlock another $250K this season via performance bonuses. Fellow right-hander JB Bukauskas has been designated for assignment to open space on the 40-man roster.

Rodriguez, 27 in March, pitched in the majors with the 2022 Tigers and the 2023 Rays. He’s logged a total of 33 MLB frames and been hit hard, surrendering a gruesome 9.55 earned run average. The bulk of that work came as a starting pitcher, but Rodriguez worked out of the bullpen in 2024 and delivered generally impressive results.

In 45 innings for Japan’s Yakult Swallows, Rodriguez logged a tiny 1.80 ERA with a 24% strikeout rate and 6.5% walk rate. He spent nearly as much time with Yakult’s minor league club early in the ’24 season as he did with their big league club later in the year, pitching to a similar 1.67 ERA with their farm team.

Milwaukee’s rotation is largely set at the moment, with Freddy Peralta, Nestor Cortes, Aaron Civale, Tobias Myers and a returning Brandon Woodruff expected to comprise that quintet. Southpaws DL Hall and Aaron Ashby are on hand as potential options as well.

Rodriguez could still factor in as a depth option. Given his experience in both a starting role and in the bullpen, it’d be sensible if Milwaukee brought him to camp and stretched him out. He could pitch in the Triple-A Nashville rotation — Rodriguez has two minor league option years remaining — and still be a big league bullpen option at any point. It’s easier to take a starter and move him to the ’pen than it is to stretch a reliever out as a starter in-season, however, so there’s good sense in at least letting Rodriguez build up in preparation for a rotation role even if he’s ultimately viewed as a relief option first and foremost.

As for Bukauskas, he’s been with the Brewers since being plucked off waivers early in the 2023 season. The former first-rounder and top prospect has pitched a dozen big league innings and turned in a pristine 0.75 ERA in that small sample, also brandishing an impressive 12-to-2 K/BB ratio. However, a lat strain limited him to just 12 total innings between Triple-A and the majors in 2024. Bukauskas hit the injured list in mid-April, headed out on a rehab assignment in mid-June and almost immediately had a setback. He got back on the mound in late July, made four rehab appearances in the minors, and was shut back down for the rest of the season.

The Brewers will have the next five days to trade Bukauskas. If he’s not moved in that time, he’ll head to waivers, which take another 48 hours to process. Within the next week, the outcome of his DFA will be known.

Brewers To Sign Jorge Alfaro To Minor League Deal

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The Brewers and catcher Jorge Alfaro are in agreement on a minor league deal with an invite to major league spring training, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The backstop is represented by CAA Sports.

Alfaro, 32 in June, was once a top 1oo prospect. His power was considered his best trait and he has occasionally showed flashes of tapping into it during his big league career but he has largely undercut that with his lack of plate discipline or contact skills.

To this point, he has appeared in 496 major league games and stepped to the plate 1,710 times. Only 4.2% of those ended with Alfaro taking a walk while 34% of them resulted in a strikeout. Both of those numbers are well worse than typical league averages. He did launch 48 home runs in there but his .253/.302/.393 batting line leads to a wRC+ of 86.

That’s actually not awful production for a catcher, as backstops are usually about 10% below league par. In 2024, all MLB catchers combined to hit .234/.300/.378 for a 91 wRC+. But Alfaro was largely considered a bat-first prospect and that’s been borne out in the big leagues. Baseball Prospectus has graded him as a decent framer, close to average with the running game and subpar in terms of blocking. Statcast has liked his work with the running game but hasn’t been fond of his framing nor blocking. FanGraphs has been pretty down on his work apart from a nice bump in 2018. That middling glovework would perhaps be acceptable with big offensive numbers but Alfaro hasn’t been able to provide that.

The Brewers have a strong reputation for improving a catcher’s defense, so perhaps they can give Alfaro a bit of a bump there. Alfaro might have a bit of rust, since he essentially missed the 2024 season. He signed a minor league deal with the Cubs but was released just before Opening Day and didn’t sign anywhere else. For what it’s worth, he has been playing winter ball this offseason and performing well. In 12 games for Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Professional Baseball League, he hit .303/.361/.455. He had seven strikeouts in 36 plate appearances, a rate of 19.4%.

There are currently three catchers on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster. William Contreras, whose defensive metrics improved after coming over from Atlanta, is the clear number one. Eric Haase currently projects as the backup. His career numbers are fairly similar to Alfaro, in that he’s hit some home runs but has poor walk rates, strikeout rates and defensive grades. Jeferson Quero is one of the top prospects in the league but may not be a short-term option. He started 2024 at the Triple-A level but required shoulder surgery after just one game and missed the rest of the year.

Since Quero is just 22 years old, has just one game of Triple-A experience and missed essentially a full season, the Brewers will probably not want to push him too hard to start 2025. As such, Alfaro might slot in as #3 on the club’s depth chart right now behind Contreras and Haase, though further moves could obviously change that. He’ll give the club some experienced non-roster depth who could step onto the roster if an injury creates a need. If that comes to pass, he is out of options, which is also true of Haase.

Bob Uecker Passes Away

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The Brewers announced this morning that former big league catcher, legendary broadcaster and franchise icon Bob Uecker passed away last night. He was 90 years old. The Uecker family has since issued a statement detailing that he “faced a private battle with small cell lung cancer since early 2023, which he met with the same strength and resilience that defined him.” Uecker continued calling Brewers games throughout the 2023-24 seasons. The Brewers issued the following statement:

Today we take on the heaviest of burdens. Today, we say goodbye to our beloved friend, Bob Uecker.

Ueck was the light of the Brewers, the soundtrack of our summers, the laughter in our hearts, and his passing is a profound loss. He was the heart and soul of Wisconsin and a dear friend. Bob loved people; his presence warmed every room and he had a way of welcoming all of us into his world as if we were lifelong friends.

Saying goodbye to Bob shakes us all. He was so much more than a Milwaukee Brewers icon. He was a national treasure. Bob entertained us with his words and storytelling, so it is no surprise that his passing now leaves us at a loss for our own words.

There is no describing the impact Ueck had on so many, and no words for how much he was loved. We are left with a giant void in our hearts, but also remember the laughter and joy he brought to our lives.

It’s a devastating loss for fans everywhere. After 54 years of calling games in Milwaukee, Uecker’s voice is synonymous with Brewers baseball, but his celebrity and popularity transcend those Midwest roots. Nary a baseball fan in the world is unfamiliar with his humor and wit. Uecker’s mastery of storytelling and self-deprecating humor — particularly his willingness to poke fun at his own six-year playing career, during which he batted .200/.293/.287 — provided ceaseless entertainment for those who were tuning in at any given moment.

Even those who don’t follow the game closely surely have fond memories of Uecker’s frequent appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, his portrayal of fictional play-by-play man Harry Doyle in the Major League franchise of films, and his starring role in six seasons on Mr. Belvedere.

Baseball and the broadcast booth were always Uecker’s home. He stayed loyal to his native Milwaukee, calling games for more than half a century and building a legacy that will be forever remembered by not one but two statues in his honor at the team’s home park. But Uecker’s larger-than-life personality and unyielding charm made him a natural, beloved celebrity who entertained not only baseball fans but people all over the globe. Few can claim to have reached such a broad audience and done so while being so universally cherished.

Uecker was a titan of the broadcast world — one of MLB’s most beloved characters by fans, media and players alike. In 2003, he was deservingly enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame, where he delighted the audience with a speech teeming with the type of humor and wry delivery that only Uecker and his signature voice could provide.

We at MLBTR extend our most heartfelt condolences to the Brewers organization, the Uecker family and those who were lucky enough to call him a friend, and we join the countless baseball fans around the world with a heavy heart in light of this morning’s news. Rest in peace, Mr. Baseball.

Felix Mantilla Passes Away

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Eleven-year MLB veteran Felix Mantilla passed away on Friday at age 90.  Mantilla appeared in 969 games with the Braves, Mets, Red Sox, and Astros from 1956-66, playing primarily as a second baseman, but with a lot of time spent at third base and shortstop plus all three outfield positions.

Though Mantilla never played for the Brewers, the organization paid tribute to Mantilla by recognizing him as “an iconic figure…who was an inspiration to all of us in the Milwaukee baseball community.  We will forever remember Felix for his time with the Milwaukee Braves, but even more for the impact he had on thousands of children through the Felix Mantilla Little League.”

One of the first Puerto Rican players to break through in Major League Baseball, Mantilla was signed by the then-Boston Braves during the 1951-52 offseason and made his MLB debut in 1956 once the franchise had moved to Milwaukee.  He was primarily a middle infielder during his six seasons with the Braves but bounced around to multiple positions in his role as a bench player.

Mantilla won a World Series ring for his role on the 1957 championship team, and while Mantilla contributed only a walk over 11 plate appearances in the Fall Classic, his one run scored was of vital importance.  Entering the 10th inning of Game Four as a pinch-runner, Mantilla scored the game-tying run just before Eddie Matthews’ two-run walkoff home run.

The Mets selected Mantilla away from the Braves as part of the expansion draft, which meant that Mantilla (playing an everyday role for the first time in his career) was part of the infamous 1962 Mets team that went 40-120-1 in the franchise’s inaugural season.  He was traded to the Red Sox after that lone season in New York, which sparked the most successful run of Mantilla’s career — he hit .287/.369/.474 with 54 homers over 1297 plate appearances with Boston from 1963-65.  Thirty of those home runs came in 1964, and the 1965 season saw Mantilla make the All-Star team for the only time in his career.

Despite this success, Mantilla was traded to the Astros after the 1965 campaign, and his numbers drastically dropped off in the move from Fenway Park to the pitcher-friendly Astrodome.  He never played another professional game after the 1966 season, as an Achilles injury that required surgery seemed to curtail his playing career at age 31.

Mantilla finished his career with a .261/.329/.403 slash line and 89 home runs over 3029 plate appearances.  He is a member of the Puerto Rico Professional Baseball Hall of Fame, and as noted in the Brewers’ memorial, Mantilla has had a lasting legacy in Milwaukee as the namesake of a Little League program since 1973.

We at MLB Trade Rumors express our condolences to Mantilla’s family, friends, and loved ones.

Latest On Brandon Woodruff

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Brandon Woodruff hasn’t pitched since September 23, 2023, as a shoulder surgery the following month cost the right-hander the entire 2024 season.  It also cost him what likely would’ve been a big long-term contract in free agency this offseason, and the injury also temporarily cost Woodruff his spot on the Brewers’ roster, as Milwaukee non-tendered him last winter before re-signing him to a two-year contract worth $17.5MM in guaranteed money.

The expectation was that Woodruff would be able to return to the mound in 2025, and in an interview with MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy earlier this week, Woodruff said he’s “in a really, really good spot” in his recovery.  He was given the go-ahead by Dr. Keith Meister (his surgeon) to go ahead with his standard offseason ramp-up process, and Woodruff is currently throwing twice-weekly bullpen sessions of fewer than 30 pitches.

The next steps will involve extending the pitch count and tossing multiple simulated innings, then facing live batters.  Brewers assistant athletic trainer Bryn Hester has worked with Woodruff “multiple times” this offseason, and Woodruff is slated to visit the team’s spring camp site this week to throw at the Brewers’ pitching lab.  Notably, Woodruff hasn’t tested his velocity this offseason, which was a planned tactic so he could focus simply on testing his shoulder and getting accustomed to pitching again rather than trying to hit any checkpoints on his fastball.

This focus on process is perhaps why Woodruff can’t yet guarantee that he’ll be ready for Opening Day, even though “I can tell you my mindset is to get ready for that.”  Woodruff told McCalvy that he views perhaps as much as the first half of the season as something of an evaluation period, as it might not be until later in the season that he’ll have his old velocity and full command of his pitching repertoire.

“The further I get out, the more months that I get under my belt, the better it is,” Woodruff said.  “Really, these first couple months coming up during the season are crucial.  I think if I can get through those okay and do just fine, I’ll be okay.”

Woodruff also revealed that he was aiming to try and pitch to hitters in a live batting-practice setting by the end of the 2024 season, though his shoulder “just wasn’t ready.  Like, I couldn’t do it.  And now I look back on that, I’m like, ’Gosh, that wasn’t but three months ago, and look at where I’m at now.  I’ve made so much progress.’ ”

A longtime staple of Milwaukee’s pitching staff, Woodruff has a 3.10 ERA and two All-Star appearances over his seven seasons and 680 1/3 innings in the big leagues.  Even while battling shoulder problems throughout the 2023 season, Woodruff still managed a 2.28 ERA during his small sample size of 67 innings, helping lead the Brewers to another division title.

The full-powered version of Woodruff projects to be the staff’s ace, or at least co-ace along with Freddy Peralta.  The two right-handers figure to headline a Brewers rotation that also includes Tobias Myers, Aaron Civale, and new acquisition Nestor Cortes, though there’s naturally some flexibility built into that group based on Woodruff’s recovery timeline.  DL Hall and Aaron Ashby are the top depth starters, and a reunion with veteran Wade Miley also seems a possibility, though Miley is undergoing his own recovery from a Tommy John surgery last April.

It obviously shouldn’t be taken for granted that Woodruff will be able to regain his old form, given the severity of his injury and his lengthy layoff.  However, if he can pitch like something close to his pre-surgery self, Woodruff will line himself up nicely for a longer-term free agent contract next offseason, as he’d surely decline his end of a $20MM mutual option for the 2026 season (and pocket the $10MM buyout).

Since Woodruff turns 32 next month, it might be that his surgery cost him the opportunity to truly maximize his earnings.  As we’ve seen many times over, teams are still willing to pay good money to pitchers with checkered injury histories, even for pitchers who don’t have Woodruff’s strong track record.  The cost-conscious Brewers might well have traded Woodruff last winter (as they did Corbin Burnes) if he’d been healthy, but the club will instead hope to have Woodruff again helping the club reach the postseason, and this time make a deeper run into October.

17 Players Exchange Filing Figures

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This evening’s deadline to exchange filing figures has come and gone. The majority of arbitration-eligible players agreed to contracts to avoid going to a hearing. There were 17 instances where the player and team did not come to terms.

Technically, nothing prevents players and teams from continuing to negotiate. However, virtually every team takes a “file-and-trial” approach to the process. Clubs will mostly refuse to continue talks about one-year deals after this date. They’ll often make exceptions for discussions involving multi-year contracts or one-year deals with a club/mutual option. It’s unlikely that all of these players will end up getting to a hearing, but the majority probably will.

If the sides go to a hearing, a three-person arbitration panel will either choose the player’s or the team’s filing figure. They cannot pick a midpoint. That’s designed to prevent the parties from anchoring by filing at extremely high or low figures. Teams’ preferences for the file-and-trial approach follows a similar logic. The idea is to deter players from submitting a higher number from which they could continue to negotiate until the hearing begins.

The list of players who could go to a hearing this winter (service time in parentheses):

Angels

Brewers

Cardinals

Cubs

Dodgers

Nationals

Orioles

Padres

Pirates

Rays

Red Sox

Yankees

—————————————

Tucker and the Cubs have the biggest gap in filing figures at $2.5MM. He’s one of the top two free agents in next year’s class and is unlikely to sign an extension, so they’re almost certainly headed to a hearing. King, who will be one of the best pitchers on the open market next winter, is the only other player with more than $1MM at stake depending on the results of the hearing. The smallest divide is the paltry $150K gap between Rengifo’s and the Angels’ respective filing figures. Hearings are scheduled to begin on January 27 and could run through February 14.

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