The Milwaukee Brewers finished the 2025 regular season with the best record in baseball. They won their first postseason series against the Chicago Cubs and former manager Craig Counsell in five games. Manager Pat Murphy could be in line for another manager of the year award, while Matt Arnold could win back-to-back executive of the year awards. While the Brewers have a tough winter ahead, this front office and coaching staff has earned the right not to be questioned. Whatever choices they make heading into 2026 spring training, odds are they will be the right ones – and if not, there's plenty of time to course correct.
Milwaukee's payroll was around $115 million in 2025, ranking middle of the pack in MLB. They'll likely want to remain around the mark to avoid bleeding owner Mark Attanasio – notoriously cheap during the tough times in his own right – dry. Thankfully for the Brewers, there is some money coming off the books that should allow Arnold to feel relatively comfortable adding to this roster. With that, as always, will come some uncomfortable subtractions.
Milwaukee Brewers trade chips
Freddy Peralta
Losing Peralta would be the most painful trade of all, but it's not a foreign concept to the Brewers. Milwaukee traded Corbin Burnes to the Milwaukee Brewers – who was schedule to be a free agent the next season – for what at the time was a fairly loaded prospect package. Burnes was guaranteed to leave at the end of that campaign as he had some strenuous arbitration agreements with the front office. While some pundits (including myself) assumed that decision would come back to haunt Milwaukee, it never did. Arnold and the coaching staff developed their young pitching staff and suddenly look better than ever.
This being said, if the Brewers feel their chances at keeping Peralta beyond 2026 are slim, they could make a similar move. Peralta was 17-6 with a sub-3 ERA this season and was arguably the Brewers best starting pitcher. He also has a club option that will pay him just $8 million next year. However, the Brewers pitching staff is young and an undeniable strength. Even without Peralta, Milwaukee's rotation could excel next year depending what they get back in return for his talents.
It'd be a tough pill to swallow, though.
Freddy Peralta replacement: Jacob Misiorowski/from within
Milwaukee Brewers option decisions
Jose Quintana
Jose Quintana pitched the Brewers final game of the postseason against the Los Angeles Dodgers. While the veteran right-hander has been a valuable presence in the Brewers rotation for a year now, he also has a mutual option. That option would pay him $15 million if both he and the Brewers agree to it, but I find that hard to believe. First, Milwaukee has stockpiled young arms that could overtake Quintana should he struggle. Secondly, Quintana should be in search of a multiyear deal ahead of a potential lockout in 2026. The starting pitching market is relatively weak compared to recent seasons. Quintana ought to bet on himself.
Jose Quintana replacement: Quinn Priester
Brandon Woodruff
With the price of starting pitchers skyrocketing this offseason (and the weak market I mentioned previously) a proven veteran like Brandon Woodruff could make a pretty penny on a multiyear deal. Given Woodruff's injury history and his performance when healthy this season, I'd bet against him taking the Brewers one-year, $20 million option. Woodruff emerged as a fan favorite in Milwaukee, and was already reminiscing after a four-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers.
“We weren’t supposed to be in this position,” Woodruff said. “After the start that we had and the way we rallied together throughout the year, and the runs that we had and the fun that we had, we saw the guys in this room grow into really good big league players. That’s the coolest thing to see."
Brandon Woodruff replacement: Free-agent Adrian Houser
Rhys Hoskins
Rhys Hoskins signed with the Brewers in the first place in hopes of bouncing back following a devastating end to his Philadelphia Phillies career. Hoskins is injury-prone and while he used to be a sound defensive first baseman with power, has taken a step back ever since tearing his ACL in 2023. He has a club option to remain with the team this coming season, but it would be surprising for Milwaukee to act on that given the performance of his replacement, Andrew Vaughn. The former White Sox top prospect is finally starting to perform like the All-Star first baseman Chicago thought he could be. That's bad news for Hoskins, who may have to test free agency again as a result.
Rhys Hoskins replacement: Andrew Vaughn
Milwaukee Brewers free agents
Jordan Montgomery
The Brewers only acquired Montgomery as part of the Shelby Miller trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Montgomery's previous AAV was $25 million, which signals a lot of money coming off the books for Milwaukee. In the unlikely event that the Brewers keep Montgomery, it will come at a much lower price point than that. Montgomery was once a crown jewel of free agency after leading the Texas Rangers to the World Series in 2023, but he has struggled both on and off the field since then. We're sorry, but thank you, next.