Brewers rumors: MLB insider projects reunion in Milwaukee that no one wants to see

Heading into the offseason, the Milwaukee Brewers may not have the money to sign a top-tier free agent to a long-term contract, but that doesn't mean they don't have some financial flexibility to help better their team in other ways. With Rhys Hoskins, José Quintana, and Brandon Woodruff all likely off the books, the Brewers should have some room in their payroll to make a few key additions in an effort to win the NL Central for a fourth straight season.

There are a few ways the Brewers could go with the money that they save from losing a few important veterans from their 2025 roster. First, they could elect to bring one of them, most likely Woodruff, back on a team-friendly deal, one that allows Woodruff to reach full strength before heading to the open market once again. Another avenue would be to invest the saved money into long-term extensions for one or two of their young stars, for which Brice Turang, Sal Frelick, and William Contreras would all be fine candidates. Or, the Brewers could explore the free agent market, a place where they generally don't have much success, but have been known to find an opportunistic deal in every once in a while.

MLB insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic just published his first free agent predictions of the offseason, and while he does include the Brewers as a possible destination for some notable free agents, one such name should leave the Milwaukee faithful questioning his analysis.

MLB insider lists Brewers among possible destinations for Devin Williams this offseason

Bowden's list details the top 50 free agents, how expensive fans should expect their contracts to be, and where they might end up for the 2026 season and beyond. When it came to former Brewers closer Devin Williams, Bowden expects the 2x NL Reliever of the Year to take a one-year "prove it" deal after his down season with the New York Yankees, with a projected salary of $10 million. The projected destinations? Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Texas, San Francisco, and...Milwaukee.

In some ways, it does make sense. The Brewers are known for capitalizing on players trying to establish themselves as worthy of a major payday on the open market. Said strategy led to Yasmani Grandal and Mike Moustakas signing one-year deals in 2019, and Rhys Hoskins electing to head to Milwaukee to re-establish himself as a star after his ACL surgery. The Brewers have the ability to stretch their payroll slightly in the short term but have to avoid most lengthy deals that could hamstring them for years to come. In that regard, adding a top-tier reliever like Williams on a one-year deal could be a fine strategy for the Brew Crew this offseason.

The issue, however, is less about the strategy and more to do with who the Brewers would be bringing back to their roster. Williams' time in Milwaukee ended in crushing fashion in 2024. A three-run homer off the bat of Pete Alonso to give the New York Mets the lead in the top of the ninth inning of Game 3 of the 2024 National League Wild Card Series brought Williams' Brewers tenure to a disappointing end. To expect both Williams and the Brewers to want to bring back those memories with a reunion this offseason is rather far-fetched regardless of whether or not the move makes sense on paper. Yes, it was only one game, and Williams' time in Milwaukee was filled with far better performances, but a reunion, especially after the Brewers traded him away less than a year ago, feels highly unlikely.

Williams' track record should be enough to earn him a sizable one-year deal in 2025, with a more resource-rich squad being able to take on the risk posed by his down season in New York. Should he return to the player that he was in Milwaukee, it's only a matter of time before he earns a contract resembling that of Josh Hader's or Edwin Diaz's, but that requires a significant bounce-back season in 2026. Said bounce-back most likely won't happen in Milwaukee.