Brewers have several arbitration choices to make

MILWAUKEE — Friday is the deadline for clubs to tender contracts to their arbitration-eligible players, and it has the potential to be an interesting day for GM David Stearns and the rest of the Brewers’ decision makers.

The Brewers have already designated first baseman Chris Carter for assignment and are trying to trade him, accounting for one of eight Brewers players eligible for arbitration. Stearns & Co. have until 10:59 p.m. CT on Friday to decide whether to tender 2017 contracts to the others: pitchers Chase Anderson, Wily Peralta, Tyler Thornburg and Carlos Torres, catcher Martin Maldonado, second baseman Scooter Gennett and outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis.

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Players who are tendered contracts before the deadline are considered signed for the following season, at a salary to be determined through the arbitration process or agreed upon before the hearing. Players who are non-tendered at the deadline become free agents.

“I think there are possibilities through the [end of the] week that we have to evaluate,” Stearns said. “Really, the arbitration process gets a lot of attention in January and February, but it’s an ongoing discussion between teams and agents from the moment the World Series ends. Those discussions continue, and I imagine they’ll go down right to the tender deadline.”

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