The Milwaukee Brewers opened their offseason moves on November 3, 2026, by exercising the contract option for catcher William Contreras and extending a qualifying offer to first baseman Jake Bauers.
Contreras, wearing number 24, and Bauers, number 9, were key contributors during the Brewers' run to the National League Championship Series. The pair celebrated a 7-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the NLCS at American Family Field on October 12, 2026.
The qualifying offer to Bauers gives the Brewers draft pick compensation should he sign with another team, while the option on Contreras keeps the young catcher under club control for the upcoming season.
