2026 Offseason and Beyond Trade/Free Agent Ideas

[wiguy94]

2 minutes ago, owbc said:

I’m assuming the floor would be below our current payroll, so a floor would force more spending by our competition without giving us any boost.

Even distribution of local media revenue would be incredibly good for the Brewers (historically last in local revenue) and crippling for the Dodgers (first in local revenue). Sign me up. 

There's absolutely no chance a floor would be below where the Brewers are spending.

[tmwiese55]

FYI on this for the Dodgers. I really only learned of this specific perk recently, I'd always thought they just got the normal treatment that all get with their local TV deals. Theirs is even moreso due to the bankruptcy when sold.    From what I understand, there's nothing MLB can do about it until the deal expires.  IDK how that would apply to whatever they're getting from Japanese deals

https://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/2026/01/26/mlb-didnt-cut-the-dodgers-a-6-billion-revenue-sharing-shelter-bankruptcy-court-did/

[cragi]

What the dodgers are doing right now is wildly out of control and has the potential to cripple baseball if it keeps up. I can't imagine the new CBA won't seriously reign this in

[owbc]

31 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

There's absolutely no chance a floor would be below where the Brewers are spending.

Apparently the proposal from MLB was a $171 million floor which is higher than I thought it would be. 

I'll believe it when I see it in the approved CBA. 

[nate82]

1 hour ago, owbc said:

I’m assuming the floor would be below our current payroll, so a floor would force more spending by our competition without giving us any boost.

Even distribution of local media revenue would be incredibly good for the Brewers (historically last in local revenue) and crippling for the Dodgers (first in local revenue). Sign me up. 

Last I saw the floor would be something around $170mm which only about 10 teams in MLB are at or above. The cap would be at $245mm.  But the caps also includes player benefits which MLB put at about $20-25mm.  I saw $23mm reported somewhere but I can’t find where I saw that.  So the floor is really around $150mm and the ceiling at about $220mm.

I really like the MLB proposal but I don’t see the players agreeing to an international draft or including the players benefits into the salary cap and floor.

[GAME05]

On 8/11/2026 at 5:43 PM, cragi said:

What the dodgers are doing right now is wildly out of control and has the potential to cripple baseball if it keeps up. I can't imagine the new CBA won't seriously reign this in

Dodgers in the playoffs mean good playoff ratings. If it's a Dodgers/Yankees World Series, that's the best ratings possible. Nobody but us would actually watch a Brewers/Royals World Series. The current system ensures the most popular teams have the best chance of succeeding, as well as the least amount of time possible spent as a bad team.

Only fans complaining are the small markets, and who cares about them?

[jay87shot]

On 8/11/2026 at 7:32 PM, nate82 said:

Last I saw the floor would be something around $170mm which only about 10 teams in MLB are at or above. The cap would be at $245mm.  But the caps also includes player benefits which MLB put at about $20-25mm.  I saw $23mm reported somewhere but I can’t find where I saw that.  So the floor is really around $150mm and the ceiling at about $220mm.

I really like the MLB proposal but I don’t see the players agreeing to an international draft or including the players benefits into the salary cap and floor.

The initial floor of 170 and cap of 245 in my opinion are just a result of negotiating tactics. The floor is purposefully set high and the cap is set low. That way when negotiating the "settling in the middle" ends up where baseball actually wants it. My guess is that the floor ends up around 120 and the goes up 5 milly a year and the ceiling gets around 275 possibly up to 300.  

 

[Turning2]

On 8/6/2026 at 7:50 AM, jay87shot said:

It's clearly to early for anything substantive but I am always up for a discussion on potential roster moves.

Do we trade Contreras, Vaughn, and/or Megill in their last season of control?

 

Bummed to realize it's a club option on Wild Bill next season. I thought that was 2 years out. Highly doubt they will pay him the $14.5M unless a new CBA salary floor forces them to increase payroll. Then maybe. Still unlikely. Bauers is as good as gone, so they better hang onto Vaughn and let him show Blake Burke the ropes. I'd keep Megill too as I've never trusted Uribe's maturity level to handle the closer role.

[Turning2]

On 8/10/2026 at 8:07 AM, PBTank said:

Would it be a good time to bring Adams up for a week and insert him at 3B?  Ortiz and Hamilton could platoon at SS until Pratt is ready to come back.  I know starting Adams MLB clock and having to place him on the 40 man roster may be an unpleasant idea.  But, I'd like to see him for a week or so.  He would be theoretically batting in the 8th spot which would be nice to have some power there.

Just a thought I've been having.

Depending on how severe his latest injury is (I haven't heard), I'd like to see that happen. I don't get the "start the clock" thing or perhaps I do. Does this mean that even if he only plays a few days, a month or whatever in a season, that the team loses a whole year of control? 

[jay87shot]

Here is my offseason plan

1) 3 team trade with Contreras

Contreras to the Yankees, We get Hunter Goodman Rockies get Quero, Crow, and 2 Yankees prospects.

We get a power bat that can catch and hopefully play some 1st. The Yanks get a much needed catching upgrade and the Rocks get 4 pieces that can help them across the board. 

2) Megill to White Sox for Hagen Smith and a lotto prospect

The Soxs likely get to the playoffs and realize they need bullpen help. Smith is an upside starter who our scouting likely would value highly. Also because I am trading some starters he would have value.

3) Vaughn and Ashby to the Mets for Jonah Tong, Emilian Pitre, and Shane Sdao

Strearns needs to turn things around quickly. Vaughn gives him a quality bat and Ashby gives him a versatile quality arm. We get Tong while his value is low and our team can fix. Pitre is a hitting machine and Sdao is recent draft pick that could move quickly. I think a major part of this move is clearing out some money as well.

4) Sign Dustin May 3/60 and Gregory Soto 1/7, lesser signing like Zerpa (release and resign for less)

I'd like to try and sign another bat like Brandon Lowe or Jake Bauers depending on what the salary floor and our finances end up. I will leave that put but I think that could be a possibility.

By clearing out Contreras, Megill, Ashby, and Vaughn (Woody to FA) there is quite a bit of money to be spent. May has fit in well and at 28 he should be a good investment. However if he is really good the next couple months he could add on another year and 5 million aav and price us out. Soto would help lesson the loss of Megill and Ashby.

1) CF Lara 2) LF Chourio 3)2B Turang 4)C/1B Goodman 5)CF Mitchell 6)SS Pratt 7) DH Yeli 8) 3B Ortiz 9) C Naylor/1B Burke

Bench= Hamilton, Lockridge, Naylor/Burke, Adams/other

1) Misi 2) May 3)Henderson 4) Harrison 5) Drohan  Depth=Priester, Gasser, Smith, Tong, Hardin, Letson, etc

Uribe, Soto, Sproat, Hall, Smith, Patrick, Gasser, Tong/Keonig/Holub/minor league signing

I think a big thing is that I would expect Made to come up to the bigs around May to gain the extra year of control unless we could sign him in the offseason. Lossing all those guys would be really tough but I think would be manageable by adding Goodman to the lineup and getting more controllable pitching. The pen would worry me going into the season but I would be pretty confident in one of Sproat, Smith, or Tong becoming a late inning guy. I would also think we could have Gasser at the #5 starter and Drohan could be an 8th inning guy.

[alwz4gbp]

I've heard the number of $170 million thrown around as a floor.  For this exercise, lets go with that (although I think that number will come down).  When that number is used, it's counting benefits to players, minor leagues etc.  So, it's not actually 170 million major league payroll.  I did a search and it spit this out.  

 

So, if  a floor is in fact put into place, I think we'll be right there.  I have to believe that if the owners force this, more revenue sharing would come along with it.  In my opinion, that will leave the Crew in relatively decent shape.  Just my two cents.  

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

On 8/14/2026 at 1:03 PM, Turning2 said:

Bummed to realize it's a club option on Wild Bill next season. I thought that was 2 years out. Highly doubt they will pay him the $14.5M unless a new CBA salary floor forces them to increase payroll. Then maybe. Still unlikely. Bauers is as good as gone, so they better hang onto Vaughn and let him show Blake Burke the ropes. I'd keep Megill too as I've never trusted Uribe's maturity level to handle the closer role.

I’d rather have Bauers on the QO then Vaughn at $10M

they have Woody’s big contract coming off the books… I know Bill has had a down year, but I’d say his option is a no brainer.  We don’t have an alternative option right now, and even if we did, I’m sure there would be trade interest in Bill.

[ClosetBrewerFan]

40 minutes ago, TwinsBrewersWorldSeries said:

I know Bill has had a down year, but I’d say his option is a no brainer.  We don’t have an alternative option right now, and even if we did, I’m sure there would be trade interest in Bill.

Bill is still arby eligible, so if the Brewers decline the team option (like they did last year), they would still retain his rights and they would just follow the normal arby rules.  Not sure Bill would get $14.5M in arby next year.

[GAME05]

Goodman from the Rockies is my top 'wanna get' player, too. Should add a lot of power to the lineup with hopes that the Brewers can improve his defense a little. Think we'd have to add more than Crow+Contreras, though, especially with Contreras' decline on both sides. No reason for the Rockies to make that trade unless some impact player comes back and not a couple of mid-tier prospects.

I'd really like a different player than Frelick/Mitchell in the corner OF, though. Is this where you flip Jett? Not sure who that'd be, but some more SLG in the corner would be great.

edit: I also wonder if maybe the timing is better if you just roll with what we've got in RF for next year. If we're stable enough at 2b between Made and/or Jett and/or Pena, that would be a good time to trade Turang with two years of control left and probably be able to get a pretty decent corner OF in return. 

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

50 minutes ago, ClosetBrewerFan said:

Bill is still arby eligible, so if the Brewers decline the team option (like they did last year), they would still retain his rights and they would just follow the normal arby rules.  Not sure Bill would get $14.5M in arby next year.

My bad.  If we could still do Arby, then I agree, why pay $14.5 when he wouldn’t get that in Arby

[DanoMac]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/49648599/nationals-cj-abrams-not-thrilled-position-swap-agent-says

Would love to grab him in the offseason

[BrewCrewBlueDevil]

Contreras Contract

Two years, 20 million.with up to 5 million in performance incentives (All Star, MVP, 130 games caught, Silver Slugger, Golden Glove, play offs).  Take it or accept 10.5 million in arbitration.

[Brock Beauchamp]

19 hours ago, DanoMac said:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/49648599/nationals-cj-abrams-not-thrilled-position-swap-agent-says

Would love to grab him in the offseason

Welcome back!

[PBTank]

20 hours ago, DanoMac said:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/49648599/nationals-cj-abrams-not-thrilled-position-swap-agent-says

Would love to grab him in the offseason

Not so sure they would want a guy who gets unhappy with a position swap.  The Brewers are invested in Pratt at that position and most would say he’s the far superior defender there. 

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

1 hour ago, PBTank said:

Not so sure they would want a guy who gets unhappy with a position swap.  The Brewers are invested in Pratt at that position and most would say he’s the far superior defender there. 

Plus I would imagine that either Pratt or Made are considered the 3B of the near future, eliminating another potential spot for Abrams. 

[BrewerFan]

On 8/10/2026 at 12:53 PM, CheezWizHed said:

I don't know how much value Ashby has in a trade given his cost is more in line with an SP then RP.  And he isn't consistent enough to be relied upon as a closer.  

I'd keep Contreras.

I was on the trade Megill bandwagon last year as he looked like he was regressing.  He proved me wrong so far, but that doesn't mean you don't ship him out for the right package.  

7.7M for most teams is... a perfectly reasonable price for a reliever who can get strikeouts and ground balls. 

I don't think you'd have a problem dealing Ashby whatsoever and I hope we don't. We don't have a replacement for him. 

[BrewerFan]

On 8/17/2026 at 6:31 PM, GAME05 said:

Goodman from the Rockies is my top 'wanna get' player, too. Should add a lot of power to the lineup with hopes that the Brewers can improve his defense a little. Think we'd have to add more than Crow+Contreras, though, especially with Contreras' decline on both sides. No reason for the Rockies to make that trade unless some impact player comes back and not a couple of mid-tier prospects.

I'd really like a different player than Frelick/Mitchell in the corner OF, though. Is this where you flip Jett? Not sure who that'd be, but some more SLG in the corner would be great.

edit: I also wonder if maybe the timing is better if you just roll with what we've got in RF for next year. If we're stable enough at 2b between Made and/or Jett and/or Pena, that would be a good time to trade Turang with two years of control left and probably be able to get a pretty decent corner OF in return. 

Probably a year too late to get the best deal from the Rockies. They actually hired competent people to run the team. 

Goodman would cost a LOT and I don't see the Rockies having any interest in Contreras... except to flip him. 

Turang... I guess he could be traded in a year. 


#1 priority is getting made to sign an extension. 10 years 180M, 10/`160. 8/130+2 TOs at 30M. Whatever it is, they have to lock him up.