Brewers' latest roster cuts all but confirm Opening Day fate for several top prospects

Milwaukee continues to trim down their roster with two weeks of Spring Training remaining

Owen Jonas

Feb 27, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jeferson Quero against the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Milwaukee Brewers continue to pare down their major league roster ahead of Opening Day. In just over two weeks, the Brewers will have to decide which 26 players they want to carry for their opening game against the Chicago White Sox. Between the 14 other players on the Brewers' 40-man roster, and the number of non-roster invitees that Milwaukee carried on their initial Cactus League roster this spring, there will be plenty of difficult decisions for Matt Arnold and Pat Murphy in the coming weeks.

On Monday morning, the Brewers executed another round of roster cuts -- those on the 40-man roster were officially optioned to Triple-A Nashville, and non-roster invitees have simply been reassigned to minor league camp, but it's important to note that these players weren't "cut" from the organization. Rather, they were simply "cut" from the major league Spring Training roster, but they can and will still be invited to play in Cactus League over the next two weeks.

As announced by the team, left-handed reliever Sammy Peralta and catcher Jeferson Quero have been optioned to Triple-A Nashville, while Jesús Made, Luke Adams, Eddys Leonard, Greg Jones, Darrien Miller, Ramón Rodriguez, and Matt Wood have been reassigned to minor league camp. Though each of these players could still appear in the Cactus League for the Brewers over the next two weeks, the Brewers have essentially communicated that none of them will be members of the Opening Day roster unless a number of unfortunate injuries pop up over the next two weeks.

Jeferson Quero, Jesús Made among Brewers' latest round of roster cuts

Jesús Made was never going to make the Brewers' 2026 Opening Day roster. Such a move, while it certainly would have been fun to watch from a fan's perspective, would not have been prudent for the Brewers, who would have jeopardized the young phenom's development by rushing him to the big leagues. That said, Made made some serious noise in big league camp this spring, hitting for a .320 batting average with some loud contact. Though the Opening Day roster was never in the picture, if Made carries this momentum into the minor league season, it's not out of the question that the top-ranked Brewers prospect could see the big leagues before the end of the 2026 season.

As for Quero, the former top-ranked Brewers prospect appeared to be the leading candidate to back up William Contreras on the Opening Day roster for much of the offseason. However, Milwaukee agreed to a minor league deal with Reese McGuire and a major league contract with Gary Sánchez in the later parts of the offseason, making it an uphill battle for Quero to crack the Opening Day 26-man.

Now, after being optioned to Triple-A, Quero's Opening Day fate is all but sealed. Barring late Spring Training injuries to Sánchez and McGuire, Quero will begin the 2026 season with the Nashville Sounds, where he will expend his final minor league option year, assuming he spends 20 days in Triple-A.

More tough decisions are on the horizon for the Brewers -- ones that will be far more contentious than those that produced this series of roster cuts. Position battles remain in the outfield and the starting rotation with just two weeks of Spring Training remaining.

Owen Jonas

Owen is the Site Expert at Reviewing the Brew. He previously wrote for SB Nation and Brew Crew Ball where he covered the Milwaukee Brewers and their minor league affiliates. A life-long Wisconsin sports fan, Owen attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for undergraduate and graduate school. As a former high school baseball player and coach, Owen developed a deep passion for the game of baseball that he has carried with him throughout his career as a writer. He currently lives in Milwaukee where he spends his free time reading, cooking, and playing music.