The fun answer! Quero probably would have already earned a spot on the 26-man roster if not for a torn right labrum that sidelined him for almost the entirety of 2024 and the first couple of months of 2025. He had a bit of a slow start upon returning, but ended the year with relatively similar stats to his breakout 2023 campaign (.748 OPS with six home runs over 216 at-bats with Triple-A Nashville this season). His arm strength also improved over the course of the season. Quero started off hot in the Venezuelan winter league, posting a 1.120 OPS through his first 41 plate appearances, although his OPS has dropped to .804 as of today.
The Brewers’ No. 5 prospect is already on the 40-man roster, but Milwaukee has recently dropped a couple of hints over the last few months indicating that they intend to give Quero a shot at making the team to start the year. First, Quero was added to the Brewers’ “taxi squad” back in September. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Todd Rosiak asked Brewers general manager Matt Arnold about the move, and Arnold said that the move was done to get Quero “acclimated to our information and… (get him used to) preparing at the big league level.” That’s not the kind of language Arnold would use about a player who needs another full year in the minors.
It seems to be a given that Quero will debut with the Brewers sometime in 2026, but will he serve as the backup catcher to start the year? That will most likely depend on his performance in spring training. Other options to start the year include:
Not the fun answer, but a steady and dependable backup catcher that has already spent significant time with Milwaukee. Haase has appeared in 60 games for the Brewers over the last two years, posting an .819 OPS in 2024 and a .646 OPS in 2025. He was actually DFA’ed in July after the Brewers traded for Danny Jansen, but went unclaimed on waivers and ended up spending the rest of the year with Nashville. After the season, he elected free agency. Haase isn’t going to wow anybody with his bat, but he has an above-average arm and would almost certainly be worth the amount of money he’d sign for. It may be in the best interest of the Brewers to bring him back as organizational depth.
Milwaukee already declined Jansen’s $12 million option for 2026, making him a free agent. Would he be nice to have around as a backup catcher? Definitely — Jansen slashed .254/.346/.433 since coming over from the Rays prior to the trade deadline. While he probably won’t get $12 million, Jansen is still worth more than the Brewers probably want to spend on a backup catcher with Quero waiting in the wings. If Milwaukee can get him on a cheap, one-year “prove-it” deal, the Appleton, WI native could find himself back in a Brewers uniform for 2026. I wouldn’t call that scenario likely.
Anthony Seigler played some catcher in the minors, but only caught in one game during his stint with the Brewers last year. Based on how he’s been used, I’d wager Milwaukee sees him more as a utility infield option as opposed to their future backup catcher.
Other than Seigler, who’s listed as an infielder, Quero and Contreras are the only catchers currently on the 40-man roster. That points to the Brewers adding someone in the offseason. In Paul’s recent article overviewing potential infield acquisitions, he mentioned a few names that the Brewers could look into as potential depth options. None of them are particularly exciting. Former Brewer Victor Caratini is probably out of the Brewers’ price range anyway, considering they have Quero and Contreras. Jonah Heim was an All-Star in 2023 with the Rangers and was just released by the Mets, but neither his 2024 nor his 2025 were particularly inspiring. Other depth options include guys like Christian Vázquez and Reese McGuire.
Maybe it’s because I cover the minor leagues and want to see Quero in action, but I think the time is right to throw him into the proverbial fire. He’s proven to be healthy (other than a two-week IL stint) since returning from his injury. It’s not like Quero has to start, either. Milwaukee can give him spot starts when Contreras’ legs need a break and let him slowly acclimate to the majors. They’ll probably sign a third catcher as depth, but Quero is a higher-ceiling option than any of the other guys I’ve mentioned. He probably would have already debuted in the majors had it not been for the torn labrum. I hope we get to see what he’s got next year.
