PHOENIX, Ariz. -- When the Brewers traded Devin Williams to the Yankees this winter, it would have been easy for Milwaukee’s players to view it as a negative.

That’s not how Matt Arnold saw it.

The Brewers’ senior vice president and general manager had experience with such moves, having traded former National League Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes to the Orioles less than a year earlier.

Burnes and Williams were integral members of the team, both for their work on the mound and their leadership. They had also been drafted and developed by the Brewers, blossoming into the type of players that Milwaukee strives to produce.

Arnold knew that subtracting both pitchers from the clubhouse would have a wide-ranging effect, but given the Brewers’ sustained success as a mid-market team, he had faith that the culture they had built within the organization would allow the Brewers to move forward without the pair of All-Stars.

“We have to be able to establish culture beyond just one player; it has to be able to cascade into a lot of different players,” Arnold said. “That starts with our player development guys in the Minor Leagues, so when they come up, we have that next wave of guys that can do that. It is certainly challenging to do that, but it’s something that we've had to do here a number of times. It just speaks to making sure that you have the right culture to be able to insulate yourself when you have to make those tough decisions.”

The Brewers responded with a 93-win season after Burnes’ departure, winning the NL Central for the third time in four years and reaching the postseason for the sixth time in seven seasons.

Even without Burnes and Brandon Woodruff, who was rehabbing from shoulder surgery, the Brewers’ staff -- which was also without an injured Williams for the four months -- posted a 3.65 ERA, second only to the Braves in the NL.

“Any time you're making those types of moves, messaging is super important -- especially in the clubhouse, because these guys are the fabric of your team,” Arnold said. “In a lot of ways, it actually can be a bet on the players that are still currently there. It’s not, ‘Hey, I don't believe in these guys.’ It actually might mean that you believe more in some other guys that want and deserve that opportunity to move into that type of role. I don't look at it always as a negative; a lot of times it's an opportunity for young players to grow.”

That group included Jackson Chourio (20), Brice Turang (24), Sal Frelick (24), Joey Ortiz (25), Garrett Mitchell (25) and Tobias Myers (25), each of whom registered a bWAR of at least 2.0. Mix in established veterans like William Contreras, Willy Adames, Christian Yelich and Freddy Peralta -- who each also posted a bWAR of at least 2.0 -- and the Brewers had a well-rounded team that received contributions from every corner of the room.

With Williams now wearing pinstripes and Adames departing for a free-agent deal with the Giants, the Brewers believe they are equipped to succeed with their 2025 roster. Each year presents its own challenge, one the Brewers approach with flexibility and creativity.

In 2024, the Brewers tied a franchise record by using 17 different starting pitchers, while 12 different relievers recorded at least one save. It’s all-hands-on deck every day, leading to spirited conversations between the coaching staff and the front office as they look for creative ways to put their best team on the field every day.

Arnold learned that approach during his nine seasons with the Rays, where he worked with Andrew Friedman, Erik Neander, Chaim Bloom and James Click, among others.

“I've tried to do that here with our group; we have a lot of different personalities and different perspectives that we argue constantly -- and it's not to tear each other down, but to be productive,” Arnold said. “We have built a culture where somebody can walk in the door and say, ‘Hey, I don't think that's the right decision,’ and that's welcome. We want to have those people come in and say, ‘We need to do this better.’ That makes us all better.”

The Cubs made a number of additions this winter, none more notable than their trade for All-Star Kyle Tucker. Chicago is considered the favorite to end Milwaukee’s run atop the NL Central, but the Brewers have shown the ability to thrive in the underdog role before -- not that they view themselves in that light.

“I think we embrace it,” Arnold said. “You talk about the culture and the expectations that have been set here, the identity of the team speaks for itself. We don't try to put labels on that; we just want to go out and beat you. That’s the brand. We're going to find a way to out-compete you. You talk to [manager] Pat Murphy and the guys in our clubhouse. They're feisty competitors in a way that they want to know that the other team feels you every single day. That's the brand of baseball we play here and those are the expectations that our team has set. It’s kind of fun.”

Playing in six of the past seven Octobers has been fun for the Brewers, but they are still chasing the ultimate goal: a World Series title.

Since reaching the NL Championship Series in 2018, the Brewers have lost in the Division Series once and the Wild Card round four times. Winning the franchise’s first World Series title would mean “everything” to Arnold, who came close to a championship with the 2008 Rays, a team that lost to the Phillies in the Fall Classic.

“I have a second-place ring from 2008 and [former Red Sox second baseman] Dustin Pedroia makes fun of me for it,” Arnold said. “I think we are relentless about chasing a championship and how much it means to the people in Milwaukee. The community here, doing it for people like Bob Uecker; it means so much to all of us. I think it would be the most incredible thing to do for Wisconsin. It drives me every single day.”