Sep 10, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins (12) follows through on his RBI single against the Texas Rangers during the sixth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images1 Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images

Brewers Facing Backlash For $34 Million Contract Mistake

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Oct 30, 2025 9:59 AM ET

The Milwaukee Brewers were seemingly counted out coming into this season. They had lost a few players over the offseason while the Chicago Cubs had added on. Still, the Brewers went on a terrific run during the middle of the season and catapulted themselves into first place in the division and first place in the league.

They ended up finishing the regular season with the best record in baseball, but it wasn't enough to send them to the World Series. The Brewers were beaten by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.

Looking back, there are a few key decisions that held the Brewers out of the World Series.

Brandon Glick of Reviewing the Brew recently shared some criticism of the Brewers and Rhys Hoskins' $34 million contract, going as far as to call it the team's worst contract of the season.

Rhys Hoskins' contract aged like milk for the Brewers

"Rhys Hoskins is the recipient of this ignominious honor, and it wasn't particularly close," Glick wrote. "His $18 million salary checked in as the second-largest on the team this season (behind only Christian Yelich), and yet he failed to make either postseason roster for Pat Murphy's squad. Now, that wasn't entirely his fault, as Andrew Vaughn completely usurped Hoskins after being acquired from the Chicago White Sox.

"Hoskins didn't choose to have a left thumb injury that kept him out for a long while, nor did he will a career-defining comeback from Vaughn. Nevertheless, after a solid first half in which he hit .242/.340/.428 (114 wRC+), Hoskins received just 10 at-bats the rest of the way and struck out in six of them. That's hardly the production the Brewers were paying for."

This contract might not look as bad if it weren't for the breakout season of Andrew Vaughn that promptly placed Hoskins on the bench, but we can't ignore the fact that one of the team's highest paid players was left off the postseason roster.

Hoskins wasn't bad this year, but he didn't play up to his contract's standards, especially considering the Brewers have one of the lower payrolls in baseball. When they spend money, they need it to pay off. The Brewers (literally) can't afford for expensive players to miss the postseason roster.

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Brewers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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