wallus’s 2026 Payroll Blueprint: Wallus's 2026 Payroll Blueprint (Part 1)

[wallus]

Trade: 

Brewers: Smith (BTV: 6.6)

Rangers: Megill (BTV: 16)

I feel like this is the right time to move on from Trevor and Smith is a solid player. This looks like an overpay but I would still make this trade.

Trade:

Brewers:

Buxton (BTV: 19)

Twins:

Wilken (BTV: 7.3)

Collins (BTV: 13.3)

The team needs more high end talent. Buxton is a fit here and would only be available because of injury risk. The Twins can promote Collins going home and get cheap production.

Signing: 

O'Hearn- 2 years, 26 million. I do not fully trust Vaughn, especially at the expected price tag. Vaughn kills lefties and O'Hearn is better against RHP. (I am deferring 3 million a year) If Vaughn doesn't accept his same salary as 2025, I am non tendering him.

Lineup:

Frelick (RF)

Chourio (LF)

Yelich (DH)

Buxton (CF)

Contreras (C)

Turang (2B)

O'Hearn/Vaughn (1B)

Durbin (3B)

Smith (SS)

Overall I like our ability to find pitching so we will heavily lean on that again in 2026. This team should provide another summer of entertainment.

• C: William Contreras ($11.10M)
• 1B: Andrew Vaughn ($5.80M)
• 2B: Brice Turang ($4.40M)
• 3B: Caleb Durbin ($0.80M)
• SS: Josh Smith ($2.5M)
• LF: Jackson Chourio ($7.25M)
• CF: Byron Buxton ($15.1M)
• RF: Sal Frelick ($0.80M)
• DH: Christian Yelich ($26.00M)
• OF: Blake Perkins ($0.80M)
• Utility: Joey Ortiz ($0.80M)
• OF: Garrett Mitchell ($1.00M)
• 1B/OF: Ryan O'Hearn ($10M)
• SP1: Freddy Peralta ($8.00M)
• SP2: Quinn Priester ($0.80M)
• SP3: Jacob Misiorowski ($0.80M)
• SP4: Logan Henderson ($0.80M)
• SP5: Chad Patrick ($0.80M)
• RP: DL Hall ($0.80M)
• RP: Abner Uribe ($0.80M)
• RP: Grant Anderson ($0.80M)
• RP: Jared Koenig ($0.80M)
• RP: Nick Mears ($1.60M)
• RP: Aaron Ashby ($5.70M)
• RP: Robert Gasser ($0.80M)
• RP: Tobias Myers ($0.80M)

Payroll is 4.65% under budget

[CheezWizHed]

No backup catcher? (Note: I let Brock know that the template probably needs to be modified since there isn't a natural spot for the backup C). 

I think non-tendering Vaughn if he doesn't accept $6M is silly. He had 1.3 WAR on his short stint with the Brewers alone.  I know he has a poor track record, but his arby project is something like $7.8M and a FA signing is around $9M/WAR.  Seems like an easy decision. 

[wallus]

2 minutes ago, CheezWizHed said:

No backup catcher? (Note: I let Brock know that the template probably needs to be modified since there isn't a natural spot for the backup C). 

I think non-tendering Vaughn if he doesn't accept $6M is silly. He had 1.3 WAR on his short stint with the Brewers alone.  I know he has a poor track record, but his arby project is something like $7.8M and a FA signing is around $9M/WAR.  Seems like an easy decision. 

You're right! Subtract Perkins and add Quero. 

Vaughn was put in advantageous positions to rack up a lot of that WAR. I'm not paying nearly 8 million for a platoon first baseman with so so defense. 

[wntrtxn21]

1 hour ago, wallus said:

You're right! Subtract Perkins and add Quero. 

Vaughn was put in advantageous positions to rack up a lot of that WAR. I'm not paying nearly 8 million for a platoon first baseman with so so defense. 

If you are not willing to pay Vaughn $8M for a platoon 1B with so so defense, why would you pay O'Hearn $13M to platoon and a negative UZR and Rdrs? I can't see paying O'Hearn $13M if they keep Vaughn. 

[wallus]

7 minutes ago, wntrtxn21 said:

If you are not willing to pay Vaughn $8M for a platoon 1B with so so defense, why would you pay O'Hearn $13M to platoon and a negative UZR and Rdrs? I can't see paying O'Hearn $13M if they keep Vaughn. 

O'Hearn has been a consistent hitter for three years now. 

[Frisbee Slider]

A healthy Buxton is great. I feel like Buxton is Minnesota’s franchise player, though. It would be like Milwaukee dumping Ryan Braun. Twins would presumably want much more than Collins and Wilken.

Also, Buxton miraculously played in 126 games this season. I would take the under for games played in 2026.

[Frisbee Slider]

5 hours ago, wallus said:

I feel like this is the right time to move on from Trevor

I agree. If a team makes Milwaukee a reasonable offer for our ‘proven closer’ we should certainly consider it. Megill turns 32 years old next month.

Counterpoint: Megill has a lot of fire and seems like a clubhouse leader. 
 

Counter-counter point: Megill threw only 47 IP this year and last. 1.5 WAR this season is nice but should not be overvalued.

[CheezWizHed]

18 hours ago, wallus said:

You're right! Subtract Perkins and add Quero. 

Vaughn was put in advantageous positions to rack up a lot of that WAR. I'm not paying nearly 8 million for a platoon first baseman with so so defense. 

Good thing you don't have to pay him! 😂

[umphrey]

I'm pretty much ride or die with Vaughn at this point. I think it's likely to blow up in our face but if that happens then he's gone next year and we are shopping at the trade deadline. Sounds a lot better than signing a mid/high tier FA (risky) or putting in a bum and hoping to get lucky. 

[long ball]

9 minutes ago, umphrey said:

I'm pretty much ride or die with Vaughn at this point. I think it's likely to blow up in our face but if that happens then he's gone next year and we are shopping at the trade deadline. Sounds a lot better than signing a mid/high tier FA (risky) or putting in a bum and hoping to get lucky. 

Ya the only reason to non-tender him is if they just want to cut costs at that position. There are no free agents who will sign for that much or less who are likely to be better than Vaughn. Worth to roll of the dice, imo. 
 

i also don’t think we have anyone internally to capably fill the role either. 

[Devinep]

7 hours ago, umphrey said:

I'm pretty much ride or die with Vaughn at this point. I think it's likely to blow up in our face but if that happens then he's gone next year and we are shopping at the trade deadline. Sounds a lot better than signing a mid/high tier FA (risky) or putting in a bum and hoping to get lucky. 

Also the need to only commit to Vaughn for 1 season means they can move on if he doesn’t repeat what he did last year and have Burke/Adams (maybe Fisher) take over late in 2025 or in 26. If he is able to repeat what he did last season, they can QO him and let him walk.