Adrian Houser loses arbitration case with Brewers, will earn $2.425 million in 2022

Entering this season, the Brewers had one pending arbitration case to settle. Adrian Houser and the Brewers exchanged figures, with the case to be scheduled during the season. Earlier this week, a report came out from Mark Feinsand that the arbitrator sided with the Brewers in the case, and Houser will earn $2.425 million in 2022. Houser had filed for $3 million.

While it’s a disappointing loss for Houser, it takes care of the last remaining salary for this season. Todd Rosiak spoke with both Houser and David Stearns about the process. Houser remarked on the arbitration process, “It’s a brutal and crazy way to go about getting paid, but it’s the way the business is.” On the other side, David Stearns said, “This is part of the process. Unfortunately, it’s not a good process.”

While a process like this would make some people think that there are bad feelings on both sides and that it could lead to resentment, that’s not always the case. Many players realize it’s just the way business is done at this level. A case going to arbitration doesn’t mean that the player is angry at the team and won’t negotiate with them for anything long term. Similarly, it doesn’t mean the team doesn’t view the player as a valuable piece of their team. Both are just trying to get the most value that they can, and sometimes that means going to an arbitration hearing.

Despite his arbitration loss, Adrian Houser appears to be well on his way to earning a nice raise next season. Through eight starts in 2022, he has a 2.98 ERA and 3.13 FIP. With Freddy Peralta on the IL for a while, the Brewers will need Houser, as well as the rest of the rotation, to stay strong and keep pitching well this season.