MILWAUKEE — David Stearns is stepping away from his role as the Brewers‘ president of baseball operations, saying Thursday he just needs a break and isn’t thinking about taking a job with any other organization.
Stearns will remain with the Brewers in an advisory role to owner Mark Attanasio. Matt Arnold, who has been the Brewers’ senior vice president and general manager since 2020, takes over the lead role in overseeing baseball operations.
“I’m looking forward to gaining some time that I haven’t really had before,” Stearns said in a news conference. “Looking forward to taking a deep breath. I’m looking forward to spending time with my family, looking forward to spending time with friends. And I’m looking forward to pursuing some other interests. I’m also not going anywhere. I’m going to be here in Milwaukee.”
Stearns’ tenure marked the Brewers’ greatest run of sustained success. He joined the franchise in October 2015 as general manager and was named president of baseball operations before the 2019 season.
The team’s franchise-record string of four straight playoff appearances ended this season when they went 86-76 and finished a game behind the World Series-bound Philadelphia Phillies for the National League’s final wild-card berth.
Milwaukee’s ability to win consistently as a budget-conscious franchise made Stearns an attractive candidate for other organizations. Stearns, who is from New York City, has been mentioned for years as a possibility to join the Mets‘ front office.
The Brewers won 481 games over the past six seasons, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves among NL teams. He orchestrated the 2018 trade with the Miami Marlins that brought Christian Yelich to Milwaukee and helped turn the Brewers into legitimate contenders.
Yelich was the NL MVP in 2018, when the Brewers reached the NL Championship Series and fell a game short of their first World Series appearance since 1982. Yelich finished second in the MVP balloting the following season.
Stearns said his favorite moment was the Brewers’ tiebreaker victory over the Chicago Cubs to determine the 2018 NL Central champion.
“David’s impact on the organization has been transformational,” Attanasio said in a statement. “He has created a process that has yielded highly competitive teams consistently and raised expectations to a new level both internally and with our fans.”
But this season, Stearns encountered strong criticism over sending four-time All-Star closer Josh Hader to the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline. The Brewers owned a three-game NL Central lead at the time of the trade but faded out of the playoff picture after Hader’s departure. The Padres reached the NLCS.
Stearns said the disappointing finish didn’t impact his decision to leave and that he had been contemplating this move “for many months.”
“I understand people want to know what comes next, and the truth is, I don’t know,” the 37-year-old said. “I’m not going into this with any plan. I think my generation — a segment of my generation, and I will certainly put myself in this group — is inflicted with a condition where we feel like every single thing must be planned out. Decision A must lead to Decision B, which must lead to Decision C.
“In this case, I’m making Decision A because I think it’s the right thing to do. I don’t know what Decisions B and C will be, but I know that Decision A is the right thing to do for me.”
Arnold now takes over a team with plenty of offseason questions.
The Brewers have 18 players eligible for arbitration, including 2021 Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes and pitcher Brandon Woodruff.
Adding to the complications is the large contract of Yelich, whose performance has tailed off markedly since his 2018 and 2019 seasons. Yelich will make $26 million each of the next six seasons, though $4 million of that will be deferred each year.
“I think a lot of what Mark and David and I have talked about is the stability that we have here,” said Arnold, who joined the Brewers organization in October 2015. “We do have a great foundation in place, so I don’t envision any major changes there.”
How long Stearns is part of that foundation — and his level of involvement — is uncertain.
“I love baseball,” Stearns said. “Baseball has been an enormous part of my life, and I anticipate that it will continue to be an enormous part of my life. In what capacity, I think remains to be seen. I think that could be anything from being a fan — a really passionate fan — to one day working again in a senior leadership position. I’m not really going to close any doors, but I know this is the right time to exhale a little bit.”
FRISCO, Texas — A dynamic new quarterback, a new offensive system and two projected first-round picks up front have Utah coach Kyle Whittingham feeling enthusiastic about the Utes’ chances of bouncing back from a disastrous debut season in the Big 12.
Utah was voted No. 1 in the Big 12 preseason poll last year after joining from the Pac-12, but a brutal run of injuries and inconsistency resulted in a seven-game conference losing streak and a 5-7 finish — the program’s first losing season since 2013.
After weeks of contemplation about his future and what was best for the program, Whittingham, the third-longest-tenured head coach in FBS, decided in December to return for his 21st season with the Utes.
“The bottom line and the final analysis was I couldn’t step away on that note,” Whittingham told ESPN at Big 12 media days Wednesday. “It was too frustrating, too disappointing. As much as college football has changed with all the other factors that might pull you away, that was the overriding reason: That’s not us, that’s not who we are. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. I did not want to miss the opportunity to try to get that taste out.”
“The bottom line and the final analysis was I couldn’t step away on that note. It was too frustrating, too disappointing. … That’s not us. That’s not who we are. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. I did not want to miss the opportunity to try to get that taste out.”
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham on going 5-7 in 2024
Whittingham and Utes defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley conducted a national search for a new offensive coordinator and quickly zeroed in on New Mexico‘s Jason Beck. Then they managed to land Devon Dampier, Beck’s first-team All-Mountain West quarterback, via the transfer portal.
After finishing 11th nationally in total offense with 3,934 yards and 31 total touchdowns and putting up the fourth-most rushing yards (1,166) among all FBS starters, Dampier followed his coach to Salt Lake City and immediately asserted himself as a difference-maker for a program that had to start four different QBs in 2024.
“He’s a terrific athlete,” Whittingham said. “He’s a guy that, if spring is any indication, he’s an exciting player, and we can’t wait to watch him this season. … He’s got that ‘it’ factor. He’s a leader. Needless to say, very excited to see what he does for us.”
“We feel they’re the best tandem in the country,” Whittingham said. “The offensive line in general, I feel, it’s the best since I’ve been there. And that’s quite a statement. We’ve had some really good offensive lines. We’ve got two first-rounders and three seniors inside that have played a lot of good football for us. That better be a strength of ours, and that’s what we’re counting on.”
Whittingham has previously said he did not want to coach past the age of 65. Now that he’s 65, he acknowledges that he might’ve arrived at a different decision about his future had the Utes ended up winning the Big 12 in 2024. He is reenergized about getting them back into contention, but he’s not ready to say whether this season might be his last.
“The best answer I can give you is, right now, I’m excited and passionate about going to work every single day,” Whittingham said. “As soon as that changes, I’ll know it’s time. I’m just counting on knowing when the time is right. I can’t tell you exactly what the circumstances will be other than losing the fire in the belly.”
Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.
The automated ball-strike system is coming to the All-Star Game next week in Atlanta.
MLB officials added the feature to the annual exhibition game knowing it could be a precursor to becoming a permanent part of the major leagues as soon as next year.
The same process used this past spring training will be used for the Midsummer Classic: Each team will be given two challenges with the ability to retain them if successful. Only a pitcher, catcher or hitter can ask for a challenge and it has to happen almost immediately after the pitch. The player will tap his hat or helmet indicating to the umpire he wants to challenge while any help from the dugout or other players on the field is not allowed.
MLB officials say 72% of fans who were polled during spring training said the impact of ABS on their experience at the game was a “positive” one. Sixty-nine percent said they’d like it part of the game moving forward. Just 10% expressed negativity toward it.
MLB’s competition committee will meet later this summer to determine if ABS will be instituted next season after the league tested the robotic system throughout the minor leagues and spring training in recent years. Like almost any rule change, there were mixed reviews from players about using ABS but nearly all parties agree on one point: They prefer a challenge system as opposed to the technology calling every pitch.
As was the case in spring training, once a review is initiated, an animated replay of the pitch will be shown on the scoreboard and the home plate umpire will either uphold the call or overturn it. ABS uses Hawk-Eye system technology which tracks the pitch trajectory and location in relation to the strike zone, providing an instant assessment which can be relayed to the home plate umpire.
The All-Star Game will be played at Truist Park in Atlanta on Tuesday.
The Kansas City Royals have signed former Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel to a minor league contract, the team announced Wednesday.
The 37-year-old left-hander will start at Triple-A Omaha and will earn a prorated $2 million salary if he reaches the big leagues, sources tell ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Keuchel has not pitched in the majors for nearly a full calendar year. He elected to become a free agent on July 18, 2024, after being designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers.
In four starts with the Brewers last season, Keuchel had a 5.40 ERA in 16 2/3 innings without a decision. In 13 major league seasons, the 2015 American League Cy Young winner with the Houston Astros is 103-92 with a 4.04 ERA in 282 appearances (267 starts).
After pitching his first seven seasons with the Astros, Keuchel has made appearances for six different teams since 2019. He won a World Series with Houston in 2017 and is a two-time All-Star selection and five-time Gold Glove winner.
Information from Field Level Media was used in this report.