3 upcoming Brewers free agents who have been good but don't need to be re-signed

This offseason, several key contributors to the Milwaukee Brewers 2025 squad are set to hit free agency. While some have delivered solid performances, not every expiring contract warrants a renewal. Here are three Brewers free agents who have been good, but don’t necessarily need to be re-signed.

3 upcoming Milwaukee Brewers free agents that don't need to be re-signed

LHP José Quintana

After signing an incentive-based deal with a mutual option for 2026 late in the offseason, José Quintana has been a steady presence in the Brewers’ rotation. He’s posted a respectable 3.88 ERA over 23 starts, completing at least five innings in all but two outings. Additionally, he has shared 14 MLB seasons’ worth of MLB knowledge with both the team’s young arms and veteran pitchers on the staff, offering more value than just the numbers that show up on the stat sheets.

Quintana has currently earned $3.8 million of a possible $5.75 million in incentives. If he makes 26 starts and reaches 140 innings pitched, he’ll max out those escalators, which are tied to his $2 million base salary. For 2026, his contract includes a $15 million mutual option with a $2 million buyout, an option the organization is almost certain to decline. Assuming he still has more left in the tank, Quintana will likely land another deal elsewhere, potentially worth north of $10 million, especially considering the Mets gave him $13.0 million in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

1B Rhys Hoskins

Rhys Hoskins' tenure with the Brewers has been a bit of a rollercoaster. He signed what was arguably a bargain deal, two years, $34 million, and a mutual option for a third season, considering his track record and postseason pedigree, despite coming off a missed season due to an ACL injury. The contract included a player opt-out after the 2024 campaign, but after posting career-low offensive numbers, Hoskins chose not to exercise it.

In his second year with the Brewers, Hoskins appeared to be back on track offensively, until a thumb sprain sidelined him for two months. Since returning, he’s taken on a reduced role, as Andruw Vaughn has emerged as a key contributor in his absence. With Vaughn under team control through 2026 and beyond, and promising first base prospects like Blake Burke, Eric Bitonti, and Andrew Fisher rising through the system, committing $18 million to retain Hoskins almost certainly isn’t in the team’s plans this winter.

RHP Erick Fedde

Though a recent addition, Erick Fedde has already delivered exactly what the Brewers needed. He stepped in with a strong spot start in place of Quinn Priester during his team debut and has since followed it up with scoreless outings out of the bullpen. Considering the struggles he faced earlier this season, this level of contribution was far from expected, but that’s become a familiar story for pitchers who land in Milwaukee.

That being said, the Brewers also tend to let go of players at the right time, and that could be the case with Fedde this offseason. Starting pitchers have been getting premium dollars lately, so odds are another team will pay Fedde more than what Milwaukee is willing to offer. Fedde has been good, and could continue to be good with the Brewers in the future, but with lots of young and cheaper talent, that’s the direction the organization likely will go.

Free agency officially begins the day after the World Series, and the Brewers’ front office will soon have some tough decisions to make. While it’s tempting to bring back familiar faces, especially those who contributed in meaningful ways, the organization has a long-term plan to stay successful for the long haul, which may include letting go of solid players like Quintana, Hoskins, and Fedde.