The Milwaukee Brewers are coming off an excellent 2025 campaign, so why might the fanbase have qualms?
After coming off a franchise-best 97-win season, a third-straight National League Central Division title and a trip to the National League Championship Series, one would think that fans of the Milwaukee Brewers are happy with the current state of the team, right?
In a lot of ways, yes, but it is more complicated than that.
The Brewers did have a lot of success last season and currently claim a strong roster led by back-to-back National League Manager of the Year Pat Murphy and the back-to-back Executive of the Year in president of baseball operations Matt Arnold. Despite all this, concern might be bubbling to the surface, and it starts with the front office’s offseason moves.
Recently, Bleacher Report tagged the Brewers in its “Disaster Watch For 8 MLB Teams Terrifying Their Fanbase This Offseason,” list.
“The Brewers have earned a bit of grace,” it wrote. “Well, OK, a lot of grace. They have won the NL Central in four of the last five years despite a constantly changing roster.”
“Yet their offseason started in an odd fashion when they extended a qualifying offer to Brandon Woodruff. He was always an obvious candidate to accept one, and the Brewers are now on the hook to pay him $22.025 million after he did exactly that.”
Woodruff is a very good pitcher when healthy. Unfortunately, health and Woodruff have not been synonymous for quite a while. Now, the Brewers will pay him an uncomfortable amount of money by their standards.
“Milwaukee is expected to spend $13 million more on its Opening Day payroll than it did on its year-end 2025 payroll. That could mean they're stuck for now, and it raises the question of how much they'll be able to add throughout the 2026 season.”
“Still another question is whether running it back was ever the right idea. Though the Brewers did have the best record in the NL last year, the goal should be to build a team that can beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in October.”
So, Milwaukee may be in a more precarious position than what meets the eye. In that case, what can be done? Bleacher Report has a solution.
“The most likely move the Brewers will make involves a subtraction, specifically of Freddy Peralta from their rotation. Even if such a move brought back a ready-made replacement, it would probably only heighten anxieties in Milwaukee.”
“What would really help quell them is if the Brewers went out and got a power bat. A splurge on Eugenio Suárez in free agency could be possible, and they shouldn't be counted out on a trade for Ketel Marte either.”
Peralta returned to the Brewers after they chose to pick up his $8 million team option following an elite 2025 campaign. The problem is, Milwaukee probably will not be able to pay him what he is worth when he hits free agency, making him a prime trade candidate that could possibly afford the Brewers a handsome return.
The Brewers are a very good team, but they will have to play their cards right for the rest of the offseason and beyond to ensure sustained success.