Here is the recipe for a dream Brewers offseason despite potential roster losses

The recipe for a perfect offseason is one that every GM across the league tries to find, but is generally very difficult to pull off. The Milwaukee Brewers had a very strong offseason last winter, which gave GM Matt Arnold the foundation he needed to win Executive of the Year in 2024. He'll now look to repeat that level of success.

Topping the pre-MLB debut contract extension of Jackson Chourio is going to be hard to do, though. Arnold doesn't have to lock up any young superstars to contract extensions this offseason, but he does have to replace a star hitter in the middle of his lineup in Willy Adames.

Here is what a dream Brewers offseason would look like

Adames is hitting free agency and the Brewers are going to have to replace him somehow. Adames has said he'd be willing to take a hometown discount to an extent, but it's still unlikely he returns to Milwaukee. Even in this "dream" scenario, Adames is not going to be back. But how can the Brewers best manage that loss?

Brewers sign INF Ha-Seong Kim to free agent contract

Kim would be an ideal fit for what the Brewers want to do in their infield. He's an excellent defender at multiple positions, including shortstop, and would give the Brewers one of the strongest defensive infields in all of baseball with Kim, Joey Ortiz, and Gold Glover Brice Turang.

The bat is also solid, with double-digit home run power and stolen base ability. While he doesn't have the offensive ceiling of Adames, Kim gets the Brewers pretty close to it. Coming off a shoulder surgery late in the season, Kim may be looking for a pillow contract similar to the situation Rhys Hoskins was in last year. If the Brewers can end up reeling in Kim, they'd have an instant solution to the hole in their infield and lineup.

Trade Devin Williams for young, high upside pitcher and hitter

A Devin Williams trade feels inevitable. After having his club option declined, Devin Williams is set to make a salary in the $8-9MM range next year in his final year of club control. The Brewers have traded a number of star players with a year or so to go before free agency in order to recoup value with Corbin Burnes being the latest example. Williams is likely to be next.

A trade return similar to what Burnes netted also seems realistic. Even though one is a starter and one is a reliever, Williams is the top closer in the game and the Brewers should be able to get themselves an intriguing young hitter and pitcher that can help the big league roster in the very near future. That's what Ortiz and DL Hall were acquired for in the Burnes deal. If the Brewers can pull off a similar deal and get similar production to what Ortiz and Hall gave in 2024, then that's a dream come true.

The Brewers have no shortage of late inning options in their bullpen and moving Williams can clear the room for them.

Find the next Colin Rea

It was somewhat surprising when the Brewers declined Colin Rea's club option for 2025 at a fairly reasonable rate of $5.5MM. They do have some young arms they want to give innings to but they lost a lot of durability for that rotation that they'll need to now find elsewhere.

Milwaukee knows what they're getting with Freddy Peralta. Aaron Civale is a veteran and should be a reliable piece, but outside of that, this rotation has a lot question marks. Can Tobias Myers repeat the success of his rookie season? Can Aaron Ashby and DL Hall prove they can stick in the rotation? Will Brandon Woodruff be healthy and be the Woodruff of old? There's a lot of 'ifs' and 'maybes' in this group beyond Peralta/Civale and the Brewers could use a guarantee of more innings being eaten.

Finding another under the radar starting pitcher that can provide solid production while eating innings would allow the Brewers to sleep a lot easier knowing their rotation is in a better place.

If the Brewers are able to do these three things, they'll have had a very strong offseason and will have put themselves in prime position to three-peat in the NL Central in 2025.