5 Brewers Who Will Make The 2024 Opening Day Roster But Won't Last The Season

There's still plenty of offseason left to go before we reach Opening Day. A lot can change between now and then, but a lot of Opening Day roster spots can already be assumed to be spoken for. However once the season gets underway, all bets are off.

The Brewers have repeatedly emphasized that the roster fluctuates often and the Opening Day roster is just the roster for one day. A lot of times we see a transaction before the second game. Last year, the Brewers used 59 players. Several players who make the Opening Day roster won't make it to the end of the season.

Last year, that list included Javy Guerra, Matt Bush, Gus Varland, Peter Strzelecki, and Luke Voit.

Coming into 2024, here are five Brewers in position to make the Opening Day roster, but won't last through 162 games.

1. RHP J.B. Bukauskas

Milwaukee's bullpen is almost always changing, especially early on in the season as the Brewers figure out who they can trust and who they can't. Optionable players tend to go up and down but players that are out of minor league options can't go down.

J.B. Bukauskas is one of those players that's vying for a bullpen spot on Opening Day but is out of minor league options. Being out of options gives Bukauskas a better shot of making the roster to start the year, but his spot in the organization is tenuous.

Bukauskas appeared in just five games for Milwaukee last season and he didn't give up a run in six innings of work. He did deal with injuries that limited his opportunities. Heading into 2024, he's not among the group of trusted relievers for manager Pat Murphy.

Given that Bukauskas has shown well in his few opportunities and he's out of options, he has a good chance to make the Opening Day roster, but he won't have much time to prove himself as a trusted option. Any sort of a slip up and Bukauskas could find himself on waivers. Because of that, it's unlikely he makes it to the end of the 2024 season in a Brewers uniform.