The Brewers will start to find the answers to these 5 questions as spring training begins next week

From the top down, the Milwaukee Brewers will have a distinctly different look when they take to American Family Fields of Phoenix next week.

With pitchers and catchers scheduled for their first official workouts on Feb. 15, here are five storylines to watch.

Pat Murphy takes the reins as manager

A season’s worth of speculation came to a shocking end in early November when Craig Counsell, the Brewers’ all-time winningest manager, left the franchise after nine seasons for a reported five-year, $40 million contract to lead the rival Chicago Cubs. The Brewers didn’t have to look far for his replacement, as they hired Pat Murphy – Counsell’s bench coach and mentor – about a week later along with Rickie Weeks as associate manager. Murphy, 65, is a longtime baseball man with a wealth of experience at the college level and in the minor leagues but only a partial season managing in the majors (the San Diego Padres for 96 games in 2015). After nine seasons of Counsell, what will the Brewers look like under Murphy? How will his lineups look? How will he handle the starting rotation? Will he play a more aggressive brand of baseball? Will the Brewers react well to his fiery temperament? We should begin getting the answers to all these questions over the next six weeks.

The spotlight is on outfielder Jackson Chourio

Since breaking out as a big-time prospect in 2021, Jackson Chourio has been under a microscope. The scrutiny increased in 2023 as the outfielder dominated at Class AA Biloxi and finished the season with a cup of coffee at Class AAA Nashville. But that was child’s play compared to what awaits the 19-year-old – Chourio turns 20 on March 11 – this spring and beyond after he signed a record-setting eight-year, $82 million contract in early December despite having yet to play a game in the majors. The money certainly is a great thing for the youngster from Venezuela, but now the expectations that come with it will become heavy and ceaseless. First, he’ll be expected to win a spot on the opening-day roster – no easy task with the amount of young talent Milwaukee already has in the outfield. Then, he’ll be expected to at the very least become the everyday centerfielder, with the production to match. There are certain to be plenty ups and downs along the way. How will he react?

Starting rotation will be remade without Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff

Corbin Burnes appeared to be as surprised as everyone else that the Brewers chose to trade him to the Baltimore Orioles two weeks before the start of spring training. With the right-hander now out of the picture and Brandon Woodruff no longer a member of the organization after being non-tendered early in the offseason, Milwaukee’s starting five will have a markedly different look. Freddy Peralta moves into the No. 1 slot vacated by Burnes, and 37-year-old Wade Miley, signed early in December, is also a lock to be a member of the rotation. Beyond those two, it’s anyone’s guess who will earn an opportunity. The crop of candidates is interesting, as it figures to contain a few veterans in Colin Rea, Joe Ross and Jakob Junis; one of the pieces to come back in the Burnes trade in DL Hall; a now-healthy Aaron Ashby; and prospect Robert Gasser. Not since 2017 has Milwaukee’s rotation been so up in the air.

More:Here's the Brewers depth chart, including the starting rotation, after Corbin Burnes trade

Christian Yelich seeks to build on a resurgent 2023

One of the most encouraging developments last season was the comeback of Christian Yelich. While he still didn’t come close to matching his MVP-caliber numbers from 2018 and 2019, Yelich returned to being an impact player for a lineup that needed everything he could provide from the leadoff spot. His balky back cost him most of the last couple weeks of the regular season, but his overall numbers – .278 average, .818 OPS, 19 homers, 76 RBI, 28 stolen bases – were solid, as was his improved play in left field. Yelich is now entering his age-32 season. Is it realistic to expect him to begin driving the ball more consistently? Probably not, but it’s possible if he decides to trade some of his contact in an attempt to do more damage. With so much young outfield depth, it will be interesting to see if Murphy elects to give Yelich more time at designated hitter in an attempt to keep him fresher and perhaps avoid his back flaring up.

Youth will be served once again

Nine players made their major-league debuts last season with the Brewers, with Brice Turang, Joey Wiemer, Sal Frelick and Abner Uribe making the largest impacts. Youth will be served yet again as the talent from what was rated by Baseball America as the second-best farm system in baseball continues to arrive in Milwaukee. Chourio may well be seeing most of the playing time in center if all goes according to plan, and Gasser could be making regular starts in the rotation. Right-hander Carlos Rodríguez could be in the mix at some point as well. Infielder Tyler Black, whose bat and legs helped him fly through the system since being drafted in 2021, has a real shot to stick this season as well. Right-handed flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski and catcher Jeferson Quero are a little further away but still in the picture. Then there’s Hall and infielder Joey Ortiz, who came over in the Burnes trade and have touched the majors previously but figure to become fixtures with the Brewers.