A handful of spots are still up for grabs on the big league club. With rosters officially expanded to 28 players to start the season, the Milwaukee Brewers will need to decide exactly how many pitchers they want to keep, and determine how that impacts the position player pool.
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The Milwaukee Brewers always dive deep with their roster decisions, often focusing on keeping depth at various levels of the organization. MLB's announcement that teams will have a larger roster until May 1 opens up more possibilities, but there are still tough decisions to make.
Catchers (2): Omar Narvaez, Pedro Severino
Narvaez begins his third season as the Brewers starting catcher. Coming off a solid 2021 campaign, Narvaez is a free agent after the season. The right-handed hitting Severino signed as a free agent last November. Severino hits left-handed pitchers well, a perfect complement to the lefty-swinging Narvaez after longtime backup Manny Pina signed with the Atlanta Braves. Promising youngster Mario Feliciano will be ready to make the jump from Triple-A should there be an injury.
Infielders (7): Rowdy Tellez, Kolten Wong, Willy Adames, Jace Peterson, Mike Brosseau, Keston Hiura, Pablo Reyes
Adames and Wong are the keystone starters, and Tellez looks to be the primary first baseman to start the season. Peterson and Brosseau will likely serve as the platoon partners at third base while Luis Urias recovers from his quadriceps injury. They can also help cover first and second base defensively. If the Brewers decide to keep 14 position players, Hiura and Reyes should both make the Opening Day roster. Hiura offers right-handed pop and a platoon option at first if his spring success carries over. Meanwhile, Reyes gets a nod thanks to his versatility, which could include backup duty at shortstop with Urias out.
Outfielders (5): Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain, Hunter Renfroe, Andrew McCutchen, Tyrone Taylor
The outfield situation in Milwaukee is rather clear. Manager Craig Counsell will utilize the three outfield spots and the DH to play the best matchups each game and provide rest for the veteran group. As a whole, the outfield quintet provides plenty of run production potential, assuming health. An injury likely means Corey Ray or David Dahl would get a call-up, assuming Dahl remains in the Brewers organization.
Rotation (6): Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta, Adrian Houser, Eric Lauer, Aaron Ashby
We all know who the top five starters are for the Brewers. The only questions could be the order of the back end of the rotation and if they’ll go with a sixth starter. Ashby would be the clear-cut favorite to fill the sixth spot, but if Milwaukee is comfortable with five starters, then Ashby becomes a multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen. Ethan Small would also be ready to come up from the minors for a handful of starts should the Brewers need it.
Bullpen (8): Josh Hader, Devin Williams, Brad Boxberger, Brent Suter, Jake Cousins, Luis Perdomo, Jose Urena, Trevor Gott
Like the rotation, there are no doubts about the top five arms out of the pen – and yes, that includes Cousins. The signing of Urena gets him a spot in the 'pen, for now, allowing the Brewers to keep an extra arm down in the minors for depth. Perdomo has impressed many and provides another multi-inning option in relief, which is even more valuable now that pitchers don’t need to hit. Lastly, Gott is another intriguing reliever with upside. The 28-year-old struck out 11.4 batters per nine innings with the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A club last season. If the Brewers choose to go with 15 pitchers, Jandel Gustave likely gets the final spot at the expense of Hiura or Reyes from the position player pool.
Regardless of how the roster looks to open the year, the Brewers will rotate through guys at will and as the need arises. What are your thoughts on this Opening Day 28-man projection?
Tim Muma is a lifelong Brewers fan who has written about baseball and the Crew since 2009 for a variety of sites. He has been a regular guest on Brewers and sports radio shows and podcasts over that time. Tim's love of the game goes well beyond the Brewers, having coached baseball for more than 15 years from Little League and travel ball to high school and some college (and he still plays a little, too).
Follow Tim Muma on Twitter: @Tim_Muma
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