Danny Jansen Should Have Plenty Of Options After Brewers Exit

The Milwaukee Brewers declined veteran catcher Danny Jansen's mutual option for the 2026 season and now he will be looking for his next home in free agency.

For Milwaukee, the move made a lot of sense. William Contreras is the team's clear No. 1 catcher and No. 4 prospect Jeferson Quero is knocking on the door to the big leagues. Letting Jansen walk should open the door for Quero, who has big upside and will be cheaper.

For Jansen, he should have opportunities out there in free agency. The Athletic's Tim Britton, Aaron Gleeman, and Chad Jennings listed the Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, and the Texas Rangers as early fits for him.

"A catcher with enough bat to get occasional starts at designated hitter, Jansen has been in demand the past two seasons," Jennings said. "The Red Sox traded for him at the deadline in 2024 (they mostly wanted his bat), and the Rays made him a priority signing last winter (they wanted his stability behind the plate). The first-place Brewers then traded for Jansen in the summer (but used him mostly as a pinch hitter and backup).

The Brewers let Danny Jansen walk into free agency

Sep 28, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher Danny Jansen (33) reacts in the dugout after hitting a 2-run home run against the Cincinnati Reds in the fourth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

"Since 2019, Jansen ranks 12th in fWAR among big league catchers. He’s had fewer than 350 plate appearances each year since 2020, but he’s been an above-average hitter with occasional power and excellent defensive metrics for blocking (not so good for framing). Jansen’s not necessarily been a standout, but he can be the lead option in a timeshare behind the plate. ... Britton’s projection: 1 year, $8 million. Best fits: (Philadelphia Phillies), (Tampa Bay Rays), (Texas Rangers)."

Jansen is a dependable veteran. That's why the Brewers wanted him. He's known as a defense-first catcher, but was actually solid offensively for Milwaukee as well. He slashed .254/.346/.433 with three homers and seven RBIs in 25 games. Overall, he played in 98 games and finished with 2.8 wins above replacement while hitting just .215 overall. He's a good guy to have around and some team will give him a shot.

If the Brewers didn't have Quero, it would've made sense to keep him.

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