Should Brewers Cut Ties With 14-Year MLB Veteran This Offseason?

There are a few key members of the 2025 Milwaukee Brewers who could end up heading to the open market this upcoming offseason.

Now, I know what you're probably thinking. It's a little early to be talking about the upcoming offseason when we are witnessing perhaps the best regular season in Brewers history. That would be true and you are probably right. But, there's already chatter growing across the league about who should go where or who teams should bring back, including some about the Brewers.

For example, Tyler Koerth of FanSided wrote up a story about three players the Brewers could afford to lose this upcoming offseason. One of them was lefty starter José Quintana.

Will the Brewers bring the starter back?

Sep 6, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jose Quintana (62) looks on before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

"LHP José Quintana," Koerth said. "After signing an incentive-based deal with a mutual option for 2026 late in the offseason, José Quintana has been a steady presence in the Brewers’ rotation. He’s posted a respectable 3.88 ERA over 23 starts, completing at least five innings in all but two outings. Additionally, he has shared 14 MLB seasons’ worth of MLB knowledge with both the team’s young arms and veteran pitchers on the staff, offering more value than just the numbers that show up on the stat sheets.

"Quintana has currently earned $3.8 million of a possible $5.75 million in incentives. If he makes 26 starts and reaches 140 innings pitched, he’ll max out those escalators, which are tied to his $2 million base salary. For 2026, his contract includes a $15 million mutual option with a $2 million buyout, an option the organization is almost certain to decline. Assuming he still has more left in the tank, Quintana will likely land another deal elsewhere, potentially worth north of $10 million, especially considering the Mets gave him $13.0 million in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons."

Quintana landed a cheap deal with Milwaukee for the 2025 season, but it has a $15 million mutual option for 2026. That doesn't seem very likely to be picked up, despite his very solid 3.88 ERA this year.

The reason why this idea makes sense, is because of the organization's pitching depth. Guys like Chad Patrick and Logan Henderson have made cases for themselves to be a part of the rotation next year, at cheaper prices. It's a little early to be talking about free agency. but this idea does make a lot of sense when you consider how much rotation firepower Milwaukee truly has.

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