Brewers DFA plateauing reliever to open roster spot for recent free agent signing

Matt Arnold and the Milwaukee Brewers' front office began their Friday by reuniting with right-hander Bryse Wilson, who was recently released by the Chicago Cubs. At the time, it wasn't clear if Wilson, who began the 2026 season on a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, had agreed to a major league or minor league pact with the Brewers.

However, just moments ago, the Brewers announced that Wilson is immediately joining the big-league roster. The news confirms that Wilson's new deal with Milwaukee is a major league contract and therefore guarantees him a spot on the 40-man roster, and, as a result of Wilson being out of minor league options, a spot on the active 26-man roster as well. The 28-year-old Wilson, who last pitched for the Brewers in 2024, replaces southpaw Drew Rom, who has been optioned to Triple-A, on the big-league pitching staff.

With a full 40-man roster, however, optioning Rom to Nashville wasn't the only corresponding move that Milwaukee had to make in order to add Wilson to their major league squad. To free up a spot on the 40-man, the Brewers have also designated right-handed reliever Easton McGee for assignment.

Right-hander Easton McGee designated for assignment to open 40-man roster spot for Bryse Wilson

It's a slightly surprising move from the Brewers, who lose roster flexibility by designating a reliever with minor league options for assignment and replacing him with one who can't be sent down to Triple-A. Additionally, McGee, who was granted just nine big-league outings last year and two more this season, has been quite successful as a member of the major league bullpen. Outside of one poor outing against the Washington Nationals last August, McGee has allowed just four earned runs in 14.2 innings.

The 6'7" McGee possesses an intriguing six-pitch arsenal that grades out well when it comes to pitch-grade metrics like Stuff+. In a very small sample size last year, that arsenal produced a 35.1% whiff rate and a 47.7% ground-ball rate, which would lead one to believe that McGee could be a very successful big-league reliever in the right situation.

Unfortunately, the Brewers were hoping to see growth from the 28-year-old right-hander in 2026, and instead, McGee has plateaued in the minor leagues. In 41.2 innings with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, McGee produced a 5.62 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP while his strikeout rate dipped nearly 4% from his 2025 numbers in Triple-A. It's telling that Milwaukee had a need for relief arms in recent weeks and opted for someone other than McGee on several occasions.

Therefore, while McGee certainly still holds plenty of potential, the Brewers' move to bring back Wilson is certainly justifiable. Additionally, whereas McGee may have been able to cover six outs here and there, Wilson should be able to cover three or four innings in low-leverage situations.

Trading for Wilson back in January of 2023 was one of the first moves Arnold made as the head of the Brewers' front office. He and his team clearly like Wilson's profile, and the right-hander is still just 28 years old. It's unfortunate that the Brewers had to part ways with an intriguing arm like McGee, but maybe the recently DFA'd reliever will pass through waivers and remain in the organization. The Brewers would certainly welcome him back with open arms.

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