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Milwaukee Brewers: No MVP Candidate from MLB 2025's Best Team as Per League Experts 1 Aug 6, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Trevor Megill (29) and catcher William Contreras (24) react after defeating the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Brewers’ unsurprising William Contreras decision screams 'cheap'

Originally posted on WI Sports Heroics | By John Sbisa | Last updated Nov 5, 2025 5:16 PM ET

Last offseason in arbitration talks, the Milwaukee Brewers and catcher William Contreras agreed to a $6.1 million salary in 2025 and a $12 million mutual option for 2026. Yesterday, the Brewers announced that they will decline the option and re-enter arbitration to determine Contreras’ salary for next season.

While it wasn’t certain what they would do, the move is not all too surprising. If the front office calculated that his market value in arbitration is lower than $12 million, then there is no reason to overpay.

Still, although the move is both practical and justified, something about it feels amiss. Maybe that has to do with the fact that Contreras played all season with a broken finger and still produced the third-highest WAR in MLB. No one can blame the Brewers for making shrewd calculations, but given the franchise reputation for frugality, or, from a different angle, their stinginess, it’s also hard to blame anyone who feels like Contreras got short-changed.

Contreras earned it, just not by the Brewers’ estimations

According to the terms of the contract, of course, he did not. Hardly. The Brewers had every right to decline the option.

That’s not really the point. The point isn’t that Matt Arnold should have paid Contreras if his payroll advisors told him otherwise. The point is that Contreras did just about everything he could to earn a $12 million option next season.

He played through a fractured left finger. In a down year, he still managed to hit 17 homeruns, drive in 76, and manufacture a 111 OPS+. He had the third-highest value of any catcher in the game. He was the 13th-highest paid at his position last season.

Contreras has spent three seasons in Milwaukee. During that time, he has manufactured a 12.5 WAR, second only to Cal Raleigh. He recently underwent a minor surgery to repair the finger and should be ready in plenty of time for spring training. Barring complications, he should be less hindered, if at all, next season. He just played 150 games with one good hand. That health concerns could hold him back, thus justifying a lower salary than he would otherwise have, is a negligible if even a credible concern.

Brewers' unsurprising William Contreras decision screams Aug 17, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter William Contreras (24) reacts after hitting a two-run home run in the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The Brewers have already benefited from paying Contreras low-value arbitration salaries twice: $767,000 in 2024 and $739,000 in ’23. That’s just how the salary system works. Good players tend to be underpaid in their earlier contacts. No one expects teams to hand their players a favor. No one expects a so-called nice gesture. Baseball is, of course, a business.

It’s just that, coming off a grueling season of nonetheless excellent production, three straight years of NL-leading value, and three straight years of Contreras outplaying his contract, the Brewers’ decision leaves a feeling of “ick” in the mouth.

That simply how the organization operates when it comes paying their best players. Freddy Peralta, who will make $8.6 million on a 2026 team option before hitting free agency, will probably be gone by the deadline. They don’t want to pay him and, with the contract he will command, probably couldn’t anyway. Contreras has two years of team control remaining. By the time those are up, odds are he will be out of Milwaukee too.

This article first appeared on WI Sports Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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