Brewers Manager Gives Update on 27-Year-Old's Future in Milwaukee

The Milwaukee Brewers could be looking to use a few of their pitchers in new roles this season...

Oct 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Aaron Ashby (26) reacts with shortstop Joey Ortiz (3) after being relieved in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game three of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers opted to make a few big trades this offseason. First, they traded Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets in exchange for prospects Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams. After that, they sent Caleb Durbin to the Boston Red Sox and landed David Hamilton, Shane Drohan, and Kyle Harrison in the deal.

They're still one of the better teams in the league though.

They have a deep lineup with one of the better defenses in baseball. Their pitching staff is loaded with potential. They may only have one veteran starter, but they're loaded with young pitchers like Harrison and Sproat.

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

Their bullpen is incredible, too. They have pitchers like Aaron Ashby and DL Hall who lock down pivotal roles for the Brewers. But both pitchers are expected to have slightly different roles in 2026. Notably, Ashby could be extended out for multiple innings at a time, per Brewers manager Pat Murphy.

Aaron Ashby could be headed for adjusted role with Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Aaron Ashby (26) pitches during the first inning of the of their National League Championship Series game against the Los Angeles Dodgers October 13, 2025 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I think they'll both be on track to stretch out, because that behooves everybody, and then we'll just see and read and react from there how everybody else is going and whether or not we need them in the 'pen. DL, hopefully he's 100% healthy and we can see what he can do and stretch him out," Murphy said when asked about potential role changes for Aaron Ashby and DL Hall. "Then we'll do the same with Ashby and get to two innings at least, maybe three, and then we can back off from there, or add."

With Murphy looking to use Ashby for multiple innings at a time, there's a chance he could be used as an opener under certain circumstances. Ashby was able to give the Brewers a bit of length out of the bullpen last season. In 43 appearances, he gave the Brewers more than three outs on 27 different occasions.

This season, they could stretch him out to three or four innings more routinely. This would open the door to a lot of interesting scenarios for the Brewers. Either way you look at it, it's a good sign for Milwaukee, especially if Ashby can find more success than last year.

More MLB: Brewers 22-Year-Old Phenom Getting Buzz as Caleb Durbin's Successor