Atrás
It's a great time to be a Milwaukee Brewers fan.
First and foremost, the Brewers are two wins away from locking up the franchise's first World Series title. If the Brewers can finish the job, the 2026 club will go down as the very best team in franchise history. The Brewers already broke the franchise record for wins in the regular season with 103. They made it all the way to the World Series, and knocked out the Los Angeles Dodgers in the process. It has been a historic run, to say the least. Milwaukee is built for this success to last years as well with young guys throughout the roster and one of the most explosive farm systems in the league. Plus, one thing that should give Brewers fans hope is the fact that The Athletic's Andy McCullough and Will Sammon reported that Milwaukee believes it will have more money to spend this winter.
"The Brewers believe they will have more money at their disposal after the World Series run, according to people who were familiar with the situation who were not authorized to speak publicly because the tally of the revenue had not been finalized," McCullough and Sammon wrote. "That could create more flexibility in spending on player salaries. But a significant deviation from the organization’s roster-building model is unlikely, especially as the baseball operations department readies itself for whatever rule changes take place after the expiration of the current labor agreement Dec. 1."
The idea of the Brewers having more money at their disposal this winter should be very good news. It's early, but the player to watch among all on Milwaukee's roster this winter is All-Star catcher William Contreras.
Contreras has one more season of team control left, which typically has been when the Brewers have decided to cut ties with stars. Rumors have already begun indicating that clubs will at least be interested this winter. We've seen the Brewers trade stars away a year before free agency, like Corbin Burnes, Devin Williams and Freddy Peralta.
Contreras should be a different story for Milwaukee. The Brewers had plenty of pitchers ready to go to replace Burnes, Williams and Peralta. There isn't a player who could step in and immediately replace Contreras in the lineup, behind the plate and as a leader in the clubhouse. Contreras is one-of-one.
Even if having extra cash this winter doesn't completely change Milwaukee's spending strategy, it should give the front office a reason to keep Contreras around, at least for the 2027 season. Contreras' performance in the playoffs says it all. He has played in 10 games this postseason and is slashing .395/.477/.658 with a 1.135 OPS, three home runs and seven RBIs. Plus, his defense has already played a big role in the World Series.
The Brewers have a real chance of winning the World Series this fall. Next season, they should be the favorites again, especially if they keep Contreras. If the club does actually have extra cash to spend this winter, it should go right to him.