While he might seem like a good fit for Milwaukee, the Brewers should steer clear.
An offseason ago, the Milwaukee Brewers went nearly the entire winter without signing a true major league free agent. Despite handing Grant Wolfram a major league contract in early December and signing Elvin Rodriguez, who pitched in Japan during the previous two seasons, both pitchers weren’t signed to fully guaranteed contracts. With each of them still holding minor league options, something the Brewers made use of during their brief tenures in Milwaukee, they instead received split contracts, meaning they would make one rate when they were in the minor leagues and a different salary for the days spent on the major league roster.
The Brewers didn’t sign a true major league free agent on a fully guaranteed contract last offseason until they landed Swiss-Army knife pitcher Tyler Alexander on a one-year, $1 million deal on February 12. A few weeks later, they signed José Quintana to a modest one-year, $4.25 million contract, adding their second major league free agent of the offseason.
Now, a year later, the Brewers have even fewer holes on their roster with much of their 2025 roster returning for the 2026 season. After Brandon Woodruff accepted the qualifying offer early last week and the Brewers agreed to tender contracts to all of their arbitration-eligible players by the end of it, it’s fair to assume that Milwaukee’s roster will look very similar to the record-setting squad that won the NL Central for the third consecutive season in 2025.
Pair that with the fact that the Brewers aren’t generally very active in the free agent market and the state of their payroll following Woodruff’s decision is questionable, and it’s fair to assume that Milwaukee won’t be bringing in a swath of new players via free agency this winter. However, one name continues to pop up in connection to the Brewers, and while he may seem like an intriguing fit at first glance, it would be wise of Matt Arnold and company to steer clear, especially given the rumored price tag accompanying him.
An offseason ago, the Milwaukee Brewers went nearly the entire winter without signing a true major league free agent. Despite handing Grant Wolfram a major league contract in early December and signing Elvin Rodriguez, who pitched in Japan during the previous two seasons, both pitchers weren’t signed to fully guaranteed contracts. With each of them still holding minor league options, something the Brewers made use of during their brief tenures in Milwaukee, they instead received split contracts, meaning they would make one rate when they were in the minor leagues and a different salary for the days spent on the major league roster.
The Brewers didn’t sign a true major league free agent on a fully guaranteed contract last offseason until they landed Swiss-Army knife pitcher Tyler Alexander on a one-year, $1 million deal on February 12. A few weeks later, they signed José Quintana to a modest one-year, $4.25 million contract, adding their second major league free agent of the offseason.
Now, a year later, the Brewers have even fewer holes on their roster with much of their 2025 roster returning for the 2026 season. After Brandon Woodruff accepted the qualifying offer early last week and the Brewers agreed to tender contracts to all of their arbitration-eligible players by the end of it, it’s fair to assume that Milwaukee’s roster will look very similar to the record-setting squad that won the NL Central for the third consecutive season in 2025.
Pair that with the fact that the Brewers aren’t generally very active in the free agent market and the state of their payroll following Woodruff’s decision is questionable, and it’s fair to assume that Milwaukee won’t be bringing in a swath of new players via free agency this winter. However, one name continues to pop up in connection to the Brewers, and while he may seem like an intriguing fit at first glance, it would be wise of Matt Arnold and company to steer clear, especially given the rumored price tag accompanying him.
Brewers should steer clear of Willi Castro this offseason despite several insiders predicting his move to Milwaukee
Willi Castro, who started the 2025 season with the Minnesota Twins, but was traded to the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline, seems like a solid fit for the Brew Crew in 2026. He is a versatile defender, with the ability to play both on the outfield grass and infield dirt, and he gets on base, where he possesses the ability to impact the game with solid basestealing skills. The Brewers, who likely want to at least create competition at the shortstop position this offseason, could use Castro both as a utility bench bat and potentially as a starting infielder if Joey Ortiz gets off to another slow start.
The fit appears strong on paper, and as a result, several MLB writers have predicted that Castro will land in Milwaukee this offseason. It began with Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors, who picked the Brewers as Castro’s 2026 destination during the site’s rundown of the top 50 free agents of the 2025-26 MLB offseason. Then, this morning, Andy McCullough of The Athletic cited Castro as the Brewers’ “Black Friday free agent” in an article that selected one for each MLB team. Additionally, Castro was a name that Brewers fans had circled back at the trade deadline as someone who could immediately impact the team and upgrade Milwaukee’s position player group.
However, a closer look at Castro’s profile reveals some pretty concerning flaws. At the plate, Castro possesses hardly any power, with his underlying metrics suggesting that he was lucky to collect 11 homers during the 2025 campaign. With an expected slugging percentage, an average exit velocity, a barrel rate, and a hard hit rate all in the 28th percentile or lower, it’s unlikely that Castro will come into more slug at the plate anytime soon. He pairs that lack of pop with a concerningly high strikeout rate for someone with his offensive profile. Holding a career strikeout rate of more than 24%, even Castro’s ability to draw walks at a slightly above-average clip doesn’t outweigh the swing-and-miss in his bat.
On the defensive side of the ball, Castro is a versatile defender, but not necessarily a strong one at any position. In 2025, Castro played third base, second base, shortstop, left field, right field, and center, and he only posted positive Outs Above Average (OAA) or Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) in left where he collected a whopping 1 OAA. Everywhere else, by both OAA and DRS’s measurements, Castro was a below-average defender, especially in the infield. Even if you give Castro the benefit of the doubt by accounting for his track record, he’s an average defender at best.
The added kicker is the contract that Castro is projected to earn this winter. MLB Trade Rumors expects the former Cub to bring in a two-year, $14 million salary this offseason, whereas The Athletic projects him to accept a one-year, $8 million deal. While it’s not an unreasonable contract for Castro, and one that many other teams would certainly agree to, the Brewers should spend their limited remaining payroll elsewhere. Assuming Castro’s role would be replacing Ortiz on the infield dirt, the Brewers would be adding a much worse defender to the mix for a slight upgrade in their lineup. If the other option is Castro, Milwaukee is better off hoping for a resurgence from Ortiz next season, who is bound to have a better year at the plate than he had in 2025.
