While the Yankees and Dodgers were still battling in the World Series, the Brewers wasted no time keeping one of their team’s key pieces around.
On Tuesday, it was announced that Chris Hook, the pitching coach, had signed a multi-year deal to stick with the ballclub.
Hook has been with the Brewers organization since 2008 and has been the pitching coach of the major league ball club dating back to 2018.
There is no way to overstate Hook’s impact on Milwaukee’s pitching staff over the years; however, the Brewers showing little hesitation in bringing Hook back into the fold should speak volumes about his importance.
In their first official move of the offseason days later, the Brewers would decide to cut one of their veteran arms loose.
Coming off of Tommy John surgery, the Brewers decided it would be best to decline Wade Miley’s $12 million mutual option, opting for the $1.5 million buyout instead. Wade Miley intends to pitch in 2025 and will explore his options in the offseason going forward.
In other option-related news, Rhys Hoskins picked up his $18 million player option to return to the Brewers for the 2025 season.
In what was a down year for Hoskins, where he slashed .214/.303/.419 in 131 games, Hoskins is betting a bounceback year in Milwaukee will make him a hotter commodity next offseason.
On Saturday, the moves continued. The Brewers would decline the mutual option for catcher Gary Sánchez, rewarding him with a $4 million buyout.
Sánchez was also disappointing in his first season as a Brewer, and with William Contreras comfortably holding the starting job, the Brewers likely feel confident the backup role can be filled with a more affordable player. Later in the day, the Brewers would make their first trade.
Utilityman Owen Miller, who saw little time with the MLB club last year, was traded to the Rockies for cash considerations.
In the most surprising move of the young offseason, Colin Rea was placed on waivers.
With a $5.5 million team option for 2025 with a $1 million buyout, the club decided to cut ties. It’s possible this decision was driven by the 8.31 ERA he had in the final month of the season, or perhaps the looming return of big arms like Brandon Woodruff and a potential acquisition of another player pushed him out of the picture. Either way, Code Red’s days as a Brewers seem to be over.
On Sunday, The Brewers made it official that they picked up Freddy Peralta’s club option and declined club options on Devin Williams and Eric Haase.
Williams and Hasse remain with the club but will have to go through the arbitration process. However, in the case of Devin Williams, the move may signify an off-season trade.
Without a full week of the offseason in the books, Milwaukee has already proven to be active in its decision-making. With free agency, the trade market fully open, and some recently cleared roster spots, the Brewers will have some new steps to make over the next few months. This past week seems to be only the first one.
