Brewers: 5 Players Who Have No Business Being on the Playoff Roster

When it comes to the regular season, a bunch of players come and go from the roster over the course of 162 games. That was especially true for the Milwaukee Brewers, who saw nearly 60 different players hit the active roster at different points in the 2023 season.

When it comes to the playoffs, that trend comes to a stop. It is now all about putting the 26 best, healthiest players in the dugout and on the field and giving yourself the best chance to win and advance to the next round.

Soon, the Brewers will have to make decisions on who will be on the roster for a short Wild Card series against whoever it is they end up playing. And there are a handful of players who should not be under consideration for any of those roster spots.

Here are five players who have no business being on the Brewers' playoff roster.

1. 3B Brian Anderson

One of the odder situations of the 2023 Brewers season surrounded third baseman Brian Anderson. After returning from the injured list in August, the veteran was somewhat ghosted as the team made their playoff push, playing in just three games after August 16th.

Some of that was due to the emergence of Andruw Monasterio, who finally provided some offensive consistency at the third base position. It was also due to the acquisition of Josh Donaldson, who joined the team's roster in September and got some playing time at the position himself.

Despite his lack of playing time, Anderson has remained on the active roster down the stretch. It could be that manager Craig Counsell liked having a veteran presence around the team or what he added to the clubhouse culture.

But again, once the playoffs start, the Brewers need every player on the roster to be someone who has the chance to contribute positively if needed. If Anderson doesn't have the chance of even playing in a game, then there's no point in him being on the playoff roster.

2. RP Andrew Chafin

At the 2023 trade deadline, the Brewers made three main trades to improve the roster. Two of those moves, the one to acquire first baseman Carlos Santana and especially the one to bring in outfielder Mark Canha, worked out quite well for the Crew.

The other one, which saw them acquire reliever Andrew Chafin, did not go nearly as well.

Chafin was acquired by Milwaukee at the trade deadline to give the team some extra lefty firepower out of the bullpen. While southpaw Hoby Milner had held his own all season, the Brewers hadn't had much success experimenting with other lefties alongside him.

And though his first few outings went well enough, Chafin has struggled in a majority of his other appearances for the Brewers. In 14.2 innings pitched, the 33-year-old has a 6.75 ERA and 1.432 WHIP, has given up three home runs and has 14 strikeouts compared to nine walks.

With generally more off days between games, bullpens tend to be fresher in the postseason and teams go with their main relievers more often. Chafin is definitely not a main reliever at this point and doesn't need to be on the roster.

3. SP Julio Teheran

In late May, the Brewers found their starting rotation down Brandon Woodruff and Wade Miley and in desperate need of some reinforcement. One move they made in an attempt to stabilize things was to sign veteran starter Julio Teheran.

Once an elite starter for the Atlanta Braves, Teheran's production went off a cliff in 2020 before being sidelined for most of 2021 due to injury. After being out of the majors entirely in 2022, he was signed to a minor league contract with the Padres earlier this season before being signed by the Brewers in May.

That last change of scenery appeared to be all Teheran needed as he was amazing for the Brewers in his first handful of starts. In his first six starts, he gave up no more than two earned runs, putting up a 1.53 ERA along the way.

Teheran would come crashing back to earth after that before landing on the injured list for most of August and September. He is healthy now and back with the team, but with the starting rotation also back to full health Teheran is now pitching in a bullpen role.

With starting rotations shortened in the playoffs, especially in a short Wild Card round, Teheran won't be needed as a starter in the postseason. And since the Brewers can turn to one of their back end starters in the event that they need a long relief option, he shouldn't be needed on the roster as a reliever either and should be kept off of the roster entirely.

4. SP Colin Rea

The story of Colin Rea's contributions to the Brewers in 2023 is very similar to that of Teheran. The only difference is how they originated.

Some Brewers fans may not have remembered, but Rea had made one career appearance for the Crew prior to this season, a long relief outing in the second to last game of the 2021 season to help save some bullpen arms going into the playoffs. Back with the team in the minors in 2023, Rea was called up early this year for more of that rotation depth.

Though it wasn't always pretty, Rea ended up being an unsung hero for how he helped the Brewers navigate through injuries to the rotation. Yes, he has a 4.74 ERA on the season. But he also has a 6-6 record in 21 starts for Milwaukee and the team has a 13-8 record when he has started a game this season.

The decision on Rea's roster status is the exact same as Teheran's. The Brewers will largely be reliant on the Big 3 of Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Freddy Peralta to get lead the rotation into the playoffs with Wade Miley likely getting first crack at a start behind them.

Rea should be widely commended for how he was able to shore up the rotation this season. But he should not be on the team's playoff roster.