The Milwaukee Brewers are well into spring training in a familiar position: the top contender in the NL Central, though their roster looks vastly different from a few years ago.
The 2025 season ended with 97 wins, a division championship, and a spot in the NLCS, where they only lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Against this backdrop, the 2026 offseason unfolds in Milwaukee’s familiar style: another trade away a key player. Freddy Peralta departs, adding to the list of stars who have left the Brewers in their final year of contract.
Josh Hader. Corbin Burnes. Devin Williams. Craig Counsell.
For most teams, that losing streak would mean a decline. For the Brewers, it comes with… more titles.
Three consecutive NL Central championships. And now, the next reward might not be for the players—but for the head of dugout.
According to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, both the Brewers and Pat Murphy want to finalize a contract extension soon, to avoid Murphy entering the season as a “lame duck.” This prediction is not surprising, but it carries significant meaning.
Murphy was put in an extremely difficult position from day one. He took over the team after Craig Counsell—Milwaukee’s coaching icon—left for the Chicago Cubs. The pressure came not only from results, but from proving that the Brewers don’t depend on a single name.
Two years later, the answer is clear.
Two consecutive NL Manager of the Year awards. Consistent performance despite constantly changing rosters. The ability to optimize every piece, every matchup, every bullpen decision—all of this makes Murphy the embodiment of the Brewers’ philosophy: practical, disciplined, and quiet.
It’s worth noting that Murphy doesn’t work with a perfect roster. On the contrary, he frequently has to manage teams that are considered weaker than their opponents. But Milwaukee still won. Not through overwhelming power, but by minimizing mistakes and making the most of what they had.
Of course, the front office deserves credit. But strategy is only valuable when executed effectively — and Murphy was the one who turned the plan into results.
Murphy’s contract extension wasn’t just a reward for the past. It was a statement for the future. The Brewers knew they would continue to face personnel changes. They knew they couldn’t keep all their stars. Therefore, they needed a steady hand to lead them — someone unshaken by departing players.
Pat Murphy was that person.
He didn’t need a star-studded lineup to keep the team above .500. He didn’t need headline offseason to get the Brewers into the playoffs. And in a division where competitors are constantly changing direction, that stability became their greatest advantage.
If Brewers actually finalize this extension, it will be one of their most important decisions in years — perhaps just as important as any trade.
Because with rosters constantly changing, the helmsman is what keeps the ship on course.
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