The Milwaukee Brewers are done celebrating a World Series title and already staring down the next round of roster business.
With Matt Arnold and his baseball operations group mapping out the offseason under the threat of a looming lockout, the club has a long list of contract calls to make. Some familiar names could be headed elsewhere, while others from the championship roster may wind up on a different path with Milwaukee.
This is where the 40-man roster stands for the 2027 season, with a few important procedural notes attached. All options - player, club, or mutual - have to be handled within five days after the World Series ends.
Mutual options are almost always declined. Players who are eligible for a qualifying offer must get one in that same five-day window, then have seven more days to decide whether to accept it and remain under contract for 2027.
The qualifying offer this year is reportedly $23.15 million, though that figure could still change once MLB officially announces it.
Arbitration-eligible players must be tendered a contract by the end of November. That is separate from simply swapping salary figures for a hearing, but it keeps them under contract.
If they are non-tendered, they become free agents. The same deadline applies to pre-arbitration players and those on minor-league deals, which are generally one-year agreements.
Arbitration projections here come from MLB Trade Rumors, and pre-arbitration players are generally paid close to the MLB minimum, which was $780,000 for 2026. That minimum is expected to rise to $1 million in the new collective bargaining agreement.
Super 2 players reach arbitration a year early and get four years of eligibility.
There are 42 players listed here, not 40, because players on the 60-day injured list do not count toward the roster total. Everyone comes off the injured list after the World Series as a matter of procedure, regardless of health status.
Any player, whether arbitration-eligible or a free agent, can re-sign with the Padres at any time. Other teams cannot begin negotiations until five days after the World Series ends.
Unless otherwise noted, any free agent can be extended a qualifying offer.
On the pitching side, Grant Anderson is in his first year of arbitration, with a projection of $1 million. Aaron Ashby is due $7.7 million as the final year of his five-year, $20.5 million deal, which includes club options for 2028 at $9 million and 2029 at $13 million.
Coleman Crow, Shane Drohan, Kyle Harrison, Logan Henderson, Jacob Misiorowski, Chad Patrick, Brandon Sproat, Garrett Stallings, and Abner Uribe are all pre-arbitration. Brian Fitzpatrick is on the 60-day IL after Tommy John surgery on his left elbow and is also pre-arbitration.
Robert Gasser is pre-arbitration and outside Super 2 status.
DL Hall is in his first year of arbitration with a $1 million projection. Jared Koenig is also in his first arbitration year and projected at $800,000.
Dustin May has a mutual option for $20 million in 2027 with a $500,000 buyout. Trevor Megill is in his final arbitration year, projected at $8 million.
JoJo Romero is in his first arbitration year at a projected $1.3 million. Antonio Senzatela has a club option for $14 million in 2027 with no buyout.
Bryse Wilson is in his final year of arbitration, projected at $1.1 million. Brandon Woodruff is a free agent and not eligible for a qualifying offer.
Angel Zerpa is on the 60-day IL after Tommy John surgery on his left elbow and is in his second arbitration year, projected at $1.3 million. Quinn Priester is also on the 60-day IL because of right thoracic outlet syndrome.
Behind the plate, William Contreras has a club option for $14.5 million. If Milwaukee turns it down, he is in his final arbitration year with a projection of $14.6 million.
Bo Naylor is in his first arbitration year and projected at $1.5 million. Jeferson Quero is pre-arbitration.
Gary Sanchez has a mutual option for $1.75 million in 2027 with a $250,000 buyout.
The infield group includes Jake Bauers, who is a free agent. David Hamilton and Joey Ortiz are both in their first arbitration years, with projections of $1.6 million and $2.4 million, respectively.
Cooper Pratt is due $3.875 million as part of an eight-year, $50.75 million contract running through 2033. Brice Turang is in his second arbitration year as a Super 2 player, with a projection of $9.5 million.
Andrew Vaughn is in his final arbitration year and projected at $8.5 million.
In the outfield, Akil Baddoo is in his second arbitration year with a projection of $1.3 million. Jackson Chourio is due $8.25 million as part of an eight-year, $82 million contract through 2031.
Sal Frelick is in his first arbitration year, projected at $2.4 million. Luis Lara is due $2,285,714 as part of a seven-year, $31 million contract through 2032.
Brandon Lockridge is pre-arbitration. Garrett Mitchell is in his second arbitration year and projected at $2.7 million.
At designated hitter, Tyler Black is pre-arbitration, and Christian Yelich is due $26 million as part of a nine-year, $215 million contract through 2028.
In Other News...
CC Sabathia Had The Perfect Reaction To Brewers History
CC Sabathia had a front-row view of what it takes to carry a Brewers team through a big October run, and he never lost his connection to Milwaukee after his lone half-season in 2008. He was brilliant for the club that summer, then went on to win a World Series with the Yankees the next year before eventually being honored with a spot on the Brewers Wall of Honor.
So when Milwaukee finally reached the sports summit for the first time, Sabathia was among the familiar voices celebrating it. The franchises long wait ended with a title-clinching win over the Rays, and for a pitcher who once helped set the stage but never got to finish the job in Milwaukee, the reaction carried a little extra meaning. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Already Have A Pitching Question After Their Title Run
The Brewers are not even far removed from their title run, and already there is an offseason layer to sort through on the pitching side. Dustin May was part of Milwaukees 2026 World Series-winning club after arriving from the St. Louis Cardinals, giving the rotation another arm during the stretch drive and postseason push. His year was a reminder of how quickly pitching depth can come and go, with a 4.70 ERA across 31 starts since 2025 while bouncing through four teams.
Jon Heyman reported that May has declined the mutual option on his contract for 2027, setting him up to reach free agency. The timing adds another wrinkle for Milwaukee, which now has to weigh whether a pitcher who helped during the championship season fits into the next phase of roster building, even as the front office moves from celebrating the trophy to planning for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
William Contreras Just Cemented His Place In Brewers History
The Brewers finally reached the top of the sport, and William Contreras was right in the middle of it from start to finish. Milwaukees catcher delivered a strong two-way series in the five-game win, supplying timely offense while handling the back end with the kind of steady work that has made him such a central figure for this club.
Contreras rise with Milwaukee has been quick since arriving in a three-team deal in December 2022, and this run only deepened his place in franchise history. The Brewers had never won a World Series before this fall, and now they have a title, a trophy and a catcher who was named the series most valuable player, leaving his already important role in Milwaukee looking even bigger going forward. [Read more 🡒]