Stearns looks back on Brewers' disappointing finish

MILWAUKEE -- As the National League Division Series kicked off in Atlanta on Tuesday, David Stearns was at American Family Field to take questions from the media after the Brewers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

Milwaukee's president of baseball operations pointed to three big reasons for the team's postseason absence: an inability to play consistent ball after roaring out to the best 50-game start in franchise history; a rash of injuries that decimated both the Brewers' frontline pitching as well as its depth; and a series of Deadline decisions that included trading away All-Star closer Josh Hader.

And no matter how significant the first two factors may have been to the Brewers' late-season fade, Stearns is cognizant of the fact that it's the third factor that will be the most frequently debated subject between now and the start of Spring Training next February.

"We don’t get do-overs in this position," Stearns said. "Looking back, I remain very excited about the young talent we have in the organization. I also realize that we went into a Trade Deadline in playoff position, and we didn’t make the playoffs. And when that happens, you have to look back and say, 'What more could we have done? What different could we have done?'"

"The Hader trade clearly had an impact on the team. It had a more pronounced impact than I thought it would at the time, and the surrounding moves didn’t adequately fortify the team in Josh’s absence.”

In exchange for Hader, the Brewers got back a pair of prospects in outfielder Esteury Ruiz and left-hander Robert Gasser along with two big-league relievers in left-hander Taylor Rogers and right-hander Dinelson Lamet.

Lamet never threw a pitch for the Brewers. He was designated for assignment two days later, making a head-scratching deal even more confusing for fans. But while Stearns wasn't able to land an impact bat to bolster a struggling offense, he did add two more relievers -- right-handers Matt Bush and Trevor Rosenthal.

Like Lamet, Rosenthal never pitched for Milwaukee. Still recovering from a hamstring injury at the time of the trade, Rosenthal was shut down after suffering a shoulder injury while pitching on a Minor League rehab assignment.

By adding Bush and Rogers to a reliever corps that included Devin Williams, who would slide into Hader's ninth-inning role, Stearns thought the Brewers had the pieces to make a run.

Instead, Bush posted a 4.30 ERA in 25 games while Rogers had a 5.48 mark in 24 outings. In the clubhouse, Hader's absence struck a blow to chemistry he played a big role in creating.

"It goes hand in hand," Stearns said of the impact on the team on and off the field. "We certainly were confident in our bullpen depth, the flexibility that would exist in our bullpen, that our bullpen would remain a strength of the team and at various points over the last two months, we lost games late, and that hurt. So I think all of that goes hand in hand.”

At the time of the trade, Milwaukee was 57-45 and led second-place St. Louis by three games in the NL Central. The Brewers went 29-31 the rest of the way though, finishing seven back of the Cardinals in the division and a game back of Philadelphia for the third and final NL Wild Card spot.

This offseason figures to bring more difficult decisions. The Brewers have a whopping 18 players eligible for raises in arbitration, including some of their biggest stars.

Among them are All-Star starters Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff (plus Eric Lauer and Adrian Houser), Williams, shortstop and club MVP Willy Adames, home run leader Rowdy Tellez, OPS leader Hunter Renfroe and versatile infielder Luis Urías.

Renfroe has only one year of contractual control remaining. Burnes, Woodruff, Lauer and Adames have two, meaning they will be at the same position at midseason in 2023 as Hader was in his career arc when he was traded in ’22.

“I think we all get assessed,” Stearns said. “Ultimately, I am accountable for how this organization performs completely. And we didn’t reach our goal this year. We didn’t meet our expectations. And so, I take responsibility for that.”