David Stearns Steps Down as Milwaukee Brewers President of Baseball Operations

David Stearns has stepped down as the Milwaukee Brewers president of baseball operations. General manager Matt Arnold has been promoted to replace Stearns. Stearns was named the Brewers general manager in September 2015. He was promoted to president of baseball operations in January 2019. Prior to 2022, the Brewers had made four straight playoff appearances.

Milwaukee Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns has stepped down from his position, effective immediately.

General manager Matt Arnold has been promoted to replace Stearns.

“I’m looking forward to gaining some time that I haven’t really had before,” Stearns said at a press conference Thursday. “Looking forward to taking a deep breath. I’m looking forward to spending time with my family, looking forward to spending time with friends. And I’m looking forward to pursuing some other interests. I’m also not going anywhere. I’m going to be here in Milwaukee.”

Stearns will remain with the club, in an advisory role to ownership and baseball operations.

Stearns was named the Brewers general manager in 2015. He was promoted to president of baseball operations in January 2019, after the Brewers won the National League Central and were just a game away from a World Series appearance, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series in seven games.

Under Stearns, the Brewers made the Major League Baseball playoffs four years in a row, prior to 2022.

There is a belief around Major League Baseball that Stearns will take over another club as the president of baseball operations sometime within in the next year or so.

News: David Stearns stepping down as #Brewers president of baseball operations; Matt Arnold promoted to replace him. Many in industry expect Stearns will take over baseball operations of a different @MLB club in next 12 to 14 months, if not sooner. @MLBNetwork

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) October 27, 2022

Stearns found success in Milwaukee with a smaller-market team. The Brewers had the 19th-highest payroll in 2022.

If and when Stearns, 37, chooses to return to working in a Major League front office, he will likely be pursued by several clubs. If he were to join an organization in a larger market, he would be able to work with a higher payroll than he worked with in Milwaukee. For now, he'll enjoy some time off, with his family.

“I understand people want to know what comes next, and the truth is, I don’t know,” Stearns said. “I’m not going into this with any plan. I think my generation — a segment of my generation and I will certainly put myself in this group — is inflicted with a condition where we feel like every single thing must be planned out. Decision A must lead to Decision B, which must lead to Decision C.

“In this case, I’m making Decision A because I think it’s the right thing to do. I don’t know what decisions B and C will be, but I know that Decision A is the right thing to do for me.”