It’s not surprising at all that the Brewers and Murphy have worked out a deal to keep their relationship going. Murphy took over two seasons ago Craig Counsell surprisingly left for the division rival Cubs. The Brewers didn’t miss a beat, going 93-69 in 2024 and winning the National League Central Division crown. Murphy won the NL Manager of the Year title in his first season at the helm. The club was eliminated in the Wild Card round, but the awards ceremony will take place before the play-offs.
Last year it was more of the same. The Brewers increased their win total to 97, which was enough to repeat as division champions and was actually the best record in the majors. Murphy once again took home Manager of the Year honors. The club advanced all the way to the NLCS, but was felled by the Dodgers.
As mentioned, Murphy had initially signed a three-year deal when he took over from Counsell, and had already gone through two-thirds of that pact. Teams generally don’t like their managers or executives serving in a lame-duck status. Given Milwaukee’s success during Murphy’s tenure, it seemed highly likely his contract status would change before the 2026 campaign gets underway.
While there is consistency in the manager’s seat, the squad has seen turnover. Most noticeably, Freddy Peralta And Tobias Myers were traded to the Mets for Jet Williams And Brandon Sproat. Saw another big deal Caleb Durbin sent to the Red Sox as part of a six-player trade with a draft pick.
Murphy has experience guiding the club through such changes. The Brewers acted Corbin Burnes to the Orioles prior to Murphy’s first season. Ahead of the 2025 campaign, Willy Adames left via free agency to the Giants and Devin Williams was traded to the Yankees. Despite the notable departure, the club continued to have success in the regular season.
Going into 2026, the club certainly expects more success, but the distribution will be more difficult. The Cubs and Reds both clinched Wild Card spots last year and have made big moves to upgrade for 2026. The Cubs have added Alex Bregman And Edward Cabreraamong others. The Reds could add something to that Eugenio Suarez. The Pirates have one of the best farm systems in baseball and have brought it in Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn And Marcell Ozuna this winter.
Despite the stronger field, the Brewers will enter 2026 as one of the favorites for another strong performance. Murphy will look to get them back to the playoffs again and, ideally, take them further into the postseason.
Photos courtesy of Kirby Lee, Mark Hoffman, Imagn Images
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