RRosternomics
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Brewers MIL

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President of baseball ops: David Stearns

Overview

WINDOW → steady
cheap & winning · year 5 in this regime · payroll 0.81× league · TAB +10.0
+10.0TAB — talent above budget
-1.0WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)
2.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars5th/30
-2.1dead WAR — sub-replacement drag5th/30
68%dead money %26th/30
0.483win %15th/30
15.5roster fWAR10th/30
+13surplus $M (value vs cost)7th/30
$96Mpayroll $M20th/30

2020: made playoffs · 29–31. Ranks are vs the 30 teams that season.

Roster

CFAvisaíl García 44GBen Gamel 11GTyrone Taylor 9G
LFChristian Yelich 51GMark Mathias 4GJace Peterson 4G
RFBen Gamel 27GRyan Braun 20GJace Peterson 13G
SSOrlando Arcia 57GLuis Urías 8GEric Sogard 7G
2BKeston Hiura 49GLuis Urías 10GEric Sogard 9G
3BLuis Urías 30GEric Sogard 30GJedd Gyorko 11G
1BJustin Smoak 31GJedd Gyorko 30GJace Peterson 4G
STARTERSCorbin Burnes 2.4WARBrandon Woodruff 2.1WARJosh Lindblom 0.8WARBrett Anderson 0.6WARAdrian Houser 0.4WAR
COmar Narváez 39GJacob Nottingham 19GManny Piña 13G
DHDaniel Vogelbach 34GRyan Braun 16GKeston Hiura 10G
BULLPEN★ Josh Hader 13svDevin Williams 9hFreddy Peralta 3hBrent Suter 2hAlex Claudio 1hEric Yardley 1hCorey Knebel 0hDrew Rasmussen 0h
COmar Narváez 39 · Jacob Nottingham 19 · Manny Piña 13
1BJustin Smoak 31 · Jedd Gyorko 30 · Jace Peterson 4
2BKeston Hiura 49 · Luis Urías 10 · Eric Sogard 9
3BLuis Urías 30 · Eric Sogard 30 · Jedd Gyorko 11
SSOrlando Arcia 57 · Luis Urías 8 · Eric Sogard 7
LFChristian Yelich 51 · Mark Mathias 4 · Jace Peterson 4
CFAvisaíl García 44 · Ben Gamel 11 · Tyrone Taylor 9
RFBen Gamel 27 · Ryan Braun 20 · Jace Peterson 13
DHDaniel Vogelbach 34 · Ryan Braun 16 · Keston Hiura 10
SPCorbin Burnes 2.4 · Brandon Woodruff 2.1 · Josh Lindblom 0.8 · Brett Anderson 0.6 · Adrian Houser 0.4
BP★ Josh Hader 13 · Devin Williams 9 · Freddy Peralta 3 · Brent Suter 2 · Alex Claudio 1 · Eric Yardley 1 · Corey Knebel 0 · Drew Rasmussen 0

Each position lists its starter then backups by games (so platoons & bench show). Starters (mound) & bullpen (left, foul territory) are ranked by WAR; ★ marks the closer (most save chances). MLB Stats API.

2020 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Corbin Burnes 25 pre-arb 122.4 0.2 +17.5
Brandon Woodruff 27 pre-arb 132.1 0.2 +14.8
Devin Williams 25 pre-arb 221.4 0.2 +9.9
Orlando Arcia 25 arb 591.0 2.2 +4.8
Jedd Gyorko 31 FA-elig 430.9 1.0 +5.3
Christian Yelich 28 FA-elig 580.9 12.5 -6.2
Freddy Peralta 24 pre-arb 150.8 0.4 +5.8
Josh Lindblom 33 FA-elig 120.8 3.0 +3.0
Brent Suter 30 arb 160.7 0.9 +4.0
Manny Piña 33 FA-elig 150.7 1.9 +2.9
Daniel Vogelbach↔ SEA 27 – 190.6 – –
Brett Anderson 32 FA-elig 100.6 5.0 -0.8
Omar Narváez 28 arb 400.5 2.7 +1.3
Keston Hiura 23 pre-arb 590.5 0.2 +3.3
Jacob Nottingham 25 pre-arb 200.4 0.1 +3.1
Avisaíl García 29 FA-elig 530.4 7.2 -4.1
Adrian Houser 27 pre-arb 120.4 0.2 +2.8
Luis Urías 23 pre-arb 410.4 0.2 +2.4
Jace Peterson 30 FA-elig 260.3 0.1 +2.3
David Phelps↔ PHI 33 FA-elig 120.3 0.7 +1.7
Josh Hader 26 arb 210.3 4.1 -2.0
Tyrone Taylor 26 pre-arb 220.2 0.1 +1.7
Ryan Braun 36 FA-elig 390.2 17.0 -15.3
Lorenzo Cain 34 FA-elig 50.2 16.0 -14.6
Justin Topa 29 – 60.2 0.1 +1.3
Eric Yardley 29 pre-arb 240.1 0.6 +0.4
Alex Claudio 28 FA-elig 200.1 1.8 -1.1
Ben Gamel 28 arb 400.1 1.4 -0.8
Mark Mathias 25 – 160.0 0.1 +0.2
Ray Black 30 pre-arb 30.0 0.2 -0.2
Phil Bickford 24 – 1-0.0 0.0 -0.0
Drew Rasmussen 24 – 12-0.0 0.1 -0.4
Angel Perdomo 26 – 3-0.1 0.0 -0.5
Ryon Healy 28 arb 4-0.1 1.0 -1.8
Eric Sogard 34 FA-elig 43-0.1 4.0 -5.1
J.P. Feyereisen 27 – 6-0.2 0.1 -1.3
Eric Lauer 25 pre-arb 4-0.2 0.1 -1.2
Brock Holt↔ WSN 32 FA-elig 16-0.2 1.1 -2.4
Bobby Wahl 28 pre-arb 3-0.2 0.0 -1.4
Logan Morrison 32 – 9-0.2 0.1 -1.5
Corey Knebel 28 FA-elig 15-0.2 5.1 -6.7
Justin Grimm 31 – 4-0.2 0.2 -2.0
Justin Smoak↔ SFG 33 FA-elig 33-0.4 3.7 -6.5

Key additions (new vs 2019)

PlayerfWAR
Jedd Gyorko0.9
Josh Lindblom0.8
Daniel Vogelbach0.6
Brett Anderson0.6
Omar Narváez0.5
Avisaíl García0.4

Key subtractions (gone from 2019)

Player2019 fWAR
Yasmani Grandal5.7
Mike Moustakas2.7
Eric Thames2.3
Zach Davies1.6
Gio Gonzalez1.2
Chase Anderson1.1

Current & Historical Payroll

2020 payroll
$96.0M
2021 guaranteed
$15.3M

What the front office was committed to as of 2020, 2020–2026. Guaranteed $ are contract commitments signed by 2020; arbitration & free-agent years are projected from service time. Hover a figure for its luxury-tax (CBT) & actual-cash values.

current $ guaranteed $ arbitration (proj) pre-arb (proj) free agent club option player option mutual option vesting option

Guaranteed / signed (14)

PlayerAgeSvc2020202120222023202420252026
Ryan Braun3612.129$17.0MFREE AGENT
Lorenzo Cain348.074$16.0MFREE AGENT
Christian Yelich286.069$12.5M$14.0M$24.3M$24.3M$24.2M$24.1M$24.0M
Avisaíl García296.166$7.2MFREE AGENT
Brett Anderson3210.135$5.0MFREE AGENT
Eric Sogard347.134$4.0MFREE AGENT
Justin Smoak3310.000$3.7MFREE AGENT
Manny Piña339.000$1.9MFREE AGENT
Brock Holt326.052$1.1MFREE AGENT
Jedd Gyorko317.000$1.0MFREE AGENT
David Phelps337.156$682kFREE AGENT
Freddy Peralta241.090$448k$1.3M$2.5M$3.7M$5.7M$8.1MCLUB$8.0MCLUB
Justin Grimm316.153$199kFREE AGENT
Logan Morrison329.069$100kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (8)

PlayerAgeSvc2020202120222023202420252026
Corey Knebel284.151$5.1MARB 3FREE AGENT
Omar Narváez283.089$2.7MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Orlando Arcia253.047$2.2MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Alex Claudio284.114$1.8MARB 3FREE AGENT
Ben Gamel283.029$1.4MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ryon Healy283.080$1.0MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jace Peterson304.033$100kARB 3FREE AGENT
Daniel Vogelbach274.000—ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (21)

PlayerAgeSvc2020202120222023202420252026
Josh Hader262.115$4.1MARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Josh Lindblom331.151$3.0MPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brent Suter302.161$950kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Eric Yardley290.031$564kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brandon Woodruff271.161$234kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Keston Hiura230.114$216kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Adrian Houser271.010$215kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Corbin Burnes251.049$211kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Luis Urías231.052$211kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Devin Williams250.047$210kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ray Black300.168$210kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Drew Rasmussen240.000$143kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
J.P. Feyereisen270.000$118kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jacob Nottingham250.095$115kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mark Mathias250.000$84kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Eric Lauer251.160$84kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tyrone Taylor260.023$81kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Justin Topa290.000$56kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Angel Perdomo260.000$31kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bobby Wahl282.040$22kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Phil Bickford240.000$9kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Brewers 2020; the black line = the league-average player at each slot that season. Staying above the line deep into the roster is the depth edge; dropping below it = holes & dead weight.

What each regime is worth — every settled team-season since 1985

RegimeSeasonsWin %Playoff %Pennant %WS %
WINDOW 28152.131.05.01.1
CONTEND 30056.964.719.710.3
FORCED-SPEND 25648.09.81.61.6
REBUILD 32143.31.20.30.3
Rosternomics — quantifying front-office skill, attribution-clean. Follow @rosternomics on X. Decision-makers on record back to 1933; resource-controlled metrics (WAR & payroll) cover 1985–2026.
Data: FanGraphs (WAR), Baseball-Reference & the Chadwick Bureau register (rosters, IDs), the Lahman Database, Baseball America prospect rankings (via The Baseball Cube), and public payroll records. Transaction and trade data was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet. Executive birth/death data via Wikidata (CC0); bios are original. Emoji graphics by OpenMoji (CC BY-SA 4.0).
All figures are franchise-level outcomes credited to the decision-maker in the acquisition year — not solely attributable to one executive.