Brewers Officially Lose 3-Year Veteran to Free Agency

Apr 21, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; A Milwaukee Brewers hat and glove in the dugout during the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images David Reginek-Imagn Images

Brewers Officially Lose 3-Year Veteran to Free Agency

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated May 21, 2026 2:22 PM ET

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It's been a wild few weeks for Milwaukee Brewers veteran pitcher Peter Strzelecki.

Strzelecki, a three-year big league veteran with 77 appearances under his belt with the Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Cleveland Guardians, was promoted to the big league roster on May 16. One day later, the Brewers designated him for assignment. The move went under the radar, despite the fact that he has been solid in the big leagues throughout his career. Strzelecki has a 3.44 career ERA in the majors in 83 2/3 innings of work.

Unfortunately, the Brewers will not be keeping him in the organization as a depth piece. On Wednesday, the Brewers outrighted Strzelecki to the minors, but he elected free agency, per his official MiLB.com page.

Strzelecki is just 31 years old and can help out a big league team. Before being designated for assignment, Strzelecki had a 4.12 ERA and a 20-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 19 2/3 innings pitched for Triple-A Nashville.

The Former Brewers Hurler Is Now A Free Agent

Strzelecki pitched in 16 games before being designated for assignment. Of his appearances, 11 were scoreless. His overall ERA wasn't spectacular on paper, but he had six straight scoreless appearances under his belt. Also, he recorded scoreless appearances in nine of his last 10 outings before being designated for assignment. Overall, he has just one outing this season in which he allowed more than one run.

For the Brewers, they're going to be fine. The Brewers have the sixth-best bullpen ERA in the league at 3.29. The Brewers are loaded with arms in the majors and down in Triple-A. Losing Strzelecki to free agency removes one veteran option, but the Brewers are in a better position than most when it comes to pitching.

The 31-year-old should absolutely get another shot with a team on the sooner side, whether on a minor league deal or at the back of a team's bullpen in the majors. He hasn't pitched in a big league game since 2024. But, again, he has a 3.77 career ERA in the majors. The last time he pitched in the majors was in 2024 with the the Guardians. That year, he had a 2.31 ERA and a 9-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 11 2/3 innings pitched.

The best season of his career to this point was as a rookie with Milwaukee back in 2022. That year, he had a 2.83 ERA in 30 outings. Hopefully, he gets another shot soon.