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Here are the moves involving the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2024-2025 offseason

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Here are the moves involving the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2024-2025 offseason


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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.



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South Milwaukee students spread holiday cheer at assisted living facility

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South Milwaukee students spread holiday cheer at assisted living facility


Residents at an assisted living facility in South Milwaukee received an early dose of Christmas cheer as students and families from Zion Lutheran School delivered gifts, treats and songs as part of the school’s annual Giving Tree program.

What we know:

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During the season of giving, students from the school joined family members and church volunteers to surprise residents at Franciscan Villa, filling wagons with presents and handing them out throughout the facility. The Giving Tree is a long-running holiday tradition for the school, built around gift donations for different groups each year, including veterans and families in need.

“It was just fun and happy,” said Ellen Rogers, a student volunteer.

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Rogers spent her Sunday morning alongside friends and family, sharing moments with seniors who staff say don’t always have the opportunity to see loved ones during the holidays.

What they’re saying:

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“As a Christian it shows living our faith and being able to give to others especially during this time,” said Neil Schliewe, Zion Lutheran School principal. “With a facility like this having people that maybe their family is far away, maybe their family isn’t able to visit or maybe they’ve lost touch with family.” 

Schliewe said the impact of the visit was immediately visible, with some residents moved to tears.

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“We saw literally residents crying tears of joy because of not being able to experience that family time during this period of their lives and so being able to have kids from our school and our church, be able to come and do that it’s incredibly special,” Schliewe said.

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What’s next:

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After the gift-giving wrapped up, students and staff shared one final surprise, singing Christmas songs together with residents. School leaders say planning for next year’s Giving Tree will begin on Thanksgiving.

The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.

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Fatal Milwaukee shooting early Sunday, 1 dead on city’s northwest side

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Fatal Milwaukee shooting early Sunday, 1 dead on city’s northwest side


Milwaukee Police Department (MPD)

One person was killed in a shooting in Milwaukee early Sunday morning, Dec. 21.

According to the Milwaukee Police Department, at about 3:50 a.m., a 24-year-old was shot in the area of 96th and Beatrice, which is off of Brown Deer Road.

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Their shooting victim died at the scene.

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MPD tips

What you can do:

Police are looking for those responsible.

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Anyone with information is asked to contact the Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360 or, to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or use the P3 Tips app.

The Source: The Milwaukee Police Department sent FOX6 the information.

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Milwaukee man accused in ‘card cracking’ scheme already in prison for fatal crash

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Milwaukee man accused in ‘card cracking’ scheme already in prison for fatal crash


A Milwaukee man, already serving prison time for a fatal crash, is now accused of scamming people and banks out of tens of thousands of dollars before that crash even happened.

In Court:

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Prosecutors said 27-year-old Jaquon Benson used fraudulent checks to take cash out of multiple ATMs in a scheme known as “card cracking.” He is charged with six felonies. 

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‘Card cracking’ scheme

The backstory:

Court filings said Benson was caught on camera at ATMs across the Milwaukee metropolitan area, cashing out what investigators said were fraudulent checks.

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According to a criminal complaint, Benson was the ringleader in a scheme that spanned several months in 2023. Here’s how investigators said it worked.

ATM surveillance image of Jaquon Benson (Courtesy: MCDAO)

First, someone needs a check or bank information. Benson is accused of recruiting a friend to steal checks from USPS drop boxes. The stolen checks would then be modified, sometimes to the tune of thousands of dollars.

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Next, prosecutors said Benson took to social media to recruit people to use their bank accounts or to open up new accounts. Investigators said, after depositing the fraudulent checks into those accounts, Benson would pull up to the ATM to withdraw – or attempt to withdraw – the money he had just deposited.

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Multiple banks were targeted to the tune of more than $116,000. Court filings said the victims ranged from people to business – to even the “Milwaukee County Office of the Sheriff.” But not all that money was pocketed.

The complaint said many banks had security measures in place to stop potential fraud before it happened. Still, Benson is accused of cashing out close to $61,000.

Social media image included in criminal complaint filed against Jaquon Benson (Courtesy: MCDAO)

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Dig deeper:

Benson was caught driving a stolen car in May 2024. When officers tried to stop him, he took off and crashed into a van at 27th and Locust – killing a 41-year-old man. He was sentenced to more than a decade in prison.

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The Source: FOX6 News reviewed a criminal complaint filed with the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court records, as well as prior coverage of the fatal crash case. 

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