3 free agents the Brewers can sign to win the 2025 World Series

The Milwaukee Brewers' 2024 season ended in tears and disappointment. They will turn to free agency to bounce back better in 2025.
Wild Card Series - New York Mets v Milwaukee Brewers - Game 2
Wild Card Series - New York Mets v Milwaukee Brewers - Game 2 / Stacy Revere/GettyImages
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The Milwaukee Brewers had their season end in a sea of dramatics and tears.

Handing the ball to their lights-out closer, Devin Williams, with a 2-0 lead in a win or go home Game 3 would typically mean the Brewers win. Williams hadn't allowed three earned runs in an outing since June 13, 2023, against the Minnesota Twins. But this is October baseball that we're talking about. Anything can and will happen.

Pete Alonso of the New York Mets etched his name into October history when he smashed a go-ahead home run off of Williams that would send the Mets to the NLDS while sending the Brewers home in tears.

With their season ending so abruptly, it's the perfect time to begin looking towards free agency, where the Brewers will look to improve their roster heading into next year.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.

3. Adding LHP Tanner Scott to the bullpen would be the boost that Milwaukee needs

Let's begin with the collapse of the Brewers season. It fell apart with Williams in October, which has become the new normal since Josh Hader left town. Across his MLB career, this is what Williams' postseason looks like by season. He didn't pitch in 2019 or 2020. In 2021, he punched a wall, breaking his hand and not pitching. In 2023, he allowed two insurance runs in game 1 of the Wild Card series that saw the Brewers swept. In 2024, he allowed the home run to Alonso that ended Milwaukee's season.

Now, this is not to say that Williams isn't good. He's one of the top closers in all of baseball, but the track record speaks for itself. The Brewers need to add another high leverage reliever that can take some of the pressure off of Williams with the season on the line and the closer Tanner Scott is the best option.

Scott spent the first half of the season as the closer for the Miami Marlins before being traded to the San Diego Padres, splitting the high leverage situations with Robert Suarez. Scott posted a 1.75 ERA in 72 innings this year. He allowed 5.6 hits per nine innings while striking out well over a batter per inning. He would be the perfect setup man for Williams, allowing the Brewers to take a bit of pressure off of their closer.

2. Pete Alonso would be the perfect 1B/DH for the Brewers

The Brewers had a solid lineup in 2024, but they could use another big power bat. Their first base and DH spot were filled with Rhys Hoskins and Gary Sanchez, combining for nearly 800 plate appearances with an OPS+ below 100. That's simply just not the production that a World Series level team sees from their designated hitter and first base slot in the lineup.

The solution to this problem? Go offer a massive contract to free agent slugger, Pete Alonso.

Alonso to Milwaukee via free agency isn't an idea that has really been pitched in the media recently. Why not? After all, this was the team that made a push to acquire him at the 2023 trade deadline.

The issue could be the Brewers paying the money for Alonso, but if they want to compete for a World Series, they will need to pay the big money for the big players. He would fill the club's biggest need as a power bat that can basically guarantee somewhere between 35 and 45 home runs per season.

The added bonus to signing him would be stealing him from the Chicago Cubs, who are looked at as the favorites to land him if he leaves the Big Apple.

It would be quite the Hollywood ending to sign the exact player that hit the home run that ended the Brewers' 2024 season.

1. Re-signing SS Willy Adames should be Milwaukee's top priority

The single top priority for the Milwaukee Brewers heading into 2025 is going to be re-signing superstar shortstop Willy Adames. Adames was incredible for Milwaukee in 2024, slashing .251/.331/.462 with 32 home runs, 112 RBIs and an OPS near .800.

Per FanSided's MLB insider, Robert Murray, "[Brewers] owner Mark Attanasio said, 'I think the free-agent contract is going to be very valuable for him and quite high. We’ll do what we can to stretch, but others have bigger pocketbooks, and we’ll see what happens.'"

Murray connected the shortstop to a few other big market teams that could steal Adames away from the Brewers this winter.

"Among the potential fits for Adames in free agency include the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves, among others."

If the Brewers lose out on Adames, they will be set back quite a bit in their pursuit of a World Series in 2025. It isn't often that you come across a talent of his caliber, especially at a premium position like shortstop.

The Cubs will be buying heavily this offseason. The Pirates and Reds are young and getting better. The Cardinals have the potential to turn their franchise around. If Milwaukee whiffs in the free agency period, they could be on the outside looking in on the postseason, let alone the World Series.

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