Brewers Decline Club Option On Devin Williams, Retain Control Via Arbitration
The Brewers have declined their $10.5MM club option on closer Devin Williams, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Williams will receive a $250K buyout and remains under team control for the 2025 season via arbitration, where MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him to earn $7.7MM in his final season prior to free agency.
The move hardly comes as a surprise given that the Brewers figure to save around $2.5MM by declining Williams’s option. The 30-year-old may have been able to put together a season where he played well enough to justify picking up that option had he been healthy, but multiple stress fractures in his back left Williams unable to pitch until late July this year. Once he was on the mound again, Williams was nothing short of his dominant self with a sensational 1.25 ERA and a 2.06 FIP in his 22 appearances during the regular season this year. In his limited playing time this season, Williams posted his typical elevated walk rate of 12.5% but made up for it as per usual with an otherworldly strikeout rate as he punched out a whopping 43.2% of opponents this year.
Eye-popping as those numbers may seem, they generally are not a product of sample size. Williams has been among the very best relievers in the sport ever since he broke out during the shortened 2020 season to earn the NL Rookie of the Year award, a top-7 finish in NL Cy Young award voting, and even down-ballot MVP consideration.
Since that incredible rookie year, Williams has pitched to a 1.70 ERA that’s 248% better than league average by ERA+ in 222 innings of work. That’s the second best ERA in baseball among qualified relievers over the past five years, second only to Emmanuel Clase. Meanwhile, Williams’s 2.24 FIP ranks third behind only Edwin Diaz and Matt Brash, and his 40.8% strikeout rate is second only to Diaz.
As one of the very best relievers in baseball over the past half decade, Williams has been vital to Milwaukee’s success in recent years, particularly following the departure of Josh Hader at the 2022 trade deadline. While that could make Williams difficult for the club to replace in 2025 and beyond, the Brewers managed to remain successful in 2024 even after dealing Corbin Burnes to the Orioles last winter. Given that the first half of 2024 showed the Brewers were more than capable of getting by without Williams thanks to excellent performances from Trevor Megill, Bryan Hudson, Jared Koenig, and Joel Payamps in the bullpen, it would hardly be a surprise if Williams found himself dealt at some point this winter. MLBTR ranked Williams #4 on our recent list of the Top 35 offseason trade candidates, and even club GM Matt Arnold acknowledged last month that the Brewers will need to remain “open-minded” about the possibility of shipping Williams elsewhere this winter.
Of course, that doesn’t mean a trade is guaranteed. Even as the Brewers parted ways with Burnes, they decided to retain shortstop Willy Adames for his final season of team control. Adames figures to reject a qualifying offer and sign elsewhere this winter, but his resurgent 4.8-fWAR campaign proved crucial to the club’s offense throughout the year as the Brewers claimed their second consecutive NL Central title. If offers for Williams aren’t sufficiently enticing or the club decides Williams is too important to the club’s hopes of winning in 2025 to part ways with, it’s certainly possible he remains with the club for his final trip through arbitration before free agency.
Brewers Decline Mutual Option On Gary Sanchez
The Brewers declined their end of Gary Sanchez‘s $11MM mutual option for the 2025 season, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (X link). Sanchez will now take a $4MM buyout and return to free agency for the fourth time in the last two years.
Initially a one-year, $7MM deal contract, Sanchez’s deal with the Brewers ended up being a one-year, $3MM guarantee with a mutual option worth $11MM. The size of the buyout was conditional based on whether or not Sanchez missed time due to a wrist-related injury, but that didn’t prove to be an issue, so he unlocked the maximum $4MM on the buyout, allowing him to land that $7MM in salary after all.
The restructured deal came about after the Brewers had some concerns with the state of Sanchez’s wrist after it was fractured in September 2023. Sanchez did miss a month due to a calf strain, and he otherwise hit .220/.307/.392 with 11 homers over 280 plate appearances and 89 games.
Sanchez’s presence allowed William Contreras to get a good dose of extra playing time at the DH spot, thus allowing him some partial rest while keeping his bat in Milwaukee’s lineup. The Brewers are likely to explore a similar plan for the coming season, if perhaps not necessarily with Sanchez in the backup catcher role. A reunion shouldn’t be ruled out, however, if the Brewers were generally satisfied with Sanchez’s work, or if perhaps they simply aren’t enamored with any other catching options on the open market.
From Sanchez’s perspective, this particular scenario with Milwaukee would allow him essentially the same amount of playing time as he would in a normal platoon situation elsewhere, with the bonus of playing for a perpetual contender. Now entering his age-32 season, Sanchez should get some attention from other teams due to the ever-churning nature of the catching market, even if his heyday as an All-Star with the Yankees is now increasingly in the rearview mirror. Sanchez did rebound to hit 19 homers in 2023 with the Padres, though brought little else to the offensive table apart from that power.
Rockies Acquire Owen Miller From Brewers
The Rockies acquired utilityman Owen Miller from the Brewers for cash considerations, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (X link).
Miller is a veteran of four MLB seasons, playing with Cleveland in 2021-22 and then with Milwaukee for the last two seasons. After playing in 280 games across his first three seasons, he had only 14 games in the Show in 2024, with a .407 OPS to show from 27 plate appearances. The Brewers designated him for assignment and then outrighted Miller off the 40-man roster back in July.
With only a .239/.287/.345 slash line to show for his 1015 career PA in the big leagues, Miller’s defensive versatility has been far more of a calling card than his bat. Miller has made at least one appearance at every position except catcher and center field, though the large bulk of his playing time has come at first and second base.
Miller is now out of minor league options, thus limiting his usefulness to the Brewers and perhaps to the Rockies or other teams going forward as he vies to remain on a Major League roster. There’s no risk for Colorado in acquiring a veteran depth piece who can help at multiple positions, especially if Brendan Rodgers is traded and the Rox have an increased need in the infield.
Brewers Place Colin Rea On Waivers
The Brewers have placed right-hander Colin Rea on waivers, MLBTR has learned. He’s available for any club to claim. Rea has a $5.5MM club option for the upcoming season with a $1MM buyout.
It’s a surprising move, given the affordable nature of Rea’s option and the solid work he’s given to them over the past two seasons. The veteran righty has given Milwaukee 292 1/3 innings of 4.40 ERA ball since 2023, taking the ball 58 times and starting 49 games. Rea hasn’t been a top-of-the-rotation arm but has been a stabilizing presence amid myriad injuries and considerable turnover in the Brewers’ rotation. He’d have become a free agent if Milwaukee declined his buyout, but they’ll instead make a rather glaring cost-cutting move of waiving him to try to save that $1MM buyout in the event that another team claims him.
Any team in need of rotation help or perhaps an affordable swingman will now have the opportunity to claim Rea at the $5.5MM price point of his 2025 option. If he goes unclaimed, Milwaukee will seemingly pay that $1MM buyout, at which point Rea will become a free agent who’s able to sign with any club.
Given that he’s coming off a season that saw him pitch 167 2/3 innings with a 4.29 ERA, 18.9% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate, Rea should hold appeal to clubs seeking help at the back of the rotation — particularly lower-payroll clubs that have doubts over their ability to buy a comparable arm in free agency. One way or another, Rea will likely land on his feet, but it’s a tough pill to swallow for the righty, as he now has no say over choosing his next destination unless he surprisingly goes unclaimed and is subsequently bought out.
As a reminder, offseason waiver priority is based on the reverse standings from the 2024 season and is not league-specific. The White Sox will have first crack at claiming Rea, followed by the Rockies, Marlins, Angels, A’s, etc.
Brewers To Exercise Club Option On Freddy Peralta
The Brewers will exercise their $8MM club option on right-hander Freddy Peralta, tweets Jon Heyman of the New York Post. He’ll be back in 2025, and his contract contains another $8MM option for the 2026 season.
One of the most obvious calls in this offseason’s entire slate of option decisions, Peralta’s future was never in doubt. The 28-year-old righty has been a fixture in Milwaukee’s rotation since 2021 and has logged a sub-4.00 ERA in four straight seasons now. His 2024 campaign included a career-high 173 2/3 innings, during which time Peralta pitched to a 3.68 ERA with a 27.6% strikeout rate and a 9.4% walk rate.
Peralta will return in 2025 as one of Milwaukee’s top starters. He’ll be joined in the rotation by a returning Brandon Woodruff, who missed 2024 following last year’s shoulder surgery. Aaron Civale is controllable for one final season but stands as a viable trade candidate. The Brewers also hold an affordable 2025 option on righty Colin Rea, and breakout right-hander Tobias Myers will be back next season as well. Lefties Aaron Ashby and DL Hall are both in the mix for rotation work as well.
Rhys Hoskins Exercises Player Option With Brewers
First baseman/designated hitter Rhys Hoskins has triggered his player option for 2025. He’ll return to the Brewers next year on an $18MM salary instead of taking the $4MM buyout. The deal also has an $18MM mutual option for 2026 with another $4MM buyout. Adam McCalvy of MLB.com was among those to relay the news on X.
Hoskins, 32 in March, signed a two-year deal that guaranteed him $34MM last offseason. That contract, which came in the wake of a season lost to a torn ACL, allowed him to opt out after year one. The hope at the time, for all parties, was that Hoskins would return to form following that season-ending injury, giving the Brewers one year of middle-of-the-order production before marketing himself ahead of a more lucrative long-term deal. It didn’t play out that way, however, and Hoskins will now head back to Milwaukee in hopes of bolstering his output at the plate.
The 2024 season wasn’t necessarily a “bad” one for Hoskins, who still swatted 26 round-trippers and knocked in 82 runs. But Hoskins’ .214/.303/.419 slash was a far cry from the .242/.353/.492 slash he posted from 2017-22 with the Phillies. By measure of wRC+, Hoskins was 26% better than average at the plate during his time with the Phils. In Milwaukee, his offense clocked in two percent shy of average. For a defensively limited first baseman whose value is derived primarily from his bat, that understandably wasn’t a strong enough platform for Hoskins and agent Scott Boras to again test the market.
Hoskins’ season wasn’t without its positives. He actually got out to a nice start and hit quite well in the month of September as well. The interim three months, however, were engulfed by a prodigious slump. As of May 31, Hoskins was touting a .239/.342/.471 batting line that was generally in line with his career norms (129 wRC+). He hit .234/.355/.469 in his final 77 plate appearances in September as well. Those solid months bookended a disastrous summer that saw the longtime Phillies masher flail away at a a .198/.270/.383 pace, however.
If Hoskins is able to more consistently produce at his April/May/September levels in 2025, there’s still hope of landing another notable contract for him in free agency next offseason. While his strikeout rate spiked to a career-worst 28.8%, there were other encouraging signs in 2024. His 10.3% walk rate was lower than his excellent early-career levels but was right in line with his 2021-22 marks. His 41.9% hard-hit rate was a near-mirror image of his 42% career mark, and last year’s 12.7% barrel rate was higher than the 11.7% rate he carried into the year. He’ll aim to build upon those trends while cutting back on his mounting strikeout rate in the middle of Milwaukee’s lineup.
For the Brewers, this should come as no surprise. Hoskins wasn’t likely to top the net $14MM from which he’d be walking away on the open market. It’s still not an ideal allocation of their limited resources, however, so it’s at least feasible that Milwaukee looks for a trade partner over the winter. More likely, however, are trades of other veterans on notable salaries — Devin Williams (a free agent next winter) chief among them. As it stands, the Brewers’ projected 2025 payroll (including arbitration projections and the obvious decisions to exercise options on Freddy Peralta and Colin Rea) will already clock in higher than their 2024 payroll. There’ll be some wheeling-and-dealing by the Milwaukee front office, as is the case every offseason.
Cubs To Hire Quintin Berry As Third Base Coach
The Cubs plan to hire Quintin Berry as third base coach, report Will Sammon, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of the Athletic. The 39-year-old has spent the past six seasons on the Brewers’ staff, the last four of which have come as first base coach.
Craig Counsell managed in Milwaukee for the first five years of Berry’s coaching tenure. After one season working under Pat Murphy, Berry rejoins Counsell on the North Side. The Cubs moved on from previous third base coach Willie Harris a few weeks ago. Milwaukee has not announced a replacement.
Berry had a 13-year professional playing career and got to the big leagues in parts of five seasons. He was known for his speed and ability to steal bases. That included a perfect 21-21 showing for the Tigers in 2012. That was the only season in which he logged significant MLB playing time, but he bounced around as a quintessential September player. The expanded rosters — teams could carry up to 40 players in September at that time — afforded the flexibility to use him as a designated pinch runner.
Berry won the 2013 World Series with the Red Sox while working in that capacity. He played the same role with the Cubs in 2015. He’ll make a return to Wrigley Field a decade later.
Brewers Decline Mutual Option On Wade Miley
The Brewers declined their end of a $12MM mutual option on Wade Miley, tweets Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. They’ll pay a $1.5MM buyout to send him back to free agency.
It’s an easy call for the team. He’ll miss a good chunk of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April. A $12MM salary for Miley would’ve been rich even if he were healthy. The veteran left-hander signed for $8.5MM last winter, taking the form of a $7MM salary and the option buyout. That was after a season in which he turned in a 3.14 ERA over 23 starts. He took the ball just twice this year before his elbow gave out.
Miley has battled injuries in recent years. Elbow and shoulder troubles have hampered him since 2022. When healthy, the 37-year-old (38 next month) has managed strong results despite middling velocity and whiff rates. Miley has posted a sub-4.00 ERA in each of the past three seasons in which he has topped 100 innings.
Assuming he’s going to continue pitching, Miley should land an incentive-laden deal. A minor league contract isn’t out of the question, though it wouldn’t be surprising if he secures a base salary in the $2-4MM range with the ability to tack on earnings based on next year’s workload.
Miley’s option is one of a staggering seven decisions involving the Brewers. Rhys Hoskins holds an $18MM player option. Milwaukee has easy calls to exercise team options on Freddy Peralta and Colin Rea. The Brewers have an option on Devin Williams, who’ll be eligible for arbitration even if they decline it. Frankie Montas, Jakob Junis and Gary Sánchez each have mutual options. They’re all likely to become free agents.
Brewers Retain Pitching Coach Chris Hook On Multi-Year Extension
The Brewers are retaining pitching coach Chris Hook on a multi-year extension, the team announced this afternoon. He would otherwise have been out of contract on Thursday.
That’ll keep Hook around for a seventh season and beyond. The 56-year-old has been a member of the Milwaukee organization for nearly two decades. He worked through the minor league ranks to pitching coordinator before getting the nod on Craig Counsell’s staff during the 2018-19 offseason. Pat Murphy kept Hook in that role when he took the reins last offseason.
It’s easy to see why the Brewers are retaining him. Milwaukee’s success has generally been built around strong run prevention groups. Over the last six seasons, the Brewers are fifth in earned run average and trail only the Astros in strikeout rate. As is the case with any coach, it’s impossible to know from the outside how much of the credit Hook deserves for those results. Still, the Brewers have had one of the best pitching staffs in MLB for an extended stretch despite rarely making significant free agent moves.
That continued this past season under difficult circumstances. The Brewers traded Corbin Burnes and operated without Brandon Woodruff for the entire year. It was a patchwork rotation beyond Freddy Peralta, especially once Wade Miley and Jakob Junis went down with early injuries, but the Brewers managed a 3.65 ERA that ranked fifth in MLB. Journeyman righty Colin Rea had a career year, while 26-year-old Tobias Myers turned in 138 innings of 3.00 ERA ball after struggling in the upper minors. Milwaukee got serviceable results out of deadline acquisitions Aaron Civale and Frankie Montas (coinciding with a slight velocity bump in Montas’ case).
Milwaukee has made a couple changes to Murphy’s staff on the heels of another NL Central title. The Brewers announced last week that they were parting ways with co-hitting coach Ozzie Timmons and adding Al LeBoeuf and Eric Thiesen to the staff as hitting coaches.
Brewers Hire Al LeBoeuf As Lead Hitting Coach
The Brewers are shaking up their offensive staff. Milwaukee announced on Monday that they’ve promoted Al LeBoeuf to lead hitting coach. Milwaukee also promoted Eric Theisen to hitting coach. Theisen will work as a co-hitting coach with Connor Dawson, who is returning for a fourth season. Milwaukee has parted ways with former co-hitting coach Ozzie Timmons.
Milwaukee doesn’t technically have any assistant hitting coaches. It seems Dawson and Theisen will essentially work in that capacity while LeBoeuf gets the primary job. It’s the first major league coaching gig for the 64-year-old LeBoeuf, a longtime member of Milwaukee’s minor league ranks. He joined the organization as a Double-A hitting coach in 2010. LeBoeuf worked his way to Triple-A by 2012.
Unfortunately, he experienced crippling lower body pain that year. Testing revealed blood cancer in his left hip. As Adam McCalvy of MLB.com wrote in 2013, the cancer was traced back to a severe bone bruise he’d suffered when he was hit by a pitch while playing in the Phillies’ system back in the mid-1980s. The extremely rare condition slowed LeBouef’s rise up the minor league ranks, but he fortunately beat the disease and worked his way back to coaching Triple-A hitters by 2019.
LeBoeuf has held that role for the past six seasons. He told McCalvy this evening that he recently marked 10 years cancer free and is in “great” health (X link). He’ll now get a long-awaited chance to coach big league hitters. LeBoeuf has already worked with most of Milwaukee’s young core. Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, Tyler Black and Brice Turang have all had recent stints in Triple-A. Jackson Chourio essentially skipped the top minor league level, though he did stop there for the final week of 2023.
In addition to his longtime work with Milwaukee, LeBoeuf has coached or managed in the minors with the Phillies, Mets, Royals and Blue Jays. As a player, he topped out at the Triple-A level with the Phils.
Theisen also worked as a co-hitting coach in Triple-A this past season. A former college pitcher with Illinois State, Theisen joined Milwaukee’s minor league ranks in 2021. He has spent the past three seasons as a minor league hitting coordinator in addition to his work as Triple-A hitting coach. This’ll be his first job on a major league staff.
Timmons moves on after three seasons. He had worked on Kevin Cash’s staff with the Rays for a few years before taking the Milwaukee job. The Brewers were an above-average offensive team this year. Milwaukee turned in a .246/.326/.403 batting line. They placed in the top 10 in batting average and on-base percentage while ranking 13th in slugging. They finished sixth in runs scored.