It was a bitter-sweet, but disappointing end to the Milwaukee Brewers’ season as they once again were a first-round exit after the Arizona Diamondbacks came out on top in the National League Wild Card series. Now that we’re technically in the offseason for the Brewers, some questions do start to pop up as we venture through these next couple of months.

Where will Brewers’ Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Willy Adames be next season?

There hasn’t been any indication by the Brewers if they’ll be keeping Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and/or Willy Adames around next season. They are entering their last years of arbitration eligibility, and the club has to make a decision on whether they’re going to extend these players, or at least one of them.

However, in the last couple of days since being eliminated from the postseason, the topic of the Brewers being in a ‘small market’ has popped up and whether or not that plays into keeping valuable players around for really nothing.

It factored into the Josh Hader trade in the 2022 season, who says it can’t be for any other player on the Brewers roster?

Burnes lost his arbitration case, and we all know how that went. He wasn’t paid what he’s worth, and he let the club know how upset he was, and some even thought his performance was going based off of his feelings towards general manager Matt Arnold and the rest of the organization.

Given the troubles that he went through with the arbitration process, I wouldn’t be surprised if Burnes is traded to a different team this offseason. Players will go to where the money is, and if the money isn’t in Milwaukee, there’s no point in him staying. He’s expected to make $15.1M next season, and if the Brewers want to keep him around and keep an ace in the rotation, Burnes deserves a nice payday.

Willy Adames is eligible for free agency following the 2024 season, and if the Brewers don’t give him what he’s worth, don’t be surprised if we hear news of him wanting to find a different team. Adames expressed back in November that there had been extension talks, and how he’s wanting to stay and play baseball in Milwaukee, but that’s all it’s been. Talks.

Adames has also been linked by an MLB insider to two additional teams in the National League, both of which could probably pay him more than what the Brewers would probably offer him. MLB Trade Rumors say that Willy Adames is owed $12.4 million next season, which in all reality, he should get. He had an amazing season and it’s only right to pay him for his amazing efforts.

There hasn’t been much said about Brandon Woodruff and being traded, but it would be the smart thing of Matt Arnold to keep Woody around for as long as he can. He’s had his bouts of injuries, but when he’s healthy, he’s able to perform and be a force for the Brewers starting rotation.

Unfortunately, Woody was unable to pitch in the Wild Card series due to a reaggravated shoulder injury that crept back up after the series in Miami. Whether or not he’s able to pitch next season really determines if and what he’s paid next season.

Woodruff avoided arbitration back in January, landing on a $10.8M deal with the crew, but like Adames, he will be eligible for free agency following the 2024 season.

Losing any or all three of these players would be a huge blow to the Brewers’ roster as all three have had above average, if not career years. However, like mentioned, if the demand is there from other teams, the players just might go and chase it.

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