Owner: Mark Attanasio, net worth, $700 million
World Series Titles: None.
Greatest Player: SS/OF Robin Yount.
Division: NL Central
Payroll: 11th, $173,815,500.
2022 Result: 86-76, 2nd place.
General Manager: Matt Arnold.
Manager: Craig Counsel, 52, 615-555, 0 World Series titles.
Home Field: American Family Field, capacity 41,900.
Key Additions: When the Brewers traded away closer Josh Hader to the Padres, the entire MLB world called it a coup for San Diego and a highly questionable move for Milwaukee. Heck, Brewers pitcher Eric Lauer publicly questioned the deal. We agree. Why trade away arguable the best closer in the game? Hader’s stuff is as filthy as it gets. But the Brewers salvaged a piece of credibility by using one of the chips they got from the Padres, OF Esteury Ruiz, to acquire catcher William Contreras from the Braves in a three-team deal.
Contreras, 24, the younger brother of Cubs-turned-Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras. William clubbed 20 home runs in 376 plate appearances last season gives the Brewers a major offensive upgrade at catch. Work needs to be done on the defensive end but the Brewers have proven pretty good at developing players. This could be a huge win for Milwaukee.
Key Losses: Hunter Renfroe, 30, is an enigma. After hitting 29 home runs in 125 games last season for the Brewers he was traded to the Angels. It marks the fifth team Renfroe will play for in the last five seasons. Two years ago, he slugged 31 homers with 96 RBI for the Red Sox, only to be traded to Milwaukee.
Maybe there’s some behind the scenes issues with Renfroe or maybe it’s a simple case of not being in the right place at the right time.
Key Injury: When the Brewers traded popular second baseman Kolton Wong to the Mariners in December for DH Jesse Winker, it created two holes. Who plays second? Luis Urias gets the nod but it’s not a convincing one. And because of two injuries to Winker, who will fill DH? Winker had minor knee surgery, which wasn’t considered significant, with a serious disc replacement surgery in his neck. Just reading that can make one wince.
Winker his 14 home runs with 53 RBI last season with the Mariners. He definitely has some pop in his bat but few injuries can be more unpredictable than neck/back ones that require surgery.
Prospect alert: The Brewers have a bit of good history when it comes to center fielders. The most recent keeper of center in in American Family Field is Christian Yelich. His ability to track down balls in the gap, make spectacular catches at the wall, and deliver at the plate has made him one of the greatest players in franchise history. But Yelich, 31, isn’t immune from Father Time. Yelich certain has more good years in the tank and he signed a nine-year, $215 million extension with the club in 2020, so he’s not leaving Cream City any time soon.
But should the Yelich move to first base, the Brewers have a possible star in the making in Jackson Chourio. Chourio, 18, started as a left fielder but the combination of his blazing speed and less-than powerful arm made a move to central a logical move. That doesn’t rule out the possibility of Chourio going back to left and Yelich staying in center. Chourio has impressed with his bat speed and, after struggling against breaking pitches (name any young hitter who hasn’t), he showed significant improvement last season. Chourio and Yelich could comprise a terrific outfield in Milwaukee, sooner rather than later.
Scouting Report:Over/Under Wins: 85.5, 2rd place in NL Central.
If you believe that good pitching beats good hitting, the Brewers are your kind of team. The rotation looks like this: Corbin Burnes (12-8, 2.94 ERA), Brandon Woodruff (13-4, 3.05 ERA), Eric Lauer (11-7, 3.69), Freddy Peralta (4-4, 3.58 ERA). And it’s not as if any of the four are starring at Father time. Burnes is 28. Woodruff is 30. Lauer is 27 and Peralta is 26.
If the Brewers are going to overtake the Cardinals for the NL Central, this pitching Brew Crew is going to have to lead the way. Last season the Brewers finished one game out of the final Wildcard playoff spot.
“You can say there’s extra motivation,” said Burnes.
That obviously is a much more attainable goal than knocking off St. Louis. But Milwaukee fans would love to see their Brewers serve the standard in the Central Division a big slice of humble pie.
The good thing for Milwaukee is that like most great rotations, these guys are fueled by competition against each other. It’s not a question of wanting to one up a teammate; it’s about pushing each other. It’s the kind of good problem every MLB would love to have.
Unfortunately for Brewers fans, there’s no telling how long the franchise will keep this rotation together. Burners was irked after his case went to arbitration and the Brewers won. He’ll be paid $10.01 million this season opposed to the $10.75 he requested.
"Just as far as the whole thing, on our perspective and our end of it, it was more that we were just kind of disappointed with how it went," said Burnes, who struck out 243 in 202 innings. "The Brewers never really made a real attempt to try to come to a deal to avoid a hearing, at least from our perspective.”
The rotation also used to take the mound secure in the knowledge that they could turn over a lead to Hader and it was game over. The Brewers got back San Diego’s closer Taylor Rogers, who’s far from chopped liver. He made 31 saves last season. But he’s not Hader and losing him could come back to haunt the Brewers and their starters.
BetBasics Best Bet: There are two things we know about William Contreras: 1. He comes from great bloodlines. 2. He’s just a pup. Just 25, there’s no telling what the ceiling is for the Brewers new catcher. Contreras smacked 20 homers in 334 at-bats last season. We think 32 is a real possibility.