Top MLB insider gives scathing review of Brewers' offseason compared to rivals

Even for the most optimistic of Milwaukee Brewers fans, this offseason has been pretty underwhelming. Even ignoring trading away Devin Williams because Milwaukee seems to have gotten a decent return for him with Nestor Cortes and Caleb Durbin, the Brewers have done little to improve their big league roster outside of that trade and obviously they lost Willy Adames to the Giants.

The rationale for this strategy is a familiar talking point. Milwaukee is a very small market, "they have to spend within their means", and they are never going to be players for the top free agents because they are just too expensive. Those are arguments as to why they didn't bid on Juan Soto, but decidedly less so when it comes to their complete unwillingness to spend basically at all.

It looks like the Brewers failing to bring back Wade Miley was the moment that finally started to get folks' attention. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal recently wrote that the Brewers' inaction is puzzling especially when compared to what the division rival Reds are doing.

Ken Rosenthal gives Brewers reality check when it comes to their offseason strategy

Look, there are baseball reasons to not re-sign Miley. He is coming off an injury and is 38 years old. If that was the rationale for thinking that he wasn't going to actually help the Brewers in 2025, so be it. $2.5 million is a pittance in today's game, but if the Brewers just thought he wouldn't bounce back and there wasn't a case to try even at that price, that is completely fair.

However, that the Brewers have found almost no one to give a major league to is honestly troubling. Yes, we know Milwaukee isn't going to spend like the Dodgers or even the Blue Jays, being in a small market doesn't seem to be stopping the small market Reds from making moves. As Rosenthal put it succinctly, "The Miley move might prove relatively inconsequential. But it further demonstrates how differently the Reds and Brewers — who play in two of the game’s smallest markets — are approaching the offseason."

The Reds are making moves left and right to try and improve their roster. They just signed Austin Hays to beef up their outfield and traded for Brady Singer as well as Gavin Lux earlier this offseason. These aren't blockbuster moves by any means, but it is clear that Cincinnati is at least trying and exploring options to improve despite their market size.

In a lot of ways, the Reds as well as the Cubs are probably emboldened right now because the Brewers seem to be mostly standing pat. Milwaukee will still be a competitive team in 2025 as they have young talent to help their cause, but they will only have themselves to blame if they let their division rivals pass them by.

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