Is Crew content with offseason after Williams trade?

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MILWAUKEE -- Was the Devin Williams trade the Brewers¡¯ one big move this winter?

The next month and a half will tell.

Finding the right deal for Williams was GM Matt Arnold¡¯s top priority for this offseason, and he got it done in the wake of the Winter Meetings, sending Williams to the Yankees for lefty starter Nestor Cortes (a free agent-to-be), infield prospect Caleb Durbin (who figures to help solve for the departure of free agent shortstop Willy Adames) and a reported $4.5 million to apply elsewhere or deposit into the bank.

For Arnold, it was important to cross Williams¡¯ status off the club¡¯s to-do list.

¡°I think we feel good about our foundation,¡± Arnold said. ¡°[This] allows us to really focus on good baseball deals and really start to be creative and opportunistic.¡±

That leaves the door wide open for moves big and small, or it means the Brewers are content to stay put. FanGraphs currently projects a $118 million payroll for Milwaukee next season, which includes estimates for arbitration-eligible players and unsigned zero-to-three players. That¡¯s right in line with FanGraphs¡¯ estimate of $116 million at the end of last season, when Milwaukee won the NL Central for the third time in four years.

Club officials haven¡¯t made any public proclamations, but they¡¯re expected to keep payroll in the same range as recent seasons. Remember, the Brewers are losing one steady revenue stream next year with the move away from Bally Sports Wisconsin and to MLB producing and distributing game broadcasts.

For the sake of something to discuss at holiday gatherings, let¡¯s say Milwaukee doesn¡¯t make any more major transactions. Might a 26-man Opening Day roster look something like this?

Starting pitchers
Freddy Peralta
Nestor Cortes
Tobias Myers
Aaron Civale
Aaron Ashby
DL Hall

Brandon Woodruff is the huge wild card here as he attempts a comeback from the major right shoulder surgery he underwent in October 2023. Ashby and Hall are question marks as well, in that each had success last season in relief. However, pitching coach Chris Hook has said he wants them to compete for the rotation.

Relief pitchers
Trevor Megill
Joel Payamps
Jared Koenig
Bryan Hudson
Nick Mears
Elvis Peguero
Connor Thomas

The Brewers have had MLB¡¯s second-best bullpen ERA each of the past two seasons, and they¡¯ll try to sustain that success despite Williams¡¯ departure. Hall and/or Ashby could figure prominently here, as will Abner Uribe, though he¡¯s left out of this Opening Day exercise because he¡¯ll have to serve a suspension before he pitches in the big leagues. Thomas is a Rule 5 pick, so he¡¯ll have to make the cut or be offered back to the Cardinals. Payamps and Mears are out of options.

Depth pieces for the ¡¯pen include J.B. Bukauskas, Grant Wolfram, Tyler Jay and prospects like Logan Henderson (Milwaukee¡¯s No. 11 prospect), who is on the 40-man roster, and Jacob Misiorowski (No. 3) and Craig Yoho (No. 21), who are not. Non-roster invitee Deivi Garc¨ªa is very interesting.

Catchers
William Contreras
Eric Haase

Contreras is a workhorse who is emerging as one of the best players in baseball. Waiting in the wings is Jeferson Quero, MLB Pipeline¡¯s top Brewers prospect, who missed all of last season following surgery on his throwing shoulder.

Infielders
Rhys Hoskins
Brice Turang
Joey Ortiz
Caleb Durbin
Andruw Monasterio
Isaac Collins

So many questions. Who plays shortstop? Is Durbin ready for the Majors? Will Sal Frelick figure on the infield -- an idea the Brewers seriously pondered but never executed last season? Where will Tyler Black figure in? Will Oliver Dunn (who is still on the 40-man roster) bounce back? With the most important position on the infield up for grabs, this looks like the most likely area of the club for Arnold and his staff to get creative and opportunistic.

Outfielders
Jackson Chourio
Sal Frelick
Garrett Mitchell
Blake Perkins
Christian Yelich

Yelich looks to be on track for Opening Day after undergoing back surgery in August, and the Brewers have the depth to cover the outfield ably if he¡¯s the designated hitter early in the season.

So much can change between now and Opening Day. Let¡¯s see how close this collection of players matches the one on the chalk lines at Yankee Stadium on March 27.