Curious how the 2025 Milwaukee Brewers were built? The team that won 97 games — most in franchise history — on its way to the National League Central Division championship has spun a lot of critical trades, with a dash of player drafting and development along the way. Here’s the timeline, using Spotrac as the source for contract info.
A reminder: Roughly speaking, players rack up three years of service time in the big leagues and then have three years of arbitration eligibility, when their salaries gradually increase year-over-year. After those six years, they are free agents unless the team and player have agreed to a contract going beyond that timeframe.
Here’s a breakdown of the players who made the National League Division Series roster.
Freddy Peralta (acquired via trade in late 2015)
Peralta was just 18 years old when the Brewers dealt first baseman Adam Lind, a quality contributor on a bad team the year before, in December 2015. The right-hander arrived from the Seattle Mariners along with Carlos Herrera and Daniel Missaki, neither of whom panned out. Lind played one below-average season in Seattle and then finished his career the next year in Washington. Peralta became the Brewers’ ace.
Contract: Signed to a five-year, $15.5 million contract in 2020, with two club options. The Brewers exercised the club option for 2025 ($8.1 million). They have a club option for 2026 ($8 million).
Christian Yelich (acquired via trade in early 2018)
In one evening, the Brewers transformed their team, signing outfielder Lorenzo Cain and trading for Yelich, a player who would go on to win the Most Valuable Player award later that year. The Brewers dealt prospects Lewis Brinson, Monte Harrison, Isan Díaz and Jordan Yamamoto for Yelich. None of the prospects is still in the big leagues.
Contract: Signed a seven-year, $188.5 million deal in 2020 that runs through 2028, with a mutual option in 2029. He made $24.1 million in 2025 and is scheduled to make $24 million in 2026.
Brice Turang (drafted in 2018)
The Brewers made Turang their first-round pick (21st overall) in the 2018 draft as a high-schooler from Corona, California.
Contract: Pre-arbitration in 2025 (one-year, $771,100 deal). He’ll be eligible for arbitration in 2026 and will see a significant raise (projected $4.4 million by MLB Trade Rumors).
Aaron Ashby (drafted in 2018)
The fourth-round pick (125th overall) was taken out of Crowder College in Neosho, Missouri. He’d been drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 25th round the year before but re-entered the draft.
Contract: Signed a five-year, $20.5 million deal that runs through 2027, with club options for each of the next two seasons. He made $3.45 million in 2025 and is scheduled to make $5.7 million in 2026.
Abner Uribe (signed in 2018)
Uribe was signed in July 2018 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic when he was 18 years old. Though he’s had some ups and downs, he was sensational in 2025 as arguably the team’s best bullpen arm.
Contract: Pre-arbitration in 2025 (one-year, $762,200 deal). He won’t yet be eligible for arbitration next year.
Jackson Chourio (signed in early 2021)
Chourio was signed in January 2021 as part of the organization’s international class, two months before Chourio had even turned 17. The native of Venezuela was given a signing bonus of $1.9 million at the time, an investment that may ultimately yield one of most cost-effective player decisions in franchise history.
Contract: Chourio signed an eight-year, $82 million contract before his first big-league game in 2024, running through 2031 with club options for 2032 and 2033. He made $4.25 million in 2025 and is scheduled to make $7.25 million next year. It marked a record-setting deal for a player with no major-league experience.
Sal Frelick (drafted in 2021)
The Brewers selected Frelick in the first round (15th overall) out of Boston College. About two years later, he was in the big leagues making an unforgettable debut.
Contract: Pre-arbitration in 2025 (one-year, $771,800 deal). He won’t be eligible for arbitration next year.
Andruw Monasterio (signed as free agent in late 2021)
A native of Venezuela, Monasterio had spent time in the Cubs, Nationals and Guardians organizations before signing as a minor-league free agent at age 25, and he spent his first year in the organization splitting time between Class AA and Class AAA. He made his big-league debut on his 26th birthday in 2023 and recorded his first-big league hit.
Contract: Pre-arbitration in 2025 (one-year, $760,000 deal). He won’t be eligible for arbitration next year unless he qualiifes for “Super-Two” status, which is not impossible but unlikely.
Jacob Misiorowski (drafted in 2022)
The Brewers made him their second-round selection (63rd overall) out of Crowder College in Neosho, Missouri — the same school that produced Aaron Ashby. Though he was taken in the second round, he was seen as the jewel of the draft class, signing for $2.35 million (even more than Brewers first-round pick Eric Brown Jr.). It proved to be a strong second round; he was taken ahead of Red Sox super prospect Roman Anthony and Braves rookie of the year candidate Drake Baldwin.
Contract: Pre-arbitration (one-year, $760,000 deal). He won’t be eligible for arbitration next year.
Robert Gasser (acquired at 2022 trade deadline)
The last man standing from one of the most controversial trades in Brewers history, the left-handed pitcher came to Milwaukee from the San Diego organization in the deal that sent all-star closer Josh Hader to the Padres. Gasser, then a minor-leaguer, made his big-league debut in 2024 with superb early results, but Tommy John surgery sidelined him for most of 2024 and the bulk of 2025. He finally returned to the big-league mound late in 2025 and pitched in the playoffs. Terms of the trade included Taylor Rogers, Dinelson Lamet and Esteury Ruiz with Gasser for Hader.
Contract: Pre-arbitration (one-year, $765,400 deal). He won’t be eligible for arbitration next year.
William Contreras (acquired via trade in late 2022)
In one of the great trade heists in Brewers history, Milwaukee acquired Contreras, reliever Joel Payamps and minor-league reliever Justin Yeager in a three-team deal and surrendered only speedy prospect Esteury Ruiz, who has struggled to find his footing in the big leagues since. Contreras had been with Atlanta, and the deal also sent Oakland catcher Sean Murphy to the Braves. But Contreras, who won Silver Sluggers the next two years, emerged as the best player in the deal.
Contract: Contreras avoided arbitration in advance of 2025 by signing a 1-year, $6 million deal that also grants the team a club option worth $12 million in 2026. MLB Trade Rumors projects he’d be on track to make $11.1 million otherwise next season, his second in arbitration, so it’s possible Milwaukee declines the option and goes through the arbitration process. He would be an unrestricted free agent after the 2027 season.
Blake Perkins (signed as free agent in late 2022)
Perkins had never played in the big leagues, but the club gave him a major-league deal before the 2023 season, when he was 26 years old and already had been with the Nationals, Royals and Yankees organizations. He made his big-league debut in 2023.
Contract: Pre-arbitration (one-year, $802,500 deal). He won’t be eligible for abitration next year unless he qualiifes for “Super-Two” status, which is not impossible but unlikely.
Isaac Collins (selected in minor-league Rule 5 draft in late 2022)
Collins was chosen in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 draft from the Colorado Rockies, spending most of 2023 with Class AA Biloxi and most of 2024 in Class AAA Nashville. He made his big-league debut in 2024 and became a surprisingly key contributor to the 2025 team.
Contract: Pre-arbitration (one-year, $761,100 deal). He won’t be eligible for arbitration next year.
Trevor Megill (acquired via trade during 2023 season)
Megill was acquired in late April 2023 from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for a player to be named later, a player who became minor-league pitcher Taylor Floyd (who spent the last two years at Class AA). Megill made his first Brewers appearance in May of that season and has turned into an essential bullpen fixture.
Contract: Signed to a one-year, $1.95 million deal in his first year of arbitration. MLB Trade Rumors projects he would make somewhere in the neighborhood of $4.2 million next year in his second year of arbitraton.
Jake Bauers (acquired via trade in late 2023, re-signed in early 2025)
Bauers was initially acquired from the Yankees in exchange for minor-leaguers Jace Avina and Brian Sanchez; he capped his first season in Milwaukee with a memorable playoff home run in Game 3 of the Brewers’ 2024 Wild Card Series. The outfielder Avina reached Class AA this year, while the infielder Sanchez has been injured. Bauers was initially non-tendered in advance of 2025 but re-signed with the Brewers on a minor-league contract.
Contract: Signed a one-year deal that eventually paid him $1.4 million as a veteran in 2025. He’d still be eligible for arbitration next year and MLB Trade Rumors projects he’d make $2 million if the Brewers again pursued a contract.
Chad Patrick (acquired via trade in late 2023)
The under-the-radar addition was acquired for infielder Abraham Toro of Oakland before the 2024 season, where Patrick had a sensational year for the Class AAA Nashville Sounds. He became a regular starter in 2025 for the big-league team and appeared in the NLDS out of the bullpen.
Contract: Pre-arbitration (one-year, $760,000 deal). He won’t be eligible for arbitration next year.
Jared Koenig (signed as free agent in late 2023)
The long, winding journey of Koenig featured stops in five independent leagues before he made his big-league debut in Oakland in 2022. He was almost 30 years old when the Brewers signed him before the 2024 season, at which point he became a surprisingly vital component of the bullpen over the past two seasons.
Contract: Pre-arbitration (one year, $776,300 deal). He won’t be elgible for arbitration next year.
Joey Ortiz (acquired via trade in early 2024)
The team’s starting third baseman in 2024 and shortstop in 2025 was brought in from Baltimore along with left-handed pitcher DL Hall in the deal that sent former Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes to the Orioles.
Contract: Pre-arbitration (one-year, $776,000 deal). He won’t be eligible for arbitration next year.
Nick Mears (acquired at 2024 trade deadline)
Mears was brought in from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for pitcher Bradley Blalock and pitcher Yujanyer Herrera. The latter was injured in 2025, while the former did make 14 appearances (12 starts) with the Rockies in 2025, but it hasn’t gone well with an ERA greater than 9.00. Mears, meanwhile, proved to be a reliable bullpen arm for the remainder of 2024 and throughout 2025.
Contract: In his first year of arbitration eligibility, Mears signed a one-year deal worth $963,000 for the 2025 season. He’s eligible for the second time in 2026, and MLB Trade Rumors estimates he’d get $1.6 million.
Caleb Durbin (acquired via trade in late 2024)
Like Ortiz, he was part of a blockbuster deal when the Brewers sent Devin Williams to the Yankees in exchange for starting left-hander Nestor Cortes and Durbin. Cortes made it two starts before injury and then wound up traded to the Padres, but Durbin became the team’s starting third baseman early in the season.
Contract: Pre-arbitration (one-year, $760,000 deal). He won’t be eligible for arbitration next year.
Grant Anderson (acquired via trade in early 2025)
The Brewers sent minor-leaguer Mason Molina to the Texas Rangers for Anderson, and Anderson proceeded to appear in 66 games for the Brewers in 2025 despite starting the year in the minors. Molina wound up traded to the Cardinals at the deadline and had a strong season on the mound at Advanced Class A.
Contract: Pre-arbitration (one-year, $800,000 deal). He won’t be eligible for arbitration next year.
José Quintana (signed as free agent in early 2025)
Needing to bolster their depleted starting pitcher ranks, the Brewers signed the 36-year-old left-hander in March 2025, and he became a regular member of the rotation in his first year with the club that he had a reputation of tormenting while pitching for the Cubs, Cardinals and Mets.
Contract: Quintana signed for one year, $4 million with incentives that have elevated the contract to $6.65 million. The player and club have a mutual option for $15 million in 2026.
Quinn Priester (acquired via trade during 2025 season)
The Brewers took what looked like a bit of a gamble on the 24-year-old right-hander by dealing promising minor-leaguers Yophery Rodriguez and John Holobetz, plus a 2025 draft pick, to Boston. Priester, who had struggled in Pittsburgh despite his pedigree as a first-round pick, found massive success in Milwaukee and became the team’s clear No. 2 starting option in the postseason.
Contract: Pre-arbitration (one-year, $760,000 deal). He won’t be eligible for arbitration next year.
Andrew Vaughn (acquired via trade during 2025 season)
Considering the deals to land Priester and Vaughn, it was an amazing season for in-season Brewers trades. Milwaukee sent unhappy starting pitcher Aaron Civale to the White Sox for the slugger Vaughn, a former No. 3 pick who had yet to reach his potential. Vaughn, 27, rediscovered his offense in Milwaukee and became a huge part of the team’s second-half surge. Civale, meanwhile, ended up on the Cubs team that faced Milwaukee in the playoffs.
Contract: In his second year of arbitration eligibility, Vaughn has a deal for one year, $5.85 million. MLB Trade Rumors projects that to rise to $7.8 million in his third year of eligibility this offseason. He’d be an unrestricted free agent after the 2027 season.
Danny Jansen (acquired at 2025 trade deadline)
The former Appleton West High School star came to the Brewers from the Tampa Bay Rays in a deadline deal for minor-league shortstop Jadher Areinamo. He served as William Contreras’ backup catcher from there.
Contract: His deal with the Rays was oe year, $8.5 million for 2025. The sides have a mutual option for $12 million in 2026.
Brandon Lockridge (acquired at 2025 trade deadline)
The speedy outfielder came to Milwaukee in a trade with the Padres for starting pitcher Nestor Cortes and minor-leaguer Jorge Quintana.
Contract: Pre-arbitration (one-year, $760,300 deal). He won’t be eligible for arbitration next year.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How were the 2025 Milwaukee Brewers built? Here’s how they acquired the 26 players on the NLDS roster (and their contracts)
Reporting by JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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