3 moves Brewers fans wish their team had pulled off instead during 2025-26 offseason

Unsurprisingly, it's been another calculated offseason for the Milwaukee Brewers. Following a 97-win 2025 campaign, at the end of which the Crew advanced to the NLCS, the Brewers made the big move that most were expecting -- trading away Freddy Peralta -- but outside of that, it's been a quiet offseason for Matt Arnold and company.

The action began with Brandon Woodruff accepting the team's $22.025 million qualifying offer, which was honestly the least calculated move of the season. Woodruff was a toss-up to agree to the offer when the Brewers extended it to him, but he ultimately accepted, which gave the Brewers less room in their payroll to make additions, but also gave them a stabilizing veteran presence in what projects to be an otherwise inexperienced lineup. Outside of retaining Woodruff and trading Peralta, the Brewers sent a few redundant pieces in Nick Mears and Isaac Collins to the Kansas City Royals for a high-upside arm in Ángel Zerpa, and added bounce-back candidate Akil Baddoo to their outfield group.

The additions of Zerpa, Baddoo, Jett Williams, and Brandon Sproat, the latter two being the prospects that Milwaukee added in the Peralta blockbuster, are intriguing complements to an already talented roster, but there are a few under-the-radar moves that other teams made this offseason that Brewers fans should have wanted their team to pull off.

Obviously, Brewers fans are wishing their organization signed one of the top free agents available this winter, but given the team's limited financial resources, such a move was never in the cards. The Brewers were never going to sign Kyle Tucker or Kyle Schwarber or any other expensive "Kyles" this offseason, so think of this list more as "reasonable moves" the Brewers should have pulled off this winter.

3 moves Brewers fans wish their team had pulled off instead during 2025-26 offseason

1. Seattle Mariners sign Rob Refsnyder to 1-year, $6.25 million deal

Though there's a lot to like about Baddoo's profile, realistically, the Brewers could have used a right-handed power bat in their outfield group. Baddoo and Garrett Mitchell's profiles are somewhat redundant, seeing as they are both left-handed hitting outfielders with lots to prove this season. Having a proven right-handed veteran with some pop to pair with Mitchell in a platoon could have been a way for the Brewers to add some power to a lineup that will be lacking it in 2026. 10-year MLB veteran Rob Refsnyder would have been a perfect addition to the roster.

Though Refsnyder is 34 years old, has had some injury issues, and possesses just an average glove in a corner outfield spot, at just $6.25 million, he offered a cheap way for the Brewers to add a player with plenty of power to their 2026 roster. Over the last four seasons with the Boston Red Sox, Refsnyder has compiled a .440 slugging percentage, but a lack of availability has prevented him from posting the home run totals that he's certainly capable of. His underlying metrics are strong, and he's a career .959 OPS hitter against southpaws.

If the Brewers do elect to go with a starting outfield of Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, and Sal Frelick, Refsnyder could have served as a platoon partner for Mitchell, which would have slid Chourio to center field on days when the Brewers are facing a lefty. However, the Seattle Mariners acted quickly, signing Refsnyder to a reasonable contract before the holidays, leaving the Brewers with a lack of powerful right-handed options in their outfield group.

2. Chicago Cubs sign reliever Jacob Webb to a 1-year, $1.5 million deal with a $2.5 million club option for the 2027 season

As much as it pains me to admit, the Chicago Cubs have made a few savvy additions to their bullpen group this offseason. Make no mistake, it was out of necessity, seeing as the team lost a majority of their relievers after their loss to the Brewers in the 2025 NLDS, but Chicago's front office has done a solid job filling their bullpen this offseason. The best move was an under-the-radar signing of former Texas Ranger Jacob Webb, who they somehow signed to a modest $1.5 million deal, with a team-friendly $2.5 million club option for the 2027 campaign.

Webb is coming off back-to-back seasons in which he made at least 55 appearances and posted an ERA of 3.02 or better. However, his underlying metrics indicate that despite being 32 years old, his full potential has yet to be reached. Webb induces a ton of soft contact -- his average exit velocity against was in the 95th percentile last season -- and he pairs it with a chase rate in the 74th percentile. With a strong fastball-sweeper-changeup mix, Webb not only gets a ton of whiffs, but when batters do make contact it's generally not damaging contact.

With the Brewers in need of some right-handed help in their bullpen, Webb would have been a nice addition on the reasonable salary that he ended up commanding. That said, lacking minor league options, his lack of flexibility likely steered the Brewers away; part of the Brewers moving on from Mears this offseason was that his lack of roster flexibility could have spelled trouble for Milwaukee over the course of the 162-game season. Even still, there's no denying the Cubs landed an intriguing bullpen arm on a very team-friendly deal when they elected to sign Webb back in December.

3. Arizona Diamondbacks sign reliever Jonathan Loáisiga to a minor league contract

A reliever who ultimately signed a minor league contract generally isn't the type of player that fans are upset they missed out on, but the fact that Jonathan Loáisiga had to resort to a minor league deal makes little sense. Sure, the long-time New York Yankee who is entering his ninth MLB season at 31 years old didn't have his best season in 2025, and he's often been injured throughout his career, but the upside he possesses makes it perplexing that not a single MLB team offered him a major league deal, especially given the health of the reliever market this offseason.

Loáisiga did have an internal brace surgery (similar to but less severe than Tommy John surgery) back in May of 2024, and a flexor strain injury that cut his 2025 season short certainly scared some teams away. However, when Loáisiga is healthy, he's an electric reliever who can touch triple-digits with his elite sinker.

On a minor league contract, this is a deal I would have loved to see the Brewers make -- it would have been the type of low-risk, high-reward signing that Milwaukee has perfected during the Matt Arnold era. Even if it took a major league contract to land Loáisiga, his upside is enough that I would have at least been intrigued. However, the Diamondbacks end up with the electric right-hander, and if he can stay healthy, expect the long-time Yankee to be an important piece of Arizona's bullpen in 2026.