It's hard to look at the Milwaukee Brewers' offseason and not think that they've taken a step back in the National League race.

One of the true success stories of the 2025 season, the Brewers watched teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Mets, and the Chicago Cubs add big-name players to their roster, while their biggest move involved trading away one of their top internal stars, Freddy Peralta, to the Big Apple.

Discouraging? Maybe a little bit, but in the opinion of outfielder Sal Frelick on Foul Territory, the Brewers players don't get too concerned with big free agency spending, as they actually appreciate the team's commitment to rewarding their home-grown talent.

“We know we're not going to go out and sign these big guys every off-season, right? We know we're not going to enter that free agency pool and start offering these guys money, but we also really take pride in drafting guys or homegrown guys. You know, you look at Freddy, a guy who came up through organization, you know, didn't miss a start for us, I think for the past five, six years. And then you go and get guys like Caleb Durbin, get guys like Isaac Collins, who just fit our mold super well. And that kind of that Murph baseball-esque type play,” Frelick said.

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“And, you know, you grow close to these guys, right? And I understand it's a business, guys are going to get traded. And, you know, I think this was my first real time though, where the guys that did, I had really close relationships with. So, you know, wish nothing but the best for them. But again, I get the business side of it and understand that, you know, guys get traded, and that's, that's part of it.”

Initially drafted with the 15th overall pick by Milwaukee in 2021, Frelick has watched the way the Brewers operate for half a decade and clearly understands that the process works, as their first-round bye in the 2025 playoffs clearly proves. While Frelick hasn't had to negotiate with the team just yet on a new contract, if he continues to play at a Gold Glove-level, it's safe to say he will be the beneficiary of that homegrown commitment.