The Milwaukee Brewers just signed the 2021 NLCS MVP to a minor league deal, his third team of the 2025 season, and it’s only May. Outfielder Eddie Rosario is running out of jerseys.
After being designated for assignment twice—first by the Dodgers, then the Braves—Rosario finds himself in Triple-A Nashville, trying once again to convince someone he still belongs in a big-league outfield.
This isn’t a Cinderella comeback. It’s desperation for both sides.
Why Milwaukee?
The Brewers are one or two injuries away from an outfield crisis. This year, Blake Perkins hasn’t played a game due to a fractured shin. Garrett Mitchell is out with an oblique strain. Christian Yelich is mostly DH-only now, and Jake Bauers — not exactly a household name — is holding down left field while Milwaukee’s young duo (Jackson Chourio and Sal Frelick) try to carry the load.
Behind them? The outfield bench consists of Daz Cameron and Isaac Collins. Not exactly names that instill confidence if someone else goes down. The Brewers needed insurance — a guy with a pulse, a glove, and a swing that once made postseason pitchers sweat.
So they turned to Rosario.
What’s Left in the Tank?
The truth? No one knows.
Rosario hasn’t been a productive major leaguer since 2022. He was a league-average bat in 2023, then completely cratered last year, hitting .175 with a .215 OBP across 91 games between the Nationals and Braves. He’s been a ghost this season — two MLB games, four plate appearances, no hits, two Ks.
But buried in all of that is one glimmer of hope. While in Triple-A Oklahoma City with the Dodgers, Rosario quietly hit .339 with a .948 OPS over 14 games. He earned a brief call-up when Shohei Ohtani went on paternity leave, and was DFA’d the second Ohtani returned. It wasn’t about Rosario failing. It was about being expendable.
That’s what he is now: a deep piece. A placeholder. A name to stick on the Nashville lineup card until Perkins or Mitchell gets healthy — or until someone else gets hurt.
But sometimes, that’s all a player like Rosario needs to spark something.
Don’t Forget October 2021
Here’s the thing about Rosario: he’s streaky, but when he’s hot, he’s a problem. Braves fans still remember what he did in the 2021 playoffs — hitting .560 in the NLCS, including a walk-off homer that buried the Dodgers. That wasn’t a fluke. That was Rosario locked in.
He’s not that player anymore, not every day. But if Milwaukee catches lightning in a bottle, even for two or three weeks, this move becomes worth it. And if they don’t? Well, he’s on a minor league deal. No risk, no loss.
What This Really Says About Milwaukee
This signing isn’t just about Rosario. It’s about depth — or lack of it.
The Brewers have a solid starting outfield when healthy, but their Triple-A options are thin. Jared Oliva is the only real standout right now in Nashville. Jimmy Herron and Adam Hall are career minor leaguers who are underperforming. So if something happens to Frelick, Chourio, or Bauers, it’s slim pickings.
That’s why Rosario’s in Nashville today. He’s a veteran with playoff scars and the kind of experience that can come in handy when games start to matter more. He may never suit up for Milwaukee. But if he does, it’ll mean someone’s down — and Rosario has another shot to matter.
One More Swing at Relevance
Eddie Rosario is 32, hitting .221 over his last 1,100 MLB plate appearances. He’s been DFA’d twice in a month. But he’s still chasing the moment, believing that one more run is possible.
For Milwaukee, he’s a safety net. For Rosario?
It might be his last lifeline.
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