Arnold becomes 1st Brewer to win Executive of the Year

SAN ANTONIO – Nine months ago, Matt Arnold made the excruciating decision to trade ace Corbin Burnes, capping an offseason that saw the Brewers lose manager Craig Counsell to the division-rival Cubs. To say the baseball world wasn’t optimistic about the Brewers’ chances in 2024 was an understatement.

Arnold, Milwaukee’s senior vice president and general manager who took over the top spot in the club’s baseball operations department prior to the 2023 season, remained a believer.

Nine months, 58 players and 93 victories later, Arnold’s work was recognized Monday night when he was named MLB’s 2024 Executive of the Year Presented by Sage. Arnold is the first Brewers executive to earn the honor, which is voted on by executives from all 30 clubs prior to the start of the postseason.

Arnold’s first major move for the 2024 season was naming long-time bench coach Pat Murphy as Counsell’s replacement in mid-November, a decision that helped set the tone for the club.

Less than three weeks later, the Brewers signed top prospect Jackson Chourio to an eight-year, $82 million contract, a record commitment to a player with no Major League experience. Chourio rewarded Milwaukee by becoming the youngest player to record a 20/20 season.

Rhys Hoskins proved to be a solid free-agent signing, while Joey Ortiz, part of the return in the Burnes trade, had a good rookie season. But it was the moves on the pitching side that may have been the most impactful.

With Brandon Woodruff out for the season and Burnes’ trade to Baltimore, the Brewers had some big holes to fill on the pitching staff. Wade Miley made only two starts before his season ended due to injury, while Jakob Junis made one start before landing on the injured list for nearly three months. Joe Ross was inconsistent in April and May, then made only one start between May 20 and Aug. 6 as he battled injuries. All-Star closer Devin Williams missed the first four months of the season with stress fractures in his back.

Arnold and his front office kept plugging the holes, getting solid seasons from unheralded free-agent signings including Tobias Myers (9-6, 3.00 ERA in 138 innings), Jared Koenig (2.47 ERA in 62 innings) and Bryan Hudson (1.73 ERA in 62 1/3 innings). Midseason trades for Aaron Civale (6-3, 3.53 ERA in 74 innings) and Frankie Montas (3-3, 4.55 ERA in 57 1/3 innings) helped stabilize the rotation, as the Brewers won 93 games to capture their second straight NL Central title.

The 93 wins were 14 more than PECOTA’s 79-win projection prior to Opening Day. Milwaukee’s 93 wins tied for the fourth-most in the Majors, trailing only the Dodgers, Phillies and Yankees. The Brewers have won four division titles since 2018, qualifying for the postseason six times in the past seven seasons.

Royals GM J.J. Picollo finished second in the vote, while Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti – the 2022 winner – placed third.

MLB began its official Executive of the Year Award at the conclusion of the 2018 season, with Billy Beane of the Athletics earning the inaugural honors, followed by Erik Neander of the Rays in 2019, Andrew Friedman of the Dodgers in 2020, Farhan Zaidi of the Giants in 2021, Antonetti in 2022 and Mike Elias of the Orioles in 2023.