Three Sneaky-Good Outfielders The Brewers Could Trade For

[Cory Sparks]

Image courtesy of IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While the Milwaukee Brewers have a pretty well-rounded team heading into the final third of the season, there’s always room to improve. Christian Yelich has had his fair share of injuries, Jackson Chourio started the year bruised up, and Garrett Mitchell is still looking for his first 100-game season in five tries (although he’s a few games away). Let’s take a look at three outfielders who could fill out the Brewers’ depth chart at the position.

JJ Bleday - Cincinnati Reds

Maybe there’s a bit of a divisional rival tax if a deal goes through here, but the Cincinnati Reds outfielder can be a contributor on a contender. For one, he’s had remarkable pop this year. The 2019 fourth overall pick has 17 homers in just north of 300 at-bats, and his advanced analytics are off the charts. 

All of his power starts with the bat speed, a mark that’s listed at 73.9 miles per hour, good enough for the 71st percentile. He’s barreling the ball 10.5 percent of the time (66th percentile), and his sweet-spot percentage of 43.1 is one of the best in all of baseball. Bleday’s spray chart shows that he’s a strong pull-side hitter, but in the post-shift era, that doesn’t hurt him much as long as he can hit for power. Our breakdown on the top 2026 trade candidates list reads as follows:

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A change of scenery and the cozy confines of Great American Ballpark have helped Bleday enjoy a power breakout, and there’s a concrete underpinning for the improvement that teams will love: a big increase in bat speed. However, he’s always been a patient, slightly unathletic hitter who pulls the ball and lifts the ball a lot. He’s just become a more extreme version of that guy this year. 

Mickey Moniak - Colorado Rockies

Mickey Moniak is a former first overall pick, and outside of some injury issues this season, he’s putting together one of the best years of his professional career. The former Philadelphia Phillies draft pick, now a Colorado Rockies hitter, has slugged 16 home runs with a .279 batting average. 

The 28-year-old has a strong sprint speed of 28.2 miles per hour, good enough to nestle him in the 73rd percentile as a rangy left fielder. He has especially mashed the fastball this year, hitting .319 with seven of his 17 long balls on the season against most hurlers’ primary option. His breakdown reads as this:

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He’s cold lately, but the massive bat speed he’s tapped into over the last year-plus is intact. He hit 24 home runs in a breakout 2025, and he’s headed for a similar stat line in 2026. He doesn’t walk as much as you’d like or play good defense, but he’s the kind of left-handed power bat many teams need just to balance and deepen their lineup.  

Taylor Ward - Baltimore Orioles

Taylor Ward has had mass appeal for the last couple of trade deadlines, and 2026 may be no different. The Orioles are well below .500, making them likely sellers. Ward, a 32-year-old slugger, entered 2026 with 61 homers over the course of the last two seasons. While he only has seven round-trippers this time around, the measurables show he’s still valuable. 

Ward’s sweet-spot percentage is up there with the best of them at 36.9 percent (77th percentile), and his approach is one of the best in all of baseball. Ward chases just 14.2 percent of the time (100th percentile), and his 17.1 percent walk rate is also near the top of major league hitters. His breakdown on our trade candidates list is this:

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He’s running one of the game’s highest walk rates, and doing it in very sustainable fashion. He’s a complementary piece for a great team, but a strong one, capable of mashing lefties but not someone you need to platoon altogether. The Orioles won’t want to give him a qualifying offer this winter, anyway. They need to get something for him while they can. 

What do you think, should the Brewers trade for one of these outfielders?

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[ghostdrew]

Rather Jake MC carthy  from Rockies or Spencer steer from the reds

[Jim French Stepstool]

If they add an OF I would hope it's a RHH. I would certainly at least check in on Ward.

[jay87shot]

With Lara playing so well and Lockridge on rehab I cant see us trading for OF. Especally with Bauers around and Yeli in an emergency. I like all 3 but there isn't much playing time for a need.

[Profbratsch]

Outfield is not the Achilles heel for the Brew Crew. IMO getting a front-line starter and another quality reliever should be the top priority. We have to counter the Dodgers' rotation should we meet them in the NLCS.

[nate82]

16 hours ago, Cory Sparks said:

Christian Yelich has had his fair share of injuries

I took this article serious until this part.  Yelich is not an OF he is a DH only at this point in his career.  The Brewers tend to agree with this statement as he has only played 11 innings in the OF this season.  Yelich is an emergency OF and by emergency I mean if the Brewers are down to Sanchez or Yelich playing in the OF kind of an emergency.  

[LouisEly]

Bleday isn't a FA until 2029 so the Reds are going to want a haul for him.

Moniak has a .652 road OPS.  He's padding his stats at Coors Field.

[dlk9s]

I don't see why in the world the Brewers would want to trade for an OF unless they are a real needle-mover. We have a good starting group and competent depth (though lacking power, but the entire team lacks power, so whatever). Unless you're getting an absolute masher, any difference will be marginal and not worth giving anyone up plus messing with intangibles like chemistry.

[dlk9s]

18 hours ago, Cory Sparks said:

Mickey Moniak is a former first overall pick,