White Sox swap one former Brewers pitcher for another

The Milwaukee Brewers took a calculated risk when they decided not to retain Bryse Wilson following the 2024 season. Now, less than halfway through the 2025 campaign, that decision is looking more and more like the right one.

On June 10, the Chicago White Sox designated Wilson for assignment after 19 appearances — a swift departure of a pitcher who simply couldn't recapture any competence he once showed in Milwaukee. With the White Sox’ recent acquisition of Aaron Civale, it's as if the team swapped one former Brewers pitcher for another.

Civale isn't the only former Brewer pitching for Chicago, with Tyler Alexander, Adrian Houser, and former Brewers' farmhand Shane Smith all logging innings for the American League's worst team. Perhaps the overlap should come as no surprise, as the Brewers' former run prevention coordinator, Walker McKinven, now serves as the bench coach for the White Sox. Even still, the Brewers have seemingly made the right choices when it comes to the difficult pitching personnel decisions that they've had to make this season.

Brewers’ decision to move on from Bryse Wilson looks smarter by the day

Wilson’s time with the White Sox was nothing short of a disaster. In 19 outings (including five starts), the right-hander posted an ugly 6.95 ERA, a 1.90 WHIP, and failed to register a single win, finishing 0–2. Opponents squared him up often, and his outings increasingly felt more like damage control than run prevention.

The numbers tell a clear story. Used as a hybrid reliever and spot starter, Wilson simply couldn’t deliver quality innings in any role. 

This wasn't the version of Bryse Wilson the Brewers got in 2023 and even 2024. Last season, he made 34 appearances, including nine starts, and gave Milwaukee a reliable swingman capable of eating innings without imploding. He finished with a 5–4 record, a 4.04 ERA, and a respectable 1.27 WHIP over 104.2 innings pitched — a solid contribution for a pitcher bouncing between the rotation and bullpen.

However, Milwaukee's front office read the situation well. Despite Wilson's relatively steady performance, the Brewers chose not to bring him back for 2025. Whether it was his diminishing strikeout rate, underlying contact metrics, or the growing depth of the organization’s pitching corps, they knew it was in their best interest not to invest further in a pitcher teetering on the edge of regression.

The White Sox gave Wilson a chance — and it blew up in their face. Their decision to DFA him by early June speaks volumes. Milwaukee’s restraint now looks less like a gamble and more like a well-informed pivot. With rising arms climbing the ranks, the Brewers clearly had the flexibility to move on. Sometimes, the smartest moves are the ones you don’t make.