Free agency is quickly approaching, but there’s still a while before the countdown begins. The offseason will start five days after the end of the World Series and will last until at least Friday. In preparation for this, let’s take a look at how the Brewers’ payroll is heading into the offseason.
Before you look at the numbers, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Looking at the early payroll, the Brewers have some room to work with if they decide to maintain the same payroll as 2025. However, it will not take much to bring it to 2025 levels. For example, if Woodruff’s option is picked up on both sides, that alone would add $10 million to the projection (minus one minimum salary). It’s also possible that Woodruff declines the option and then accepts a qualifying offer or signs a multi-year contract (in which case he would be owed the buyout and the new contract).
There are still questions to be answered. The outfield situation will have to be addressed with two bench outfielders on it. Since the Brewers will maintain an even split of 13 position players and 13 pitchers, one outfielder likely won’t be on the team. The wildcard there is Mitchell, who is returning from shoulder surgery. He could either make the team and push another outfielder to the minors, or he could go undrafted to save some money.
Contreras’ salary can also vary slightly. Although he has a $12 million option for 2026, the Brewers could choose to decline it and take him to arbitration instead. MLB Trade Rumors has a $11.1 million projection for him, and he would also have to pay a $100,000 buyout if his option is declined.
As for the Super Two cutoff, there are two players to watch. Brice Turang is the easiest of these cases. He entered the season with one year and 165 days of service, so he will easily become a Super Two player (the last cutoff for Super Two was 2 years and 146 days in the 2011 offseason). His projection has already been incorporated into the payroll.
The other player to watch is Perkins. He entered the season with one year and 133 days of service. Even though he officially spent four days in the minors, he should still get credit for a full season. Looking back through the cutoffs to 2013The only year in which Perkins would not have qualified was 2018 – that year the cutoff was 2 years and 134 days. However, last season the limit was 2 years and 132 days, which was a notable increase compared to previous years. The cutoff is expected to be around the same level this year. MLB Trade Rumors does not currently list any arbitration salary; they only list players guaranteed to receive that extra year of arbitration.
The main question this season is whether the Brewers will be willing to spend more to build on the core they have. They didn’t sign any free agents to major deals last season until they were forced to sign a starting pitcher (Quintana) due to injuries in camp. However, it was also expected to be a rebuilding year. Will higher expectations yield a slightly wider wallet? We don’t have to wait much longer to find out.
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