3 Brewers With Intriguing Contract Options to Follow This Season

What does the future hold for these three?

Mar 30, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) celebrates after hitting a home run again the Tampa Bay Rays in the sixth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers are built mainly on young talent, so it makes sense that there aren't too many contract options to worry about from year to year.

However, as is the case with pretty much any club, the Brewers sometimes find themselves either with interesting decisions to make or players to monitor as impending free agents.

Milwaukee only has one player with an option that has any significant chance of being exercised next year, but there are two other names worth monitoring who technically have options, too. Let's break down each of their situations with regard to what the Brewers need to start thinking about.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

William Contreras: $9.4 million club option

Next year is set to be Contreras' last season of arbitration control. There are a lot of different things that could mean for the Brewers.

Milwaukee wound up saving $2.5 million this season by declining a $12 million club option for Contreras, paying him a $100,000 buyout, then avoiding arbitration with a $9.4 million contract that includes a $9.4 million club option for next year.

On the surface, it would seem likely that Milwaukee would exercise that option on their All-Star catcher. But as we saw with former Brewers ace Freddy Peralta, they might also consider trading him later in the offseason.

Gary Sánchez: $1.75 million mutual option

Milwaukee Brewers catcher Gary Sanchez works in the bullpen during spring training workouts Saturday, February 14, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mutual options virtually never get exercised, because if a deal is good for the player, it's probably bad for the team, and vice versa. Sánchez started this season with two home runs in his first six at-bats; if he finishes the year with 20-ish bombs as a backup catcher, he's probably declining his half of the option.

However, there's a chance the Brewers and Sánchez could find it easier to agree on a new deal following the season if he performs right about where he's expected to be based on that salary, and Contreras' trade probabilities also impact that outcome.

Luis Rengifo: $3.5 million mutual option ($1.5 million buyout)

Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Luis Rengifo (13) reaches first base on a fielder’s choice during the fourth inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays Monday, March 30, 2026 American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As is the case with Sánchez, Rengifo won't likely return on the current deal. The Brewers have a ton of infield talent coming up through the farm system.

Does that make Rengifo a midseason trade candidate if Jett Williams, Jesús Made, and Cooper Pratt are all knocking on the big-league door?