The Brewers got a little more breathing room with catcher Jeferson Quero, and that could matter beyond just his own path to Milwaukee.
According to Matt Trueblood of Brewer Fanatic, Quero will have a fourth option year in 2027. That gives the Brewers more flexibility to keep him in the organization without having to expose him to waivers, which is a useful wrinkle for a player whose development has hit a few bumps.
Normally, clubs get three option years with a player on the 40-man roster. Once a player is optioned and spends at least 20 days in the minors during a season, that option is used up.
Quero was added to Milwaukee’s 40-man roster in November of 2023 to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft, and he has spent most of his time in the minors since then. His only major league appearance so far came in March of this year, and he burned through his three option seasons in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
The extra option comes because a player can qualify for a fourth one if he has used the first three but still hasn’t played five full seasons. A full season, by MLB’s definition, means being active for at least 90 days across the majors and minors combined, or being active for 30 days with injured-list time pushing the total to 90 days or more. That framework is meant to leave out short rookie-ball seasons and years wiped out by major injuries.
Quero’s case fits that setup. He played rookie ball in 2021, but that doesn’t count as a full season.
From 2022 through 2026, he was in full-season leagues, but his 2024 season was derailed by right shoulder surgery. Because he wasn’t active for at least 30 days, that year doesn’t count as a full season either, which is why the Brewers get the fourth option.
That matters because Quero still brings plenty of intrigue, even if the shine has dulled a bit. He was once viewed as a major prospect; Baseball America ranked him among the top 50 players in the league from 2023 to 2025.
But the questions are still there. He has only one big league game on his résumé, he missed essentially all of 2024 because of the shoulder surgery, and his latest minor league season was a step back.
At Triple-A this year, he hit .245/.315/.397 for a 88 wRC+, a sharp drop from every other minor league season of his career, which finished with a wRC+ of at least 105.
Without that extra option, Quero would have created more roster pressure heading into spring. Now the Brewers can leave him at Triple-A for another year and keep evaluating. He just turned 24, so there’s still time for the picture to change.
There’s also a broader roster angle here, because Quero’s status could affect what Milwaukee does with William Contreras. Contreras is scheduled to hit free agency after the 2027 season, and the Brewers have a long history of moving star players before they reach that point, including Corbin Burnes, Josh Hader, Devin Williams and Freddy Peralta.
For a while, many figured Contreras would be next. But that idea may be losing steam. Reporting last month indicated the extra money from the Brewers’ World Series run could help them keep him, and dealing him now would also bring a public relations hit after his World Series MVP performance.
If Quero were forcing the issue with a strong push for a major league job, Milwaukee might feel more urgency to make a move with Contreras. Instead, with Quero’s progress slowing, the Brewers may be more comfortable postponing that decision. The added option makes that easier.
Milwaukee also has Bo Naylor on the roster and could use him as Contreras’ backup. The club could also bring back Gary Sánchez or look elsewhere in free agency. Whoever handles the backup role in the majors, Quero could still get regular at-bats in the minors.
Recent columns from Anthony Castrovince and Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, along with Robert Murray of FanSided, also downplayed the chances of a Contreras trade. If Contreras is still with the Brewers at the end of 2027, he would be a candidate for a qualifying offer, assuming that system survives the next collective bargaining agreement.
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