The Milwaukee Brewers have a decision to make on Monday.
Since the World Series came to a close, Brandon Woodruff, JoJo Romero and Jake Bauers all entered free agency . Dustin May had a mutual option and it has been declined and he entered free agency as well. With contract option decisions, they have to be made within five days of the World Series coming to an end. The deadline is Monday afternoon. Milwaukee has a bit of work to do, including deciding whether or not to pick up Antonio Senzatela's $14 million club option for the 2027 season.
It seems like a fairly obvious decision. Milwaukee acquired Senzatela ahead of the 2026 trade deadline from the Colorado Rockies and then he logged a 5.14 ERA in 23 appearances down the stretch for Milwaukee in 21 innings of work. On the bright side, he was very good in the playoffs. The righty didn't allow an earned run and struck out three batters in 4 1/3 innings pitched in four appearances.
Oct 6, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Antonio Senzatela (49) pitches during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres in game three of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It would be pretty shocking if Milwaukee picked up a $14 million option for a 31-year-old reliever. The decision hasn't been officially made, as of writing, but it seems like a pretty safe bet that Milwaukee will send him to free agency. If the Brewers were to pick up the option, he would be the second-highest-paid player on the Brewers for the 2027 season behind Christian Yelich, barring what happens with William Contreras' deal.
Senzatela is a good player and it actually would make sense to try to keep him in town for the 2027 season, but not on that deal. Declining the club option and then talking to him in free agency would be a much better path at this point. Senzatela is a 10-year big league veteran with a 5.09 career ERA in 235 total appearances. The 2026 season was his first full season as a reliever. In 2025, he made 30 appearances, including 23 starts, for the Rockies and had a 6.65 ERA.
Spotrac currently has Senzatela's projected market value set at just over $9 million across two seasons. That's a far more reasonable number. If - and when -Milwaukee declines the club option, it would make a lot of sense to offer the righty the projected market value number and see if it would be enough to keep him in town.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/brewers/onsi as Brewers Facing No-Brainer $14 Million Antonio Senzatela Decision .
