Brewers: 5 Players the Team Could Non-Tender at the Deadline

2. RHP Jandel Gustave

If the Brewers want to improve in 2023, they are going to need their bullpen to be better. Milwaukee relievers finished 19th in the league last year with a combined 2.5 fWAR and 17th with a 3.94 ERA. That's a development few fans were expecting.

Though some members of that bullpen are no longer on the roster (Brad Boxberger and Taylor Rogers for starters), it could use more of an overhaul. One of those roster casualties could be right-hander Jandel Gustave.

Gustave has pitched in just 41 games for the Brewers over two seasons and has put up okay numbers with a 3.69 ERA and 1.209 WHIP. But the Crew haven't exactly entrusted him with the most intense of work as 62.8% of the plate appearances against him were what Baseball Reference considered as low leverage.

Gustave is only projected to make $900k in arbitration next season and does have one minor league option remaining, so he could be retained for the price and the flexibility. But if the Brewers are serious about upgrading the relief corps, that could mean replacing the 30-year-old reliever.

3. C Alex Jackson

When the Brewers were going through some early turnover at the catcher position right away in the 2023 regular season, the first thing they did was trade for Caratini. Shortly thereafter, they traded for a project in Alex Jackson.

Jackson was a former 6th overall pick by the Mariners in 2014 who had never quite lived up to that status. In his first year in the Milwaukee system, he spent most of his time at Triple-A Nashville save for the five games he played for the Brewers.

Jackson's numbers at Nashville weren't much to brag about. He only ended up playing 31 games there due to injury and slashed .226/.319/.382 with eight doubles and a pair of home runs. He did throw out 36% of runners on the defensive side.

The 26-year-old is still pre-arbitration eligible and will make the league minimum but is unlikely to be the future for the team with Mario Feliciano and Payton Henry also on the roster and highly-regarded Jeferson Quero coming in a couple years. If Caratini isn't non-tendered, the Brewers could decide to put the Alex Jackson project to rest.