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What to know about Milwaukee Brewers' offseason, free agents, contracts, potential roster moves
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- What to know about Milwaukee Brewers' offseason, free agents, contracts, potential roster moves
The Milwaukee Brewers ' World Series drought is over.
By virtue of their 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5 at Tropicana Field on Oct. 28, they are officially the best in baseball as they capped 2026 by winning for the 11th time in 13 postseason games.
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Now, will the 2027 season take place? Will it be delayed? And if so, for how long?
A lockout appears inevitable with owners and players seemingly worlds apart in their negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.
Until the current CBA expires at 11:59 ET on Dec. 1, there is still business to be done, however.
Here's how things stand for Brewers players regarding contract status, salary arbitration and free agency entering the offseason.
These Brewers are locked up for 2027
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Christian Yelich, outfielder (signed through 2028, with a mutual option for 2029. Makes $26 million in 2027)
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Jackson Chourio, outfielder (signed through 2031, with team options for 2032 and 2033. Makes $8 million in 2027)
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Aaron Ashby, left-handed pitcher (signed through 2028, with a team option for 2029. Makes $7.5 million in 2027)
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Cooper Pratt, shortstop (signed through 2033, with team options for 2034 and 2035. Makes $3.5 million in 2027)
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Luis Lara, outfielder (signed through 2032, with team options for 2033, 2034 and 2035. Makes $2 million in 2027)
Yelich turned in one of the least impactful seasons of his major-league career in 2026, accounting for just 0.1 Wins Above Replacement after hitting .235 with 12 homers and 59 runs batted in with an on-base plus slugging of .692 in 118 games as the team's full-time designated hitter. He did, however, have a much better postseason with a .268/0/5/.729 line in 12 games with four stolen bases. Yelich was also acknowledged for his leadership with Milwaukee's first-ever team captaincy.
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Chourio missed the first six weeks of the season with a fractured left hand suffered in the World Baseball Classic. Once he returned, however, Chourio was as impactful as he's been in his young career. Chourio set new career highs with a .291 average, 25 homers, an. 837 OPS and 23 stolen bases in 127 games while also turning into a net-positive fielder by accounting for seven outs above average (42nd in baseball, second among all leftfielders) and 13 defensive runs saved (14th in baseball).
Ashby was a force out of the bullpen, winning 13 games while posting a 3.12 ERA in a team-high 75 appearances (tied for fifth-most in the majors) and striking out 116 in 89⅓ innings. His months of June and July were ugly (6.43, 6.75 ERAs, respectively) but he got much better down the stretch and then of course was unhittable in the postseason with 18 scoreless innings over nine appearances to set a new major-league record.
Pratt debuted on June 16 and Lara on July 7 and both were impactful after signing long-term extensions with the team earlier in the season while playing at Class AAA Nashville. While Lara's role decreased in the postseason, Pratt got better and better the deeper the Brewers went and in the World Series the rookie ripped off six straight hits between Games 4 and 5, including a homer, and hit .421 with a team-high seven RBI overall in the Fall Classic.
Five Brewers players have pending options for the 2027 season
These players have an option in their contracts that must be exercised or declined by Nov. 2. Both sides must exercise a mutual option for it to go into effect.
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William Contreras, catcher ($14.5 million team option for 2027)
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Antonio Senzatela, right-handed pitcher ($14 million team option for 2027)
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Gary Sánchez, catcher ($1.75 mutual option for 2027 or $250,000 buyout)
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Dustin May, right-handed pitcher ($20 million mutual option for 2027 or $500,000 buyout)
Contreras, coming off a career season offensively and defensively, took his game to an even higher level in the playoffs. He hit .373 with a team-high three homers and team-high-tying nine RBI in 13 games and was named World Series MVP after hitting .381 with four RBI, keeping the Rays' running game in check and excelling with ABS challenges. He's at the point now where Corbin Burnes, Devin Williams and Freddy Peralta were when they were traded – a year removed from free agency. Generally considered the game's top all-around catcher, Contreras signed a one-year, $9.4 million contract on Feb. 12 to avoid arbitration that included a $14.5 million team option for 2027. Best-case scenario would be the two sides could work out some sort of extension, but Contreras is likely going to be seeking max dollars and that's not typically been how the Brewers have operated in the past.
None of the next group is expected back, with May reportedly having already indicated to the Brewers that he is opting out. Perhaps there might be some interest in retaining Sánchez on a team-friendly deal, but the Brewers traded for Bo Naylor in August and it's likely they foresee him becoming the backup to Contreras. They also have prospect Jeferson Quero waiting in the wings, but his throwing arm has been diminished by shoulder surgery.
Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) celebrates after scoring during the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays during Game 5 of the World Series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. on Oct 28, 2026.
Trevor Megill, Garrett Mitchell, Brice Turang, Andrew Vaughn, others pending arbitration-eligible
Because of their service time and other factors, these players must be tendered contracts, or non-tendered, for the 2026 season. Non-tendered players immediately become free agents. Those tendered contracts enter the salary arbitration process, unless the sides come to an agreement on a new deal.
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Grant Anderson, right-handed pitcher
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Akil Baddoo, outfielder
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DL Hall, left-handed pitcher
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Sal Frelick, outfielder
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David Hamilton, infielder
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Jared Koenig, left-handed pitcher
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Trevor Megill, right-handed pitcher
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Garrett Mitchell, outfielder
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Bo Naylor, catcher
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Joey Ortiz, infielder
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Quinn Priester, right-handed pitcher
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Brice Turang, second baseman (Super 2)
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Andrew Vaughn, first baseman
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Bryse Wilson, right-handed pitcher
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Angel Zerpa, left-handed pitcher
Milwaukee has a whopping 16 arbitration-eligible players, since Contreras technically also fits on this list if the Brewers decline their option on him.
And there are obviously some big names in the group, most notably Frelick, Hall, Ortiz, Megill, Priester, Turang and Vaughn.
MLB Trade Rumors is projecting big raises for Frelick ($2.4 million from $800,600), Megill ($8 million from $4.7 million), Mitchell ($2.7 million from $950,000), Ortiz ($2.4 million from $790,400), Turang ($9.5 million from $4.15 million) and Vaughn ($8.5 million from $7.65 million).
Vaughn's case is again interesting in that he missed the early part of the season with a broken left hand, was caught in a tough spot with Jake Bauers earning the starting job at first base and Yelich serving as the full-time designated hitter and saw his playing time greatly diminished as a result (career-low 104 games). If Bauers departs, Milwaukee could view Vaughn at least as his short-term replacement.
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Megill, who's entering his age-33 season, was very nearly traded last offseason but ended up staying put and turned in a career-best year with a 2.63 ERA, WHIP of 0.89, 30 saves and 69 strikeouts in 61 ⅔ innings. He will forever be etched into the minds of Brewers fans for locking down the decisive Game 5 in the World Series, and is on record as saying it is his preference to remain in Milwaukee if at all possible.
Turang, meanwhile, will earn votes in the balloting for the National League's Most Valuable Player Award after finishing third in baseball having accounted for 7.3 Wins Above Replacement. He set new highs with 21 homers, a team-leading 100 RBI and an OPS of .816 and finished fifth and second respectively with 17 outs above average and 23 defensive runs saved.
Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero grounds out to Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang (2) who throws to first base during the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays during Game 4 of the World Series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. on Oct 27, 2026.
These Brewers players are pre-arbitration eligible
These players have less than three years of service time, meaning most on this list (which excludes members of the 40-man roster who were either minimal contributors or aren't expected to return) will re-sign for or have their contracts renewed somewhere around the MLB minimum.
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Tyler Black, infielder-outfielder
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Coleman Crow, right-handed pitcher
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Shane Drohan, left-handed pitcher
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Brian Fitzpatrick, left-handed pitcher
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Robert Gasser, left-handed pitcher
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Colton Gordon, left-handed pitcher
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Kyle Harrison, left-handed pitcher
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Logan Henderson, right-handed pitcher
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Brandon Lockridge, outfielder
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Jacob Misiorowski, right-handed pitcher
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Chad Patrick, right-handed pitcher
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Jeferson Quero, catcher
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Brandon Sproat, right-handed pitcher
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Garrett Stallings, right-handed pitcher
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Abner Uribe, right-handed pitcher
Jake Bauers, JoJo Romero, Brandon Woodruff are Brewers' pending free agents
Kudos to Bauers, who went from contemplating retirement to putting up a career year heading into his first shot at free agency. He set personal highs across the board with a .266 average, 26 homers, 86 RBI and an OPS of .874 in 144 games, playing first base and some outfield while also exhibiting toughness by playing through a toe fracture and shin splints. Bauers capped his tremendous 2026 by being named MVP of the National League Championship Series and undoubtedly will attract interest from multiple suitors offering a multi-year deal for much, much more than the $2.7 million he made this past season.
The Brewers have Andrew Fischer, Blake Burke and Luke Adams waiting in the wings, but neither will be ready for the majors coming out of spring training and Bauers has been such an integral part of the Milwaukee machine; could the two sides figure out a way to make a reunion happen? Milwaukee could also extend a $23.15 million qualifying offer to Bauers and at least recoup a draft pick if he rejected it and signed with another team.
Once Romero returned from the emergency appendectomy he underwent prior to being traded over from the St. Louis Cardinals, he was a terrific addition to Milwaukee's bullpen. Romero took his game to a new level in the postseason, going 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA and WHIP of 0.50 in eight innings over seven appearances.
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And what more can be said about Woodruff?
He finally pitched in the World Series, a Brewers legend coming full circle in his career. His balky shoulder limited him to just nine starts in 2026 after signing the team's qualifying offer for $22.025 million, 21 starts over the last two years and 32 starts over the last four.
Woodruff turns 34 on Feb. 10 and certainly didn't appear ready to hang 'em up when talking to the media in the postseason. Considering the mutual love between the two parties, perhaps Woodruff and the Brewers could figure out some sort of incentive-laden deal to bring him back for 2027.
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers (9) celebrates with Milwaukee Brewers third baseman David Hamilton (6) after Hamilton’s against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fifth inning during Game 4 of the World Series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. on Oct 27, 2026.
Key MLB offseason dates
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Nov. 2:Deadline to exercise contract options, extend qualifying offers
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Nov. 2 (5 p.m. ET):Free agents can begin signing with other teams
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Nov. 10-12:General manager meetings
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Nov. 17-19:Owners meetings
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Nov. 20:Non-tender deadline
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Dec. 1:Current MLB collective bargaining agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. ET
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about Milwaukee Brewers' offseason, free agents, contracts, potential roster moves
