The Milwaukee Brewers would appear to be in a strong position. They continued their playoff run, reaching the postseason for the fourth consecutive year. However, for the third consecutive year, they were bounced in the first round.
While the offense did not show up yet again, the Brewers also had to deal with the loss of a key part of their bullpen. Devin Williams punched a wall, breaking his hand and knocking him out for the postseason. It was not a surprise that the Brewers were bounced in four games by the eventual World Series winning Braves.
Three moves for the Milwaukee Brewers
There are also financial considerations on top of those ongoing playoff woes. As key pieces of the roster enter arbitration, the Brewers payroll is going to increase drastically. Can they afford to keep the roster together, or will they need to move some of their pricier options in order to fit within their budget? For a team with seemingly few holes, there are a lot of questions.
The Milwaukee Brewers have plenty of decisions to make this offseason. Let’s look at three moves they can make to continue their run of playoff appearances.
Make a decision on Josh Hader
If the Milwaukee Brewers are ever going to trade Josh Hader, this is the time to do so.
Hader continued his dominant run as the Brewers closer last year, notching 34 saves while posting a 1.23 ERA and a 0.835 WHiP over his 58.2 innings. He continued to be a strikeout machine, setting down 102 batters on strikes while issuing 24 walks. He was easily one of the more dominant relievers in the game.
That success is also about to get expensive. Hader is projected to earn over $10 million in arbitration, which may be more than the Brewers want to pay. He also has two years of team control left, including another trip through arbitration. As dominant as he is, Hader will only get more expensive.
But this is also the time to make a trade. Hader has been a part of trade rumors for years at this point, including at the trade deadline. It is time for the Brewers to make a decision – either Hader remains with the team going forward, or they end the “will they or won’t they” game once and for all with a trade.
The Milwaukee Brewers have one of the more dominant closers in the game with Josh Hader. They need to determine if they are going to keep him around or not.