British stone. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Brewers are having trouble landing superstar catcher William Contreras, who is set to become a free agent after next season. While he’ll likely leave his career like many past Brewers stars via trade or free agency, how do you replace a multi-dimensional receiver who showed tremendous value in Milwaukee’s great October run?
The Brewers offered Contreras a three-year contract with a club option through the 2025 season for about $35 million, sources said. The offer was deemed too low and Contreras’ team didn’t bother to fight back, and now that the 28-year-old has had a stellar playoff run and is one year closer to free agency, his price is sure to skyrocket.
Contreras is said to be willing to stay with the Brewers, but is believed to be interested in a longer deal. The catcher contracts he’s sure to keep an eye on are the $140 million the Dodgers offered Will Smith over the decade before he hits free agency, and the five-year, $115.5 million deal JT Realmuto offered him. Small-market Brewers rarely offer nine-figure deals; MVPs Christian Yelich and Ryan Braun are the only exceptions to hit the $100 million mark.
The Brewers often don’t retain their superstars long-term, with shortstop Willie Adams and pitchers Corbin Burns and Freddy Peralta being recent examples. Adams left as a free agent and signed with the Giants for $181 million, while the Brewers traded Corbin Burns to the Orioles for DL Hall and Joey Ortiz and traded Freddy Peralta to the Mets for Jeter Williams and Brandon Sproat. Burns ended up signing for $210 million six seasons after the trade, while Peralta now appears on track to earn a $150 million contract as the Tampa Bay Thunderbirds face Milwaukee in the World Series (link).