The Milwaukee Brewers’ season ended in pure heartbreak, blowing a ninth-inning lead against the Mets in the Wild Card round. Now, with 2025 on the horizon, manager Pat Murphy and his team are eyeing some major roster decisions, starting with pitcher Aaron Ashby. Once considered a rising star in the rotation, Ashby battled through shoulder issues and spent 2024 dominating out of the bullpen with a 1.37 ERA. Yet Murphy remains clear: he’s not ruling out Ashby as a future rotation starter. “His stuff is pretty special,” Murphy says, suggesting the lefty could still carve out a starting role if he’s up for it.
Ashby’s story has been one of perseverance. The Brewers showed confidence in his potential by signing him to a five-year, $20.5 million deal in 2022. However, shoulder surgery sidelined him for all of 2023, and he only returned late in 2024 as a bullpen arm. His five-pitch mix still shows promise, and Murphy seems ready to give Ashby a chance to reclaim his spot in the rotation.
Then there’s Tobias Myers, whose rock-solid 3.00 ERA over 138 innings in 2024 makes him a lock in Murphy’s book. “He’s a definite,” Murphy says, praising Myers’ consistency. With Freddy Peralta set in stone, Milwaukee has a solid core but faces questions with the rest of their rotation, especially with budget limitations looming.
Veteran Colin Rea, who notched a 4.29 ERA this season, could return if the Brewers exercise his $5.5 million club option, which seems like a bargain compared to the free-agent market. Civale, a more costly option at around $8 million, provides another option, though the Brewers may explore trades given their payroll constraints. Meanwhile, fans will keep an eye on Brandon Woodruff, who missed all of 2024 due to shoulder surgery and remains a wildcard for 2025.
With a mix of prospects like Jacob Misiorowski, who dominated in Triple-A but needs control improvements, and veterans like Rea, the Brewers have decisions to make and budget constraints to juggle. For now, Milwaukee fans can hope this rotation tinkering brings October baseball back to Brew City in 2025.
