Veteran catcher opts out of contract with Brewers ahead of Opening Day

Opening Day is just five days away, and the Milwaukee Brewers' initial 26-man roster is all but set. The questions that remain exist on the pitching side of things, but just moments ago, it was essentially confirmed which 13 position players will open the season on the Brewers' roster.

14 position players remained on the Brewers' major league roster on Saturday morning, but as recently announced by Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on the social media platform X, catcher Reese McGuire has opted out of his contract.

As a result, the following 13 players have essentially earned spots on the Brewers' Opening Day roster:

Catchers (2): William Contrereas, Gary Sánchez

Infielders (6): Andrew Vaughn, Jake Bauers, Brice Turang, Joey Ortiz, Luis Rengifo, David Hamilton

Outfielders (5): Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick, Brandon Lockridge, Christian Yelich

McGuire opting out of his contract doesn't necessarily put an end to his time in Milwaukee, but rather it simply means that he can seek out better opportunities with other teams -- ones that guarantee the left-handed catcher a spot on a big-league roster. However, if McGuire doesn't find a better opportunity, he's free to return to the Brewers and serve as valuable catching depth in Triple-A.

Reese McGuire opts out of Brewers contract, could return to Milwaukee on a new deal

When the Brewers signed McGuire to a minor league deal in late January, it appeared as if the former Chicago Cub had a good chance of becoming William Contreras' backup at the beginning of the season. However, two weeks later, the Brewers reunited with veteran catcher Gary Sánchez on a major league deal, in a move that pushed McGuire farther down the depth chart.

With Sánchez on a major league contract and holding a spot on the 40-man roster, it became clear that McGuire's spot was going to be in Triple-A to start the 2026 season, leading the former first-round pick to opt out of his contract in search of a better opportunity.

While the Brewers would certainly benefit from bringing McGuire back and sending him to Nashville to start the year as catching depth in Triple-A, the presence of former top prospect Jeferson Quero must be noted. Many expected Quero to assume the backup catcher duties at the start of the 2026 season, but over the offseason the Brewers lost confidence in his ability to jump to the big leagues after a shortened 2025 campaign in Triple-A. Quero needs just a bit more development in Triple-A, but remains the Brewers' catcher of the future, so they don't want to make any moves that jeopardize his ability to receive consistent opportunities.

McGuire was an intriguing signing for the Brewers this offseason. He was the 14th overall pick in the 2013 draft and has never reached his full potential. That's a profile the Brewers have had success with in recent seasons (see Andrew Vaughn and Quinn Priester). Time will tell if McGuire stays in Milwaukee, but for now, he starts the search for a better opportunity elsewhere.