In the wake of the Milwaukee Brewers’ 4-2, season-ending loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at American Family Field on Wednesday, the home clubhouse was abuzz with activity.Clubhouse workers scurrying about, some players packing up their lockers and exchanging hugs, others preparing for long drives or plane rides back home.There’s no question the Brewers depart as a team feeling like it didn’t fully take care of business, having gotten off to the best 50-game start in franchise history only to stumble badly down the stretch and miss the postseason for the first time since 2017.Can the core of the team be kept together and make another run at it in 2023?That’s what president of baseball operations David Stearns and his staff will need to figure out over the coming weeks and months, with the hot stove league heating up at the end of November and the start of December.The Brewers have the ability to bring their entire starting rotation back as well as many other key pieces.But, considering how the team as a whole underachieved, will they?At the very least, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the position-player group undergo a major overhaul, with catcher, second base, third base and potentially center field being manned by new players — some of whom will more than likely be promoted from Class AAA Nashville.Garrett Mitchell spent the last month-plus with the Brewers and flashed his considerable promise, while fellow outfielder Esteury Ruiz also had a cup of coffee. Sal Frelick, the Brewers’ 2021 first-round pick, and Joey Wiemer also should debut in the outfield at some point.More: Jackson Chourio, who earned two promotions in his first season as a pro, is the Brewers’ top minor-leaguer for 2022The home-run-centric offensive philosophy worked at times but wasn’t sustainable for the long haul as the Brewers routinely struggled to score runs and their leading qualifying hitter was right fielder Hunter Renfroe, with only a .255 average.”Pressure is a privilege,” said first baseman Rowdy Tellez, one of a number of players whose contract will need to be re-upped in the offseason. “We’re a team that came through this with our bull’s eye on our back. We let ourselves down, but we’ll be back next year.”There’s always the year after and I think in the long run, we’re going to have a really good team. We have a young core. We have guys who proved themselves this year and guys who were able to do a lot of things that were expected but also were able to go above and beyond.”And, we brought up some new guys who showed us what they can do, so it was exciting.”With labor peace between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association now in place through 2026, spring training will begin on time and last the full six weeks, and the regular-season schedule will kick off at the end of March.What will the 2023 Brewers look like at that point?The next four to five months will be telling.These are the Brewers players under contract for next season, including their 2023 salaries OF-DH Christian Yelich ($22 million, with $4 million deferred)RHP Freddy Peralta ($3,734,960)LHP Aaron Ashby ($1.2 million)Yelich, in the first year of the nine-year, $215 million extension he signed March 6, 2020, accounted for 15.4% of the Brewers’ 2022 payroll with his adjusted salary of $22 million. Considering what Yelich is owed, his age (he turns 31 on Dec. 5) and his no-trade clause, Milwaukee has to hope he can build off a slightly more productive 2022 and at least return to being the type of hitter he was during the first phase of his career with Miami.Peralta just completed the second year of the five-year extension he signed Feb. 28, 2020, and was the 11th-highest-paid player on the team. His 2023 and 2024 salaries are also extremely team-friendly with the number bumping up to $8 million in 2025 and 2026 (both team options, with a $1.5 million buyout in 2025).The extension Ashby signed July 23 was for five years and worth $20.5 million, a deal comparable to Peralta’s that gives the Brewers cost certainty on another young arm. Milwaukee also owns team options on Ashby in 2028 ($9 million with a $1.5 million buyout) and 2029 ($13 million), with various incentives that begin accruing in 2025.These Brewers players have pending club options for the 2023 season2B Kolten Wong ($10 million)RHP Brad Boxberger ($3 million)The free-agent deal Wong signed Feb. 5, 2021, was essentially for two years and $18 million: $7 million in 2021 and $8 million this season with a $1 million signing bonus. The remaining $2 million is the buyout in the $10 million option the Brewers hold for 2023.Wong had a career year in the power department with 15 homers. But his defense dropped off dramatically from three errors in 2021 to a career-high-tying 17 this season, and he turns 32 on Oct. 10.With Luis Urías still under team control and top infield prospect Brice Turang ready to graduate to the majors from Class AAA Nashville, it would appear Wong’s days in Milwaukee are finished.”I think if I take care of me being in the present, the future will take care of itself,” he said earlier in the season. “Trying to focus on that, focusing on finishing strong. If they want me here next year, great. If not, I’m sure there are other teams out there that will want me.“So, I’m not really worried about it.”Boxberger returned to the Brewers at the outset of camp this spring on a one-year, $1.75 million deal that included a $3 million team option for 2023 with a $750,000 buyout. Boxberger turns 35 in May but has been one of the Brewers’ steadiest performers out of the bullpen since joining the team last season, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him back.”I’d love to be back,” Boxberger said. “I’m hopeful that (the option) does get picked up, but if it doesn’t I’ll see what happens this offseason.”These Brewers players are pending arbitration-eligibleSS Willy AdamesUTIL Mike BrosseauRHP Corbin BurnesRHP Matt BushC Victor CaratiniRHP Trevor GottRHP Jandel GustaveUTIL Keston HiuraRHP Adrian HouserLHP Eric LauerLHP Hoby MilnerRHP Luis PerdomoRF Hunter RenfroeLHP Brent Suter1B Rowdy TellezINF Luis UríasRHP Devin WilliamsRHP Brandon WoodruffWith only three players under contract for 2023 (and options on Wong and Boxberger), it might appear as though the Brewers would have all sorts of room to make moves and signings.But it’s only actually somewhat true.Milwaukee has a whopping 18 players who are arbitration eligible, including starters Burnes, Woodruff, Lauer and Houser, closer Williams, shortstop Adames, first baseman Tellez and right fielder Renfroe – all of whom are going to be due large raises.Burnes, building off his 2021 National League Cy Young Award, and Woodruff, who was arguably the team’s best pitcher over the final three months, are likely looking at salaries in the $10 million range for 2023.Undoubtedly, the Brewers would like to lock at least one of Burnes, Woodruff or Adames into some sort of extension. But with Burnes and Woodruff in particular only a couple years away from potentially cashing in big-time as free agents, the chances of that happening probably aren’t great.One template for a potential Woodruff deal could be the five-year, $100 million contract Joe Musgrove and the San Diego Padres agreed to in early August. Both will be 30 for the 2023 season and while Musgrove is more accomplished, he also has much more mileage on his arm (859 career innings compared to 613⅓ for Woodruff).Adames is entering the sweet spot of his career – he just turned 27, he’s had a career year in homers (31) and RBI (98) and plays a premium position well.“If it’s something that’s good for both sides – I let my agent handle that – I’m open to it,” said Adames. “I love it here, I feel good here, I feel comfortable here and I wish I could stay here the rest of my career. But at the end of the day, they have to put everything together and see if we can work something out.“Hopefully we can, and we can make it happen. But I’m always willing to hear what they have to say.”The Brewers went through a similar scenario this spring and came to agreements with nine of their 10 arbitration-eligible players by the deadline with only Houser choosing to go to a hearing (which he lost).There are also sure to be a few non-tender candidates on the list (that deadline looms toward the end of November).One name to watch will be the 33-year-old Suter, the longest-tenured player on the team who had his least-effective season since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2019 but still brings tremendous value in terms of versatility, leadership in the clubhouse and community relations.These players are pre-arbitration eligibleRHP Jake CousinsRHP Peter StrzeleckiOF Tyrone TaylorRHP Justin TopaThese players have less than three years of service time, meaning they will re-sign for or have their contracts renewed somewhere around the MLB minimum.Others who would fit into this category if they are brought back are right-handers Jason Alexander, Trevor Kelley and Miguel Sánchez and utility man Pablo ReyesThese players are pending free agentsOF Andrew McCutchenC Omar NarváezINF Jace PetersonLHP Taylor RogersRHP Trevor RosenthalThe Brewers signed the decorated McCutchen for $8.5 million days into camp to be their primary designated hitter and to help bolster the lineup against left-handed pitching.“Cutch” did finish fourth in games played on the Brewers with 134 and also made 49 combined starts at all three outfield positions. But he hit only .237 with 17 homers and 69 RBI with an OPS of .700 while actually hitting right-handed pitching better.McCutchen turns 36 next week and already has indicated a desire to play again next season.The 33-year-old Peterson might be worth bringing back at the right price considering his versatility and gamer mentality, as he played the final two-plus months of the season with a torn ligament in his left elbow.It wouldn’t be surprising for the Brewers to look to clean house and start fresh behind the plate, where Narváez and Caratini were solid defensively but added little with the bat and prospect Mario Feliciano might finally be ready for prime time.Rogers was put in a tough spot as he was expected to fill Josh Hader’s sizeable shoes and was unable to do so, while the trade for Rosenthal added nothing as he never took the mound for the Brewers after yet another injury.”I definitely have a different perspective, and going forward will treat people different that come in with that ‘rental’ tag,” Rogers said. “It’s difficult. Hopefully there’s a phone call (from the Brewers), and we’ll see what happens.”You never know about these things. Minnesota (the team he began 2022 with before being traded to San Diego and then Milwaukee) said they’d be calling too, so who knows? I’m just going to try to stay neutral and see what comes. Because I never thought I’d be playing in Milwaukee.”So, I don’t want to rule anything out.”THANK YOU: Subscribers’ support makes this work possible. Help us share the knowledge by buying a gift subscription.
