December 22, 2024

Milwaukee Brewers
Final score in 2023: 92-70 (lost in the wild-card series; first in NL Central)
Pat Murphy, manager (first season)
Fourth-season general manager Matt Arnold is in charge of the front office.
BANKS AND PERCEPTION
OF Christian Yelich suffered the most luxury tax loss ($23.9 million).
Player in the top returning position: C William Contreras (fangraphs.com projects 5.4 WAR in 2023)
Top returning starter Freddy Peralta, a right-hander with 3.0 WAR
RHP Devin Williams is the best returning reliever with 1.8 WAR.
WATCH THE ROSTER
Important additions: LHP DL Hall (trade), SS; 1B Rhys Hoskins (free agent); C Gary Sanchez (free agent); Minors: 1B Jake Bauers, RHP Taylor Clark, C Eric Haase, RHP Jakob Junis, RHP Joe Ross, Joey Ortiz (trade), 1B Christian Arroyo, and RHP Joey Ortiz (free agent).
The following players lost significant amounts of money: RHP Corbin Burnes, RHP Adrian Houser, OF Tyrone Taylor, 1B Carlos Santana, OF Jesse Winker, LHP Andrew Chafin, 1B Darin Ruf, LHP Justin Wilson, 3B Josh Donaldson, C Victor Caratini, OF Mark Canha, 3B Abraham Toro, 1B Rowdy Tellez, LHP Ethan Small.
Top 100 prospects according to Baseball America: Jackson Chourio (2), C. Jeferson Quero (33), RHP Jacob Misiorowski (32), and 3B LHP Robert Gasser (98), LHP DL Hall (93), and Tyler Black (70).
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A year away from free agency, Corbin Burnes was as good as any team’s ace, so the small-market Brewers had to send him to the Orioles before the season began in exchange for pitcher DL Hall and prospect Joey Ortiz. As Brandon Woodruff recovers from his shoulder injury, Freddy Peralta will be the starting staff ace for the first few games of the season. Along with rookies Jakob Junis and Joe Ross, seasoned Wade Miley, and many prospects—among them, former Padre Robert Gasser, one of the pieces from the Josh Hader trade—Hall should be a contender for a position in the rotation.
Under Craig Counsell, the Brewers secured postseason berths in five of the previous six years. However, Counsell left to accept a position with the Cubs, thus Pat Murphy, the bench coach, took over as manager. Murphy first gained recognition as a baseball player in college at Arizona State and Notre Dame, where he coached Counsell. He also gained experience in the Padres minor league system and served as the team’s temporary manager following Bud Black’s dismissal in 2014. Murphy afterwards joined Counsell’s Milwaukee staff as a coach.
Before the season began, top prospect Jackson Chourio signed an eight-year, $82 million contract, setting a record for a player who hasn’t yet made his Major League debut. Now that the financial issues are resolved, Chourio can focus on winning the starting position in center field. The 22-year-old advanced from Double-A to Triple-A in 2023, pairing 22 home runs and 44 steals with a.805 OPS.

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