There's no reason for this player to still be on the Brewers roster

As the Milwaukee Brewers inch closer to the 40-game mark of the 2025 season, they find themselves hovering around the .500 mark. In a year defined by rotation injuries and roster improvisation, simply treading water might be considered a minor success. But for a franchise with postseason aspirations, “good enough” isn’t going to cut it for long. In recent years, the Brewers have won by outperforming their competition on the margins of their roster. With every roster spot being that much more important, it's time for the Crew to cut ties with one of their struggling bench bats: Vinny Capra.

What began as one of the more heartwarming stories of spring training has quickly turned into a black hole in the lineup. Capra, who forced his way onto the Opening Day roster with six home runs and a 1.087 OPS in Cactus League play, has vanished. He has simply fallen off a cliff at the plate. Through 54 at-bats, he's slashing an unsightly .074/.121/.130 with just one home run and four RBIs. He's struck out 15 times and walked only twice. The production — if you could even call it that — is beyond unsustainable.

Yes, slow starts happen. And yes, spring training darlings are a tale as old as time. But Capra wasn’t part of the original plan. He was a roster surprise, not a cornerstone. And now that the dust has settled, Milwaukee needs to stop waiting for something that isn’t coming.

The Vinny Capra experiment has run its course in Milwaukee

Capra is out of minor league options, so removing him from the roster means placing him on waivers. But at this point, that risk feels minimal. His track record, just eight hits in 42 career MLB games over four seasons, doesn't exactly suggest there will be a line of teams rushing to claim him. Should he clear waivers, the Brewers could stash him in Triple-A Nashville and see if there’s anything left to unlock.

But if we’re being honest, the writing is on the wall. Capra, now 28, looks like a classic Quad-A player. He’s had a respectable minor league career, slashing .269/.353/.395 across six seasons. But it hasn’t translated to the big leagues — and may not ever.

Meanwhile, the Brewers have an internal option waiting in the wings. Andruw Monasterio is quietly putting together a solid campaign at Triple-A Nashville after a slow start to the year, slashing .255/.341/.418 with four homers and 11 RBIs. Monasterio has been a reliable, albeit somewhat underwhelming, infield bench bat for the Brewers in recent seasons, and right now he looks like a better option than Capra.

It’s May. This isn’t an overreaction to a cold week. This is a prolonged sample size. The Brewers have given a long look at a player who has contributed next to nothing for a team trying to survive in one of baseball’s most competitive divisions. 

The Brewers didn’t need Capra to be a star. They just needed someone who could give them a fighting chance at the plate. And right now, he’s not that guy. The front office made the tough call to reward a scorching spring. Now it’s time to make the equally tough — but necessary — call to pivot.