Brewers’ Wade Miley choice was inevitable, but highlights rotation challenges in 2025

We're only a few days into the 2024-25 offseason and there's action all over the place around the league. The Milwaukee Brewers have been as active as any other team so far this offseason in declining multiple club options, removing a few players from their 40-man roster and losing a few on the waiver wire.

One of the Brewers that has been officially sent packing is left-hander Wade Miley, who the crew brought back for another go-round last offseason. His latest tenure in Milwaukee lasted two starts as Miley threw seven innings before seeing his season go down the drain via Tommy John surgery.

Miley's latest contract with the Brewers was of the one-year variety, but it also included a mutual option for the 2025 season. Last week, the Brewers declined their portion of his $12 million option year and instead opted for a $1.5 million buyout for the 14-year veteran.

This could very well be the end of the line for the soon-to-be 38-year-old. He recently indicated that he'd return to the mound for a 15th season if he was offered a contract by one of three teams: the Brewers, Reds or Astros - all clubs he's played for in the past.

Brewers' Wade Miley decision was easy, but there are still some concerns

This was an obvious decision for the Brewers to make given that their payroll is still once again tighter than most other organizations around the league. There was little to no reason to pay an aging starter who's recently struggled with durability a whopping $12 million for another season.

The larger issue at hand is the fact that the Brewers are running out of solid options to fill out their starting rotation next year. There's always a chance at a reunion, but each of Miley, Colin Rea, Frankie Montas, Joe Ross and Bryse Wilson have been lost to the open market.

Since the Brewers are stuck in penny-pinching mode, they can either go big by bringing back someone like Willy Adames or swim in the shallow end and sign/re-sign more budgetary free agents. That leaves them with few options to go to out of the rotation next year.

Freddy Peralta, Aaron Civale and Tobias Myers are all locks to start 2025 in the rotation. Otherwise there's the potential return of Brandon Woodruff and two pitchers who spent a ton of time as relievers in 2024: Aaron Ashby and DL Hall.

That essentially translates to three locks and two complete question marks. The Brewers have some promising young pitching coming up through the ranks, but they're going to have to cross their fingers and toes that they can hit the ground running next season. Either that, or pray that a free agent chooses them over other clubs that could perhaps offer more money.

Miley's loss on its own is not likely going to be a very impactful one, but the Brewers are going to have some real trouble assembling this starting rotation come Opening Day if they remain stagnant.

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