Milwaukee, WI
Here are the moves involving the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2024-2025 offseason
Here are our Milwaukee Brewers player grades for 2024
Here are our Milwaukee Brewers player grades for 2024, based on analysis by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writers Todd Rosiak and Curt Hogg
Keep track of all the offseason moves the Milwaukee Brewers have made leading into the 2025 Major League Baseball season. As of Nov. 4, free agents were eligible to sign with new teams.
Upcoming dates to know
- Nov. 5-7: General manager meetings in San Antonio.
- Nov. 19: Deadline for free-agent players to accept a qualifying offer (3 p.m. CT) and deadline to add players to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 draft (5 p.m.). Players to watch at this stage include Willy Adames, who was given a $21.05 million qualifying offer for one year from the Brewers, and minor-league pitcher Logan Henderson as a potential add to the 40-man. Adames will almost certainly decline the offer, in line to make far more on the open market.
- Nov. 22: Deadline to tender contracts for players on the 40-man roster; those not tendered a contract by this date become free agents. Players to watch at this stage include Hoby Milner.
- Dec. 9-11: Winter meetings in Dallas, which includes the MLB draft lottery on Dec. 10 and the Rule 5 draft on Dec. 11.
- Jan. 10: Deadline for salary arbitration-eligible players and teams to exchange monetary figures.
- Feb. 12: Pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
Brewers essentially cut ties with Jake Bauers and Bryse Wilson
Nov. 4: First baseman Jake Bauers and pitcher Bryse Wilson were placed on waivers over the weekend, indicating the Brewers were going to non-tender both later this month. They cleared waivers and became free agents.
Wilson pitched in a variety of roles for the Brewers over the past two seasons and was named the club’s Unsung Hero of the Year in 2023 after pitching to a 2.58 earned run average in 76⅔ innings. Wilson had a 4.04 ERA this season, giving him a mark of 3.42 in 181⅓ innings with Milwaukee.
Bauers largely scuffled at the plate during his one season with the Brewers (he had a .662 OPS) but did provide some power (12 homers), played great defense at first base and delivered one of the biggest hits of the year with a pinch-hit, go-ahead homer in the seventh inning of Game 3 of the wild-card series.
Frankie Montas declines his option
Nov. 4: In an unsurprising move, Frankie Montas will hit free agency after declining his $20 million mutual option. Montas’ contract comes with a $2 million buyout.
Montas may not get that same value on the open market as a free agent, but it was an inevitability that the Brewers were going to decline the mutual option, so the right-hander ultimately opted out.
Montas was acquired by the Brewers at the trade deadline from the Cincinnati Reds for Jakob Junis and Joey Wiemer. He pitched Game 2 of the playoff series against New York.
Kevin Herget, Rob Zastryzny claimed off waivers
Nov. 4: The Brewers waived relievers Kevin Herget and Rob Zastryzny, and both were claimed by the Mets and Cubs, respectively.
Herget pitched to a 1.59 ERA in 11⅓ innings, showing a changeup that was at times devastating.
Zastryzny, a left-hander, appeared in nine games and threw 7⅔ innings, allowing just one run. He started three games as an opener, but left elbow tendinitis landed him on the injured list in late July and he never returned to the majors.
Brewers decline options on Devin Williams and Eric Haase, but they remain with organization
Nov. 3: The Brewers declined options for both closer Devin Williams and backup catcher Eric Haase, but both remained under club control.
Williams, instead of earning the $10.5 million on the deal he signed before the 2024 season, will enter his third and final offseason of arbitration, en route to becoming a free agent in advance of the 2026 season. He was expected to earn just less than $8 million in arbitration.
Haase, likewise, will go through the arbitration process for the first time.
Brewers waive starting pitcher Colin Rea and pick up option on Freddy Peralta
Nov. 2: With no intent to pick up starting pitcher Colin Rea’s $5.5 million club option for 2025, the Brewers informed the 34-year-old of their intent to place him on waivers.
It counted as the biggest surprise of the early offseason after Rea threw 167⅔ innings in 2024. It essentially meant the team was moving on, whether he was claimed on waivers or if he wasn’t, at which point the team would simply pay a $1 million buyout. He cleared waivers shortly thereafter.
In a no-brainer move, the Brewers also picked up the $8 million option on the contract of starting pitcher Freddy Peralta, the team’s No. 1 starter in 2024.
Brewers trade Wisconsin native Owen Miller to Colorado Rockies
Nov. 2: Owen Miller, the Ozaukee High School alumnus who had spent time with the Brewers each of the last two seasons, was traded to Colorado for cash considerations.
Miller had a big month of May in 2023 but wasn’t able to cement an everyday roster spot with the Brewers over the next 1½ seasons. Miller was designated for assignment in July 2024 and he spent the remainder of the season with Class AAA Nashville.
Brewers part ways with catcher Gary Sánchez
Nov. 2: Backup catcher Gary Sánchez hit the open market after the Brewers declined the team option for 2025 and paid a $4 million buyout.
Sánchez batted .220 with a .699 OPS and hit 11 home runs in 89 games and 280 plate appearances in his first and only season with Milwaukee, serving primarily as the backup to William Contreras and facing left-handed pitching.
Brewers decline option on pitcher Wade Miley
Oct. 31: Left-handed starter Wade Miley could still be back in some capacity, but it won’t be on the $12.5 million club option for 2025. The Brewers declined that and paid a $1.5 million buyout instead. Miley missed the vast majority of the 2024 season with injury.
Milwaukee, WI
Critically missing Milwaukee man; police seek public’s help
MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating a critically missing man last heard from more than a month ago.
What we know:
Police say 53-year-old William Riley was last heard from on Nov. 14, 2025, in Milwaukee. His exact location at the time is unknown.
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Riley is described as a Black male with a thin build, standing 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing about 162 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. Police say Riley was last seen on foot.
What you can do:
Authorities urge anyone who may have seen Riley or has information about his whereabouts to contact the Milwaukee Police Department’s District Four at 414-935-7242.
The Source: The Milwaukee Police Department
Milwaukee, WI
Wauwatosa West rises in area boys basketball rankings with team of the week nod
Wauwatosa West defeats Wauwatosa East, 74-63 on Dec. 12, 2025
Highlights from the Trojans 74-63 win over Wauwatosa East in a crosstown battle on Dec. 12, 2025.
After some early-season nonconference bouts, Milwaukee area high school boys basketball teams began to get into the meat of their schedules last week with conference contests to establish the early pecking order.
One such battle was in the Southeast Conference between last week’s No. 2 team Racine Park and then unranked Franklin, which went 66-53 to the Sabers. Another notable pair of finals were the top-10 matchups for Wisconsin Lutheran last week, as the Vikings beat Slinger (68-46) and New Berlin West (69-20) to maintain their hold on the top spot while dropping the latter to others considered this week. Arrowhead, Greendale and Oak Creek join the top 10 in place of Greenfield, New Berlin West and Milwaukee Academy of Science.
Dropped from the others considered this week are Germantown (1-2), Golda Meir (3-2) and Howard Fuller Collegiate (3-2), as Kenosha Indian Trail, Franklin and Whitefish Bay fill up their vacated spots among top-10 considerations.
Here are our full area rankings, others considered, team of the week and matchups to watch this week.
AREA RANKINGS
Team (W-L), last week
- Wisconsin Lutheran (4-0), 1
- West Allis Central (4-0), 3
- Wauwatosa West (5-1), 4
- Kettle Moraine (5-0), 5
- Brookfield East (5-0), 7
- Arrowhead (5-0), –
- Slinger (3-1), 6
- Racine Park (3-1), 2
- Greendale (5-0), –
- Oak Creek (4-0), –
Others considered: Franklin (2-1), Greenfield (3-2), Hartford (3-1), Homestead (3-1), Lake Country Lutheran (3-0), Kenosha Indian Trail (3-0), Milwaukee Academy of Science (3-2), Milwaukee Lutheran (5-0), New Berlin West (3-1), Whitefish Bay (4-1).
TEAM OF THE WEEK
Wauwatosa West
The Trojans picked up a trio of well-balanced and hard-fought wins last week, including two in conference play to place themselves firmly among the early leaders for the Greater Metro Conference title again. On Dec. 9 in a 75-50 win over Germantown, junior 6-foot-5 forward Jalen Brown flirted with a triple-double with 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists to lead a 20-assist night for the team. Senior 6-5 forward Matthew Kloskey added 21 points, three rebounds and three assists, and senior 6-2 guard/forward Messiah Chambers was also in double figures with 11 points. Junior 5-10 guard Max Gogin was lights out from three off the bench, scoring 15 on five-of-five shooting from distance. Kloskey led the way in the Dec. 12 win of 74-63 over crosstown rival Wauwatosa East, scoring a team-best 26 points while hauling in eight boards. Freshman 5-10 guard Logan “Bear” Collins added 20 points, while Brown had 17 to go along with seven boards and five assists. Tosa West got another standout effort off the bench from junior 6-6 forward Kason Mangum in a 73-62 victory over Catholic Memorial to close out the week Dec. 13, as he scored a team-leading 18 points with seven boards. Kloskey and Collins each added a dozen points with the former adding seven rebounds, while senior 5-9 guard DJ Hennings had 10 points as well. Eight different Trojans scored in the last win of the week, which rounded out a sweep for the current GMC co-leaders with Brookfield Central and Brookfield East.
COMING UP
Milwaukee Bradley Tech at Milwaukee Juneau, 7 p.m. Dec. 18: Two of the area’s 25 boys basketball players to watch this season as highlighted by the Journal Sentinel square off, as Bradley Tech’s Jakari Smith visits Gonzaga commit Dooney Johnson and Juneau.
Brookfield East at Germantown, 7 p.m. Dec. 19: The first of two intriguing GMC battles taking place on Friday features two teams that finished within two games of the conference title last season and are looking to take the next step this year.
Brookfield Central at Wauwatosa West, 7 p.m. Dec. 19: The reigning conference co-champions in the GMC have unfinished business in their first meeting of the 2025-26 season, especially on the Lancers’ end. Brookfield Central was knocked off, 63-58, by Wauwatosa West in the Division 2 sectional semifinal last season as the latter would go on to win the state title.
Franklin at Arrowhead, 3 p.m. Dec. 20: The Sabers knocked off one top-10 team last week and could make a strong case for inclusion in our final rankings of the calendar year with another win against the Warhawks.
Milwaukee, WI
Who Makes Milwaukee’s Socket Sets? Here’s What You Need To Know – SlashGear
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You’ve likely encountered Milwaukee socket sets if you’ve shopped for tools at Northern Tool, Ace Hardware, or The Home Depot. While the Milwaukee Tool brand may be more well-known for its M12 and M18 power tools and Pack Out tool storage options rather than its mechanic’s hand tools these days, Lowe’s doesn’t sell those Milwaukee tools either.
The Milwaukee Tool company was founded in Wisconsin in 1924. While the company was acquired by Techtronic Industries (TTI) in 2005, the Milwaukee Tool “Contact Us” page lists an address on West Lisbon Road in Brookfield, Wisconsin.
TTI was founded by a German entrepreneur in 1985 and now oversees a diverse line of product manufacturing that includes Milwaukee socket sets. As a publicly traded company listed on China’s Hong Kong Stock Exchange, TTI is a global entity with manufacturing interests in multiple countries, including the United States of America. While Milwaukee Tools proudly proclaims the Made in USA status for some of its pliers and screwdrivers, the company’s website is more cryptic about the origin of its socket sets. Some digging through the question and answer section of a few Milwaukee socket sets on Home Depot’s product pages reveals a response from “Milwaukee Tool” indicating the ratchets are made in Taiwan, while the sockets are made in China. Other Home Depot users say the packaging indicates similar information.
What you need to know about Milwaukee socket sets
In addition to the retailers listed above, Milwaukee socket sets are available at many outlets that carry other Milwaukee tools, such as Acme Tools, ToolUp, Zoro, Max Tool, and Grainger, to name several, according to the “Where to Buy” button on Milwaukee’s 98-piece Ratchet and Socket Set product page. Milwaukee tools may not be any cheaper at Ace Hardware since most retailers have similar prices, although sometimes the cost of certain tools can vary.
Milwaukee sockets have a distinctive feature not seen on other brands: four flat areas located around the perimeter of the sockets. In addition to setting them apart from other socket brands, there are useful reasons for the Milwaukee sockets’ square shape. Milwaukee says the shape of its sockets “deter rolling” and makes them “wrench compatible.”
While the option to turn a Milwaukee socket with a wrench can come in hand when working in spaces too tight to allow a ratchet, keep in mind that it works best with open-end wrenches. Closed-end wrenches, including ratcheting styles, won’t make contact with much of the socket’s square end.
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