Brewers: 3 Players Who May Not be Around Next Season

The Brewers have a great team, and the playoffs are all but certain at this point. David Stearns and Matt Arnold have never shied away from having roster turnover, and between expiring contracts and trades here are three players who likely will wear a different jersey come next season.

The Brewers have never been afraid of roster turnover. Here are 3 players who may be in their last season as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers.

1. Avisail Garcia

Avi Garcia’s breakout has been a welcome story this year, he has finally maximized his potential, and appears due for a payday. His club option is due to become a mutual option once he reaches the at-bat threshold, and it seems like he will command more money than the $12 million club option.

The Brewers have a crowded outfield as it stands for next season Christian Yelich, Jackie Bradley Jr, Lorenzo Cain, and Tyrone Taylor are all under contract for next season. With players such as Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Willy Adames due for pay raises in arbitration it seems unlikely the Brewers will have Avi in right field at the start of next season.

2. Eduardo Escobar

Eduardo Escobar was a pickup by David Stearns close to the trade deadline. Though currently on the injured list, Escobar was an important contributor for the Brewers. Splitting time at first and third base, Escobar is slashing .280/.337/.451 in his 89 PA in Milwaukee. His offensive contributions have led to him having a wRC+ of 111 and accumulating 0.3 fWAR in that time.

Escobar is a free agent, and will be entering his age-33 season. With experience playing all four infield positions, and possessing a quality bat from both sides of the plate it seems likely he will be a desirable free agent target for most teams.

Luis Urias has seen a good share of time at third base this season and he has produced just as well as Escobar has. For the season, Escobar has a 106 wRC+, with an OPS of .780. Urias has a wRC+ of 109 and OPS of .781 in that same time, while still being pre-arb.

The Brewers have never been afraid to seemingly have too many players at a certain position, but Escobar may get a contract more lucrative than what the Brewers would be willing to pay for him elsewhere.

3. Josh Hader

This is a divisive take, but Josh Hader seems like he might be destined to be moved this offseason. Hader has been electric as per usual, with a 1.58 ERA, 1.79 FIP and 45.1 K%, all while accumulating 2.1 fWAR in 45.2 innings.

Hader will be going into his third season of arbitration, after making $4.1 million in 2020, and $6.7 million in 2021. Hader’s arbitration has been contentious before, as the team used his save numbers to minimize what he was worth, leading to the change in his usage for primarily single inning situations.

Teams would be willing to part with talented prospects for a player as talented as Hader, and this may finally be the offseason he is traded. In addition, the Brewers’ pitching lab has helped pitchers reach their full potential and the bullpen may be ready to transition to Devin Williams as the closer with Jake Cousins and Justin Topa serving as setup men.

Ultimately no one can say with 100% certainty that any player currently on the roster will be there to start the 2022 season. However, given all the factors present it seems these are the players most likely to have new uniforms on.