The Milwaukee Brewers' front office is undergoing some changes ahead of the offseason, as David Stearns, president of baseball operations for the club, is stepping down, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. According to Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Matt Arnold, who has served as the team's general manager since 2020, has been promoted to president of baseball operations.

David Stearns, a member of the Brewers' organization since the 2015 season, came under fire for some of the team's decisions this season, most notably the trade deadline deal to send All-Star closer Josh Hader to the San Diego Padres.

Speaking with reporters after the season, Stearns said that the Hader trade had “affected the team more than he expected.” Whether that failure had anything to do with Stearns' decision is unclear.

But perhaps the longtime executive, who is slated to remain in an “advisory role” to ownership and to Arnold, is seeking out another position.

Stearns was linked to the New York Mets last offseason, as the likes of Steve Cohen and Sandy Alderson were looking to pry him away from the Brewers.

Of course, all this is speculation. But it's certainly interesting that David Stearns, a popular name in baseball circles, would make such a decision with reported interest from other clubs.

In the meantime, the Brewers have an offseason to focus on. After an NLCS run in 2018 and trips to the Wild Card and Division Series in the following years, the Brewers took a step back and missed out on October baseball this year.

This will be an important offseason for the club.