Pitchers and catchers for the Milwaukee Brewers are just days away from their Feb. 12 report date to the Cactus League in Arizona to usher in Spring Training, and the organization may find itself in a familiar situation. 

Recently, Brewers manager Pat Murphy told Adam McCalvy of MLB.com that will “probably have to shore that up,” in reference to the team’s pitching depth. 

While the departures of Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers change things for the Brewers, especially because, in that deal, they only got one pitcher in return from the New York Mets — New York’s fifth-ranked prospect, Brandon Sproat. 

Milwaukee has nine pitchers listed under its rotational depth heading into 2026, each with varying degrees of experience. With Peralta gone, the rotation is headlined by Brandon Woodruff, whose health has been a point of concern for multiple seasons. 

Murphy is keenly aware of the toll pitching injuries can have on a team, saying “that’s always a concern, probably the No. 1 concern.” 

Murphy’s emphasis on reinforcements on the mound led to the club signing Jose Quintana last March. The move paid dividends as Quintana registered an 11-7 record with a 3.96 ERA through 24 regular season starts. Additionally, his 131.2 innings pitched ranked third among starters during the season. 

However, Quintana is once again a free agent. Maybe the Brewers bring him back, or perhaps they go in another direction. However, precedent shows us that relying on Woodruff to be fully healthy in his age 33 season is risky business. 

Is someone like Jacob Misiorowski, who had a nice rookie season but still has plenty of room to grow, ready to step into a more significant role if Woodruff ends up hurt again? What about Quinn Priester? Can Brandon Sproat show his worth and then some of a player with a lot of upside? 

There are several starting pitchers without a home as Spring Training approaches.

If a reunion with Quintana is out of the question, then perhaps Milwaukee could bring on an innings eater like Zack Littell, who is still without a home after finishing the 2025 season with the Cincinnati Reds following a trade deadline departure from the Tampa Bay Rays. 

Could Justin Verlander, who is in the twilight of his career but still capable of producing decent numbers, be a steadying presence for a young Brewers team looking to take the next step? Other younger options with big game experience, like Walker Beuhler, exist as well. 

The Brewers have talent, and they have found ways to win even with the odds stacked against them, but Murphy was right to bring in another arm last year even with Peralta and Myers on the roster, and the front office would be correct in trusting its two-time National League Manager of the Year once again.  

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