The Milwaukee Brewers are stuck in a crossroads between contending and rebuilding. But whatever their plan ends up becoming, the Brewers wanted to ensure they were locked in behind the plate.

Milwaukee has signed catcher Eric Haase to a one-year contract, the team announced. Haase has spent his entire major league career playing in the American League, splitting time between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians.

In that time, Haase has played in 323 career games at the major league level. He is a .225 hitter with 41 home runs and 137 RBI.

At this stage of his career, Haase doesn't bring much pop with his bat. However, the Brewers already have a catcher who does in William Contreras. Making his Milwaukee debut in 2023, Contreras hit .289 with 17 home runs and 78 RBI. He is the present and future at catcher for the Brewers.

However, for as good as Contreras is, Milwaukee needed a backup plan in case of injury. Haase will now fill that role.

On the surface, his signing seems minor in the grand scheme of Milwaukee's situation right now. They suddenly lost Craig Counsell to the Chicago Cubs and have been debating trading star pitcher Corbin Burnes. Signing a backup catcher seems like more of a formality than the first thought on the Brewers' brain.

But for however minor it may seen, Eric Haase will fill a crucial role for the Brewers. With years of MLB experience, he will serve as both a backup and a mentor to Contreras. He won't have the same home run power, but Haase at least gives Milwaukee another option behind the plate.