The Milwaukee Brewers are not known for spending big on free agents or the retention of players, but when it comes to their two-time National League Manager of the Year, they might not have to.
The Milwaukee Brewers have let several key names walk out the door due to spending restrictions. Soon, they will have to make a crucial decision on manager Pat Murphy.
Murphy won his second-straight National League Manager of the Year Award in November, joining Cleveland Guardians skipper Steven Vogt as the just the second managers in each league to win the award in back-to-back seasons. Murphy led the Milwaukee to 97 wins in 2025, its winningest season in franchise history. Now, he enters the final season of a three-year deal he signed in 2023, which brings into question what his long-term future looks like with the club.
"I'm lucky to have a major league job. I really am," Murphy told ESPN senior MLB Insider Jeff Passan. "I owe a lot to the Milwaukee Brewers. I really do. I hope they want me."
While the Brewers will likely move on from their ace in Freddy Peralta before he is due for a big contract, the price to pay for retaining Murphy will not be as high. As Passan noted, managerial salaries in Major League Baseball are not comparable to head coaching salaries in the National Basketball Association or National Football League.
When former Brewers manager Craig Counsell jumped ship after his deal ran out, he signed a five-year, $40 million contract with the Chicago Cubs, bringing his annual salary to $8 million per year. By comparison, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, the highest paid in his position in the NFL, grosses $20 million annually. Meanwhile, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, the highest paid in his position in the NBA, earns $17.5 million annually.
According to Passan, multiple new-hire managers in the Majors are making closer to $1 million per year. Even with Milwaukee's spending limitations, the organization will not have to back up the Brinks truck for the two-time NL Manager of the Year.
For now, Murphy is not letting future negotiations dictate his mindset moving forward. Instead, he remains grateful for his position and maintains trust in those around him.
"I've learned to trust the players. I've learned to trust the staff. I've learned to trust the front office," Murphy said. "It ain't about me. That's something that I'm so lucky that I've discovered late in this thing. If you take yourself out of it and focus on what's best for everybody, then you'll tend to collaborate. Then you'll tend to be more flexible, more open-minded. And that's just what I've adopted."