Brewers Linked to Reunion with Former All-Star Pitcher

The Brewers could use one more arm.

May 5, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; The Milwaukee Brewers logo on the field behind home plate prior to the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers are entering the 2026 season looking a little bit differently than they did in 2025. The biggest change they'll see is with their starting rotation, which is now without Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers. Fortunately, the Brewers brought back infielder Jett Williams and right-hander Brandon Sproat from the New York Mets, both of which are top prospects.

Sproat can immediately slide into the rotation for Milwaukee. But without Peralta and Myers, they could use one more arm. Adam McCalvy of MLB.com notes that Jose Quintana is still unsigned, and that if the Brewers are priced out for other starters, the veteran left-hander makes sense.

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Possible Quintana reunion makes too much sense

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

The good news is that as of the end of January, with camps opening in less than two weeks, there were arms available. Even if Framber Valdez and Zac Gallen are outside of the budget in which the Brewers are comfortable, MLB.com’s Thomas Harrigan has been tracking the best of the rest, including a group of “veteran innings eaters” that features none other than Quintana.

Quintana put together a solid season for Milwaukee after not being signed until early March. going 11-7 with a 3.96 ERA in 24 starts. He dealt with some injuries, but was able to remain healthy for most of the season.

At 37, Quintana shouldn't force the Brewers to break the bank. They don't spend big after all, but he could easily plug a hole just as he did in 2025 with the Brewers, and with Peralta gone, bringing him back makes sense, even with Jacob Misiorowski and Quinn Priester emerging as legitimate rotation options.

He can still provide a veteran presence in the rotation and eat innings when necessary, and he helped guide the Brewers to the NLCS last October.

Having him back would put the Brewers in a good position to at least remain in contention in 2026 after losing Peralta. Depth is important, and more certainly can't hurt as the Brewers try to shore things up for the season.

Quintana is still reliable, so it should be interesting to see what his market looks like and if the Brewers will ultimately decide to keep him or let him walk. But keeping him would be wise.

More MLB: Insider Likes Brewers’ Chances in 2026 Despite Freddy Peralta Trade