Of all the teams in this year’s postseason, the Milwaukee Brewers may have the most complicated starting pitching situation for next season.
Ace Freddy Peralta is going to hear his name in every trade rumor this winter. Longtime Brewers star Brandon Woodruff is a free agent. Behind those two, it’s a big group of youngsters with minimal experience and high upside, highlighted by Quinn Priester and Jacob Misiorowksi.
Under any circumstances, but especially if both Peralta and Woodruff leave, it makes sense for the Brewers to add a veteran presence to stabilize things in the rotation. That could lead them down the same path they took last offseason.
Oct 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jose Quintana (62) pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning during game four of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
On Monday, Jim Bowden of The Athletic linked the Brewers to Jose Quintana, a 14-year major league veteran and a prominent member of their rotation this year, listing Milwaukee as the only potential fit for his services.
“(Quintana) signed with the Brewers in the offseason and made 24 starts for them this year, going 11-7 with a 3.86 ERA in 131 2/3 innings,” Bowden wrote. “He has the guile to continue as a solid back-of-the-rotation starter despite not missing many bats and walking too many hitters. He might have one more year left in the tank as a fifth- or spot-starter type.
Bowden also projected Quintana for a one-year, $5 million contract. He has a $15 million mutual option this winter that the Brewers will likely decline, and he will receive a $2 million buyout if that occurs.
Quintana also gave the Brewers five innings this postseason, allowing three earned runs, all in the first inning of Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s got 38 career postseason innings under his belt, providing valuable experience to a young staff.
While it wouldn’t be the most eye-catching move, the Brewers securing a cheaper reunion with Quintana than his mutual option would guarantee could be a nice win as they look to continue their typical method of winning with a roster greater than the sum of its parts.
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