The Brewers declined Rea's $5.5 million club option for 2025 on Monday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Rea passed through waivers unclaimed, and now the Brewers will pay him a $1 million buyout as he heads into free agency. The right-hander held a 3.70 ERA heading into September this season, but he posted an 8.31 ERA that month and didn't appear for Milwaukee during the postseason. Rea shouldn't have trouble landing a rotation job somewhere this winter.