The Milwaukee Brewers are already going to be without two of their biggest cornerstone players from the past six seasons. Brandon Woodruff was non-tendered following should injuries that cost him most of last season and will keep him from pitching in 2024 as well. Corbin Burnes, as many expected, was traded ahead of Spring Training for infielder Joey Ortiz and left-handed pitcher DL Hall.
And, of course, Milwaukee is moving forward without former manager Craig Counsell, who ditched his hometown team for the Chicago Cubs.
While these moves might have indicated that the Brewers were going into rebuilding mode, the exact opposite is true. The Brewers gave free agent first baseman Rhys Hoskins a two-year $34 million deal in a very uncharacteristic move for the usually penny-pinching franchise. They also apparently went out and signed Gary Sanchez to be their DH, though no one knows that status of that deal right now.
Milwaukee was also rumored to be shopping two of their other major contributors, but now have cut off all talks with other teams concerning them (at least, for now).
The Milwaukee Brewers Are No Longer Shopping Willy Adames
Jon Heyman of The New York Post recently wrote:
“The Brewers are unpredictable, but for now they are not shopping star closer Devin Williams or shortstop Willy Adames, who are both free agents after the year.”
Adames is in the final year of arbitration after hitting .217/.310/.407 last season with 24 home runs and 80 RBI. He led the team in both categories.
While Adames has said it is his preference to stay in Milwaukee, the likelihood that the Brewers will be able to afford him is not high. He was shopped before last year’s trade deadline as well and earlier this winter, but Milwaukee did not find any suitable offers.
The Milwaukee Brewers Are Not Shopping Devin Williams, Who Is Not a Free Agent After the Season
Contrary to what Heyman wrote, Williams is not a free agent at the end of the 2024 season. He is under club control until after the 2025 season, so he has the same amount of time left of club control that Josh Hader had when the Brewers traded him to the San Diego Padres in 2022.
Williams, the 2020 National League Rookie of the Year, is coming of a season in which he had 36 saves to go with a 1.53 ERA.
Should the Brewers be in contention at the trade deadline, they will likely try to avoid making the same mistake they did with trading Hader and throwing off the clubhouse chemistry. If Williams is traded, it likely will not be until next offseason.
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1 Comment
Good correction to Heyman on D Williams, Robin… Take no joy in Williams not being traded until next off-season, though. Given what Burnes fetched with a year remaining, imagine how little a closer will return.
I’d be happier with a trade like the Hader deal. During the season, with a chance at the postseason. That return is just going to be better.