Difficult Ángel Zerpa question looms for Brewers as key offseason date approaches

As the former (unofficial) president of the Ángel Zerpa fan club -- he looked so dominant in the World Baseball Classic before the season -- it pains me to say that his roster spot is in a tenuous position right now. The Milwaukee Brewers didn't need Zerpa during their postseason rampage, and now he's occupying a 40-man roster spot with little hope of contributing in the first half of the 2027 season.

We don't have an exact timeline on his return, but Zerpa had Tommy John surgery back in early May. In a best-case scenario, he'd return just before the All-Star break. More realistically, he'd probably make his 2027 season debut in August (barring any further setbacks), making him something of a faux trade-deadline acquisition for the Crew.

Unfortunately, there's no 60-day injured list to stash him on during the offseason. For someone who won't pitch for at least half the year, is it really wise to keep him around on the roster, knowing that he's owed a projected $1.3 million salary in arbitration?

Ángel Zerpa's future in Milwaukee will be decided over the next few weeks

The Brewers certainly aren't hurting for roster spots following their World Series triumph; following various contract option decisions, they enter free agency with just 33 spots accounted for. They will, of course, need to make room for any major-league additions (via signing or trade) as well as prospects they want to protect from the Rule 5 draft, but they aren't facing a crunch in the way so many other organizations are right now.

That definitely helps Zerpa's case to stick around (and the same for Brian Fitzpatrick, who is also slated to miss most of 2027 following elbow surgery). However, the southpaw didn't show much in his limited time with the Crew before going on the shelf, recording a 6.39 ERA and 5.31 FIP in 12⅔ innings. He did record two saves in mid-April when it looked like he would be a capable option in high-leverage situations, but he also gave up 11 combined runs in his final eight appearances.

The deadline to tender arbitration-eligible players a contract for next year is November 20, giving the front office a few weeks to sort this situation out. Normally, that would be a small window to get a sense of how the offseason will play out, but with the impending lockout (on December 1) expected to speed things up dramatically this year, the Brewers might be in a strong position to know whether or not they'll need Zerpa's roster spot ahead of the return of the 60-day IL (which traditionally happens just before Opening Day).

Thus, depending on the moves that happen over the next two-plus weeks, it's possible that Zerpa will survive the winter in Milwaukee... just as it's also possible that he's thrown his last pitch for the organization.

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