Brewers promoted to general manager Matt Arnold President of Baseball Operations, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com said. “Since joining our organization in 2015, Matt Arnold “Matt has been instrumental in the culture and process of making the playoffs seven times over the past eight seasons,” Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said. “We are proud of what Matt has accomplished and even more excited for the future under his leadership,” he added. McAlvey noted that Arnold’s responsibilities in the front office will not change, although he will now hold both the president of baseball operations and general manager titles.
Arnold was hired by then-president of baseball operations David Stearns in October 2015 and promoted to general manager in November 2020. Stearns resigned after the 2022 season and Arnold was put in charge of the front office but retained the general manager title. The club are clearly impressed with his achievements over the years as he has earned this promotion. The Brewers are 282-204 (.580) since the start of 2023 and have finished first in the NFC Central every year. This year’s 97-65 (.599) record is the best in the majors. The club lost in the wild-card series in 2023 and 2024, but made the NLCS in 2025, although they were swept by the Dodgers in four games.
While Arnold’s responsibilities with the Brewers remain unchanged, he may receive a raise with his new title. More importantly, his promotion also prevented other clubs from hiring him from Milwaukee with the title of president. Teams often allow their executives to interview with other teams if promoted. By promoting Arnold, the Brewers show their confidence in his leadership and secure their front office as they look to continue their recent dominance in the NFC Central.
This year, the Brewers ranked ninth in the majors with a 107-team wRC+ and scored 806 runs, ranking third. As a whole, the team has found success by avoiding strikeouts and getting on base, with a 20.3% strikeout rate tied for fourth-lowest in the majors and a 9.1% walk rate tied for fifth. The team saw five qualified hitters – Blaise Turand, Christian Yelich, Sal Frilick, William Contrerasand Jackson Jolio – Finish with a wRC+ of at least 110. The last of them, Chourio, signed an eight-year, $82MM extension before making his major league debut, the largest pre-debut extension at the time. Chourio repaid the team’s faith with a 115 wRC+ and 6.9 fWAR in 2024-25, and this contract looks to be a highlight of Arnold’s tenure in baseball operations.
Of course, the Brewers are also known as a strong pitching team, and this strength is on full display in 2025. The team’s collective pitching ERA was 3.59, second only to the Rangers (3.49), while its strikeout rate of 23.7% was tied for sixth in the majors. In addition to the lack of bats, the Brewers’ pitching staff has done a good job of limiting hard contact. The team’s hard-hit percentage was just 38.6 percent, second best behind the Reds, and its opponents’ average exit velocity was just 88.9 mph, tied for fourth. Rotation Led by Ace Freddy Peraltawith a 2.70 ERA and an above-average strikeout rate of 28.2% in 176 2/3 innings. Quinn Priest, Jose Quintanaand Chad Patrick All posted ERAs below 4.00, while Jacob Misiorovsky Made 15 appearances (14 starts) and showed promise. The bullpen is also excellent in 2025. Abner Uribe, Trevor Megilland Aaron AshbyThe Brewers’ relievers are tied for sixth in the majors with a 3.63 ERA and ninth in strikeout rate at 23.3 percent. Peralta, Uribe and others were already part of the organization before Arnold took over as head of baseball operations, but Priest, Quintana and Megill (acquired in 2023) have emerged as solid additions during his tenure.
Ultimately, the club’s continued performance from 2023-25 will be enough for Arnold to be promoted. The team will certainly be looking for more of the same in 2026. Yelich and Contreras are under the club’s control until at least 2027, while Jorio, Turang and Frilick are under the club’s control until at least 2029. The club should do well next year with this five-man lineup. The pitching was a little uncertain. The team is interested in Quintana and Brandon WoodruffHas performed well since returning from injury but is expected to leave this winter. A mutual option is almost never accepted regardless, although the club may want to retain Quintana on another one-year deal as the back of the rotation.
The Brewers’ payroll has historically been lower compared to other teams. RosterResource projects their 2025 payroll to be $123, ranking 22nd in the league. The club owns club options worth $8MM in Peralta. That’s actually a good deal for a player of his caliber, but he’s been listed as a trade candidate recently. For his part, Alexander-Arnold downplayed the possibility of a Peralta trade during the club’s end-of-season press conference. “To be honest, it’s not my biggest concern,” he said during the meeting. The club will also see the departure of Woodruff, Rhys Hoskins (assuming his own co-option is not chosen), and Shelby Millerthe total salary in 2025 is $24MM. If Arnold retains Peralta and bolsters the rotation via trade or low-cost signing, the Brewers will be on track to win the NFC Central and make another deep playoff run in 2026.
