Brewers quietly lose 2 intriguing pitching prospects to minor league free agency

The Milwaukee Brewers have seen firsthand the value of mining the minor league free-agent market. Blake Perkins, originally a minor league free agent in November 2022 that was awarded an MLB contract with the club, has become an important contributor at the major league level. Similarly, Jared Koenig, signed to a minor league deal in November 2023, has since emerged as a key piece of the bullpen.

That success, however, cuts both ways. While the Brewers have uncovered impact contributors through minor league free agency, they have also seen valuable depth walk out the door via the same route. This offseason, according to Baseball America's transaction page, and relayed to Brewers' fans by the great Javik Blake, the Biloxi Shuckers' award-winning broadcaster, Milwaukee lost reliever Justin Yeager to the San Diego Padres and right-handed starter Alexander Cornielle to the New York Yankees in minor league free agency.

Milwaukee Brewers quietly lose intriguing pitching prospects Justin Yeager and Alexander Cornielle to minor league free agency

Yeager, who initially joined the Brewers organization as a part of the William Contreras deal in November of 2022, dealt with injury in 2023, but put together strong 2024 and 2025 campaigns. Last year, he was promoted to Triple-A and made a strong case to be promoted to the 40-man roster after posting a 0.84 ERA over 21.1 innings pitched.

Unfortunately for Yeager, Milwaukee’s strong pitching depth across the organization left him without a path to the 40-man roster, and the service time he's compiled in the minor leagues awarded him the chance to seek out a new opportunity with a different organization. He now heads to San Diego with an opportunity to compete for a major league role, carrying momentum from a strong 2025 season that could help him break through and crack the big-league roster before the end of the 2026 campaign.

As for Cornielle, he was a part of the Brewers' organization since signing as a teenager through international free agency back in 2019. Like Yeager, he made the jump from Double-A to Triple-A in 2025, posting a 3.88 ERA as a starter in Biloxi before following it up with a 3.21 ERA across three starts in Nashville.

At just 24 years old, Cornielle offers the Yankees plenty of upside as a near–MLB-ready starting pitcher. He brings swing-and-miss ability, has shown durability throughout his career, and could realistically emerge as a breakout candidate in the Bronx.

Ultimately, both pitchers offered intriguing upside that the Brewers were unable to keep in their organization. It underscores the difficult realities of roster management, as Milwaukee could have protected either arm by using a 40-man roster spot, but instead justifiably chose to allocate those spots elsewhere.