Last year the Milwaukee Brewers missed the postseason for the first time since 2017. This came after making the playoffs a franchise record four years in a row. It has been quite an off-season so far for the Brewers. President of Baseball Operations David Stearns resigned, and General Manager Matt Arnold has taken over baseball operations. While Milwaukee appears to be shedding payroll, they also have made moves to keep them in contention; the question has become, what are the Brewers doing?
Recapping the 2022 Season
This season didn’t go the way the Milwaukee Brewers wanted. While the Brewers finished the season with a winning record, they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Making matters worse, they had an opportunity to get the final wildcard spot but couldn’t take advantage. This ended the Brewers franchise record of four playoff appearances in a row.
Change already appeared to be in the air even during the season. Despite being in first place in the NL Central, the Brewers traded longtime star closer, Josh Hader to the San Diego Padres. This sent Milwaukee into a free fall in August as they finished the month with a 12-15 record and relinquished first place. They would never again lead the division after August 5th. Having missed the playoffs, the Brewers appeared poised to turn over the roster this offseason.
Trading Hunter Renfroe and Giving Opportunities to Top Prospects
In late November, the Brewers traded outfielder Hunter Renfroe to the Angels for pitchers Janson Junk, Elvis Peguero, and Adam Seminaris. Renfroe was one of the Brewers’ better hitters despite missing time due to a calf strain. He finished the 2022 season with 29 home runs and 72 RBIs, and an OPS of .807. While the Brewers have denied that they were entering a rebuild, this has been widely viewed as a cost-cutting measure. Renfroe is also in the last year of a team-friendly deal and will be eligible for free agency after this season. Like other small market teams, the Brewers face the unfortunate reality of being unable to afford him when he hits the market. This now means young outfield prospects Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick, Joey Wiemer, and Esteury Ruiz will compete for playing time this spring.
Trading Kolten Wong, Developing Abraham Toro, and Counting on a Bounce Back Year From Jesse Winker
However, in early December, the Brewers traded second baseman Kolten Wong to the Seattle Mariners for Jesse Winker and Abraham Toro. While the Brewers subtracted $10 million from the books, Winker has bounce-back potential, and Abraham Toro is young and still on a team-friendly deal. Now that Wong is gone, this will also mean that top prospect Brice Turang will have an opportunity to start at second base.
After being traded by the Reds to the Mariners, Winker had the worst year of his career in 2022. However, in 2021 Winker was an All-Star and has the potential to bounce back in 2023. He has a slash line of .344/.440/.591 with an OPS of 1.032 in 32 games at Miller Park/American Family Field. He also has a career batting average of .307 with 40 home runs and 102 RBI against National League Central teams. Playing in familiar ballparks gives Winker a great opportunity to have a resurgence. Winker is also in the last year of his contract, and he’ll be a free agent after this season. The Brewers are banking on a Jesse Winker resurgence to help their struggling offense.
Meanwhile, Abraham Toro struggled heavily offensively in 2022. In 324 at-bats, Toro had a batting average of just .185 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs, and an OPS of .563. However, Toro is only 25 years old and is under team control for another five years. He won’t be a free agent until 2025. The Brewers are hoping that he’ll be able to develop some consistency offensively and take over third base. Lately, that position has seen the likes of Luis Urias, Jace Peterson, and Mike Brosseau platoon over there.
The 2023 Roster Building Approach
It’s obvious that Milwaukee is shedding payroll by trading away guys like Josh Hader, Kolten Wong, and Hunter Renfroe. However, the Brewers aren’t going into a complete rebuild. Instead, they are “retooling” their roster and freeing up money. The freed-up money could be used to extend the contracts of either Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, or Willy Adames. This approach to building the 2023 roster also allows them to see what they have in their top prospects. Rookies Garrett Mitchell and Esteury Ruiz have already seen playing time at the Major League level. I’m expecting both Mitchell and Ruiz to have bigger roles in 2023.
This approach to building the roster sets the Brewers up nicely for the future. While they don’t appear to have a playoff team on paper, they still have some quality veteran players on their roster. The veteran players are expected to help keep Milwaukee competitive in 2023 while the young players learn the bigs.
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