Keston Hiura elects free agency

Former top prospect and 2017 first-round pick Keston Hiura has elected free agency from the Brewers organization.

Hiura, taken ninth overall by Milwaukee in that 2017 draft, appeared in 284 games for the Brewers from 2019-2022 but his bat-to-ball skills never really translated at the major-league level. Despite hitting .303/.368/.570 with 19 homers and 49 RBIs in 84 games in 2019, Hiura hit just .238/.318/.453 with 50 homers and 132 RBIs across his four MLB seasons in Milwaukee.

In 374 minor-league games, Hiura hit .308/.387/.546 with 73 homers and 243 RBIs. He spent almost all of 2023 with Triple-A Nashville, hitting .311/.397/.563 with 23 homers and 79 RBIs across 88 games, 85 of which came with the Sounds.

After not being given another chance with the Brewers despite a strong 2023 minor-league season, Hiura now has the ability to sign elsewhere this offseason as he tries to make it back onto a big-league roster.