2 reasons to be excited about the Brewers signing Akil Baddoo

After the Winter Meetings, the Milwaukee Brewers made their first major-league signing of the offseason, unexpectedly adding outfielder Akil Baddoo and temporarily filling their 40-man roster to capacity. The move comes as a bit of a surprise given his struggles at the big-league level and the club’s already deep outfield mix, but there are still plenty of reasons to be excited about the addition.

Two reasons to be excited about the Milwaukee Brewers signing outfielder Akil Baddoo

1) Akil Baddoo could follow a familiar Brewers blueprint: humbled, then rebuilt

A season ago, Milwaukee's two best trade additions came early in the season, as Matt Arnold and company acquired Quinn Priester in early April and Andrew Vaughn in mid-June. Both ended up playing pivotal roles in the outcome of the 2025 season, but had similar stories of struggles before arriving.

Priester, a former 18th-overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates, was traded to the Boston Red Sox after posting a 6.46 ERA over 94.2 innings across two seasons, and he didn’t break camp in the major-league rotation last year. Vaughn, meanwhile, was also a first-rounder, third overall by the Chicago White Sox, but was in the minors at the time of being traded to Milwaukee after significant early struggles at the plate.

This all connects to Baddoo, a former second-round pick by the Minnesota Twins, who ended up being claimed in the MLB Rule 5 Draft by the Detroit Tigers. He broke out as a rookie in 2021, but like Priester and Vaughn, he’s since been humbled by a lack of results limiting further big-league opportunities. Now, he arrives in Milwaukee looking to apply those hard-earned lessons and spark another breakout, which is absolutely possible assuming he's afforded the necessary opportunities.

2) If Akil Baddoo works out for the Brewers, he has multiple years of control remaining

With just three years of MLB service time, Baddoo arrives in Milwaukee with up to four seasons of team control remaining, including 2026. With both sides already agreeing to terms for next year, the following seasons could proceed through arbitration, unless they choose to negotiate a new deal in advance.

Additionally, Baddoo still has one minor-league option remaining, according to FanGraphs. Most likely, that option will be used immediately after spring training in 2026. However, a strong camp, or an unexpected opening due to injuries, could give him a legitimate shot at breaking camp on the Brewers’ 26-man roster next spring.

If Baddoo finds his footing in Milwaukee, this signing could become yet another example of the Brewers’ knack for reviving talented players who’ve stumbled elsewhere. Time and again, the organization has taken players who’ve endured setbacks, helped them learn from those struggles, and have seen them become productive professionals. Should Baddoo tap back into his early promise, he could very well become the Brewers’ next success story in that mold.