Dustin May was traded from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Milwaukee Brewers this season, but now he will be looking for a new contract.
According to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, May has declined his $20 million mutual option. If May did not decline his half, the Brewers surely would have declined theirs. While May had some great moments with the team, he was not worth $20 million.
The Brewers typically don't spend that money on anyone, let alone a starting pitcher who was inconsistent for them.
May did have three quality starts for the Brewers and pitched in five games during their World Series run. In the Fall Classic, he made two appearances, allowing two earned runs across four innings of work. His declining his option is something the Brewers likely foresaw when they traded for him.
He now has four rings, despite only playing in the postseason three times. He got rings for his efforts on the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024 and 2025 despite missing all of 2024 and not pitching in the 2025 postseason.
He did play a meaningful role for the Brewers this season, and could return on a cheaper, short-term deal if no other team wants to sign him. There were moments when he looked like a potential difference-maker for the Brewers, and perhaps a full offseason of work with the team could help him.
However, plenty of other teams could be willing to take a shot on him and give him a real shot at a rotation spot. On the Brewers, he would need to steal a spot from either Quinn Priester or Kyle Harrison.