Brewers: Where does the 40-man roster sit right now?

The Milwaukee Brewers had nine players head to the open market this week, but where does their current 40-man roster sit? How many roster spots will they have to fill?

After seeing nine players including Yasmani Grandal, Mike Moustakas, and Gio Gonzalez elect free agency, the Milwaukee Brewers had nine open spots on their roster. However, left-handed reliever Angel Perdomo was added to the 40-man roster, so the current number of openings stands at eight.

How will the team get the roster back up to 40?

What about the Rule V Draft?

Players are eligible for the Rule V Draft if they were 18 or younger on the June 5 preceding their signing and this is their fifth Rule V Draft cycle or if they were 19 or older on the June 5 preceding their signing and this is their fourth Rule V Draft cycle. The Brewers have over 30 Minor Leaguers who meet this criteria, and could be eligible for the Rule V Draft in December of 2019.

Who will the Brewers protect?

Corey Ray will almost assuredly be added to the 40-man roster in the next few weeks. The same can be said for Lucas Erceg.

Yeison Coca is also eligible to be exposed to the Rule V Draft this year. He’s shown potential, but hasn’t made it out of Single-A yet. He’s coming off a rough season, and it’s hard to imagine him sticking in the Majors for a full year. He’s unlikely to get selected, and probably won’t require a 40-man roster spot.

Zack Brown and Bubba Derby are both eligible this year, and need to be added to the 40-man roster to avoid selection. The Brewers will likely add both to the 40-man roster.

The Brewers will have to make tough decisions on names such as Phil Bickford, Jon Olczak, Quintin Torres-Costa, Nate Griep, and Daniel Brown. Expect at least one reliever from the Minors to get added to the 40-man roster.

That leaves the Milwaukee Brewers with 37 roster spots spoken for.

Could the Brewers release or reassign anyone?

The Brewers have several DFA candidates including Jimmy Nelson, Travis Shaw, and Tyler Saladino. The team also has to decide what to do with Chase Anderson. If they pick up his option, he stays. If they don’t, he’s a free agent. $8.5 million for Anderson doesn’t sound like a bargain, and it may make sense to spend that money elsewhere.

The team could also move Perdomo off the 40-man roster. The same could be said for Tyrone Taylor and David Freitas. The team has flexibility if they need to open up a roster spot for a free agent signing. They’re not completely locked into a 40-man roster, and can elect to option or designate several players to free up room.

The Milwaukee Brewers have a lot of work to do this off season to reestablish themselves as contenders for the division title. They have to find an ace, figure out their catching situation, and add depth to their roster. The good news is that they’ll have room on the 40-man roster to work with.