Apr 5, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; General view of a Milwaukee Brewers logo on seating within American Family Field prior to the game between the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Brewers Pitcher Elects Free Agency After One Season

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Oct 23, 2025 4:00 PM ET

Although the offseason hasn't fully started across Major League Baseball, now is the time of the year when we start to see some minor moves start to pop up.

That was the case on Thursday for the Milwaukee Brewers. MLB.com's Adam McCalvy shared that left-handed pitcher Connor Thomas has opted to elect free agency after spending one season in the Milwaukee organization.

"Brewers announce that LHP Connor Thomas cleared waivers and elected free agency," McCalvy said. "Thomas, a Rule 5 pick last year, allowed 12 earned runs in two Brewers outings and had a UCL repair that will sideline him until mid- to late-2026."

The former Brewers hurler is entering free agency

Milwaukee selected Thomas in the Rule 5 Draft last December, as McCalvy noted, from the St. Louis Cardinals. The 27-year-old initially was selected in the fifth round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Cardinals and was a member of the organization through the 2024 season. Before being selected by the Brewers in the Rule 5 Draft, the highest level Thomas made it to was Triple-A.

In 2025, Thomas made the club's Opening Day roster was able to make his big league debut. But he only pitched him two games for the Brewers before he was placed on the Injured List for left elbow arthritis. Thomas underwent left elbow surgery in July.

Unfortunately, Thomas didn't have a long run in Milwaukee. But, after working his way up through the Cardinals' farm system over the years, it was positive at the very least that he was able to make his big league debut in 2025, even if it was short-lived.

At this time of the year, these are the types of moves that are very common. You're not going to see the vast majority of big-name decisions until after the World Series and even closer to December. For Milwaukee, the club has its own decisions to make, like in the starting rotation. We'll start to see those pop up soon enough, but in the meantime, hopefully Thomas finds what he's looking for on the open market.

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

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