The Brewers have positioned right-hander Colin Rea on waivers, MLBTR has discovered. He’s accessible for any membership to assert. Rea has a $5.5M membership choice for the upcoming season with a $1M buyout.
It’s a shocking transfer, given the inexpensive nature of Rea’s choice and the strong work he’s given to them over the previous two seasons. The veteran righty has given Milwaukee 292 1/3 innings of 4.40 ERA ball since 2023, taking the ball 58 instances and beginning 49 video games. Rea hasn’t been a top-of-the-rotation arm however has been a stabilizing presence amid myriad accidents and appreciable turnover within the Brewers’ rotation. He’d have turn out to be a free agent if Milwaukee declined his buyout, however they’ll as a substitute make a fairly evident cost-cutting transfer of waiving him to attempt to save that $1M buyout within the occasion that one other workforce claims him.
Any workforce in want of rotation assist or maybe an inexpensive swingman will now have the chance to assert Rea on the $5.5M value level of his 2025 choice. If he goes unclaimed, Milwaukee will seemingly pay that $1M buyout, at which level Rea will turn out to be a free agent who’s capable of signal with any membership.
Provided that he’s coming off a season that noticed him pitch 167 2/3 innings with a 4.29 ERA, 18.9% strikeout price and 6% stroll price, Rea ought to maintain enchantment to golf equipment searching for assist in the back of the rotation — notably lower-payroll golf equipment which have doubts over their potential to purchase a comparable arm in free company. A technique or one other, Rea will doubtless land on his ft, but it surely’s a tricky capsule to swallow for the righty, as he now has no say over selecting his subsequent vacation spot except he surprisingly goes unclaimed and is subsequently purchased out.
As a reminder, offseason waiver precedence relies on the reverse standings from the 2024 season and isn’t league-specific. The White Sox may have first crack at claiming Rea, adopted by the Rockies, Marlins, Angels, A’s, and so on.
