After busy 2024 Rule 5 protection deadline, Brewers rightfully quiet in 2025

The MLB rostering deadline was a busy one around the league, featuring incredulous trades and a host of top prospects getting protected from Rule 5 Draft eligibility.

Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers sat on their hands and simply watched the proceedings unfold. The only move they made that day was a passive one, as Brandon Woodruff accepted the qualifying offer to return to the Crew for one more ride in 2026.

Now, the Brewers didn't do literally nothing with their roster, as they did protect Coleman Crow from the service-time draft back in early November. They've also declined a number of contract options, including those for Jose Quintana, Rhys Hoskins, and Danny Jansen.

Still, it was a quiet day for the reigning NL Central champs, though that was largely to be expected after a 97-win season piloted by mostly cost-controlled stars.

Brewers avoid repeat of Shane Smith debacle, prepare roster for busy offseason

Crow was really the only prospect of note the Brewers needed to protect, and they made that decision back on Nov. 3.

That's a rather steep drop-off from last year's stakes, which included the team adding Logan Henderson and Chad Patrick to the 40-man roster and controversially leaving Shane Smith unprotected.

Though the Brewers are surely glad to have Patrick and Henderson around heading into 2026, losing Smith -- a rookie All-Star in 2025 after being selected first overall in the Rule 5 Draft by the Chicago White Sox -- will go down as one of the worst blunders of this era of the franchise.

Notably, the Brewers' 40-man roster now stands at 39 after Woodruff's decision to return, though that isn't set in stone by any means. The non-tender deadline is creeping up, and the front office can create space down the road via trades or DFAs when necessary.

For those fearing another Shane Smith situation, the most likely prospect to be taken in the Rule 5 Draft that the Brewers left unprotected is probably Blake Holub, a reliever with big strikeout numbers but a penchant for issuing free passes. At 27 years old, another team is really going to have to believe in their ability to hone his command to pick him; players who are selected in the draft must remain on the active 26-man roster all season, or they are offered back to their original team for a small fee.

Years of deft roster management made this an easy and sweat-free process for the Brewers. Now, they can turn their attention to the meat and potatoes of the offseason: adding marquee players via free agency and trades.