2026 Offseason and Beyond Trade/Free Agent Ideas

[cragi]

yeah im not feeling a QO on Bauers. He's been really valuable for the Brewers this year, but he is basically an unusually fast DH that doesnt field any position particularly well. Some team will likely give him a good contract, but the Brewers arent going to commit 15% of their payroll to him.

He's platooning with Vaughn at 1B and the Brewers have Yelich at DH. They already need to find room for Fischer, Burke, and Adams.  His value is marginal to next year's team.

Likely they throw that $20M at a pitcher or to extend someone in the system.

  

[wiguy94]

2 hours ago, cragi said:

yeah im not feeling a QO on Bauers. He's been really valuable for the Brewers this year, but he is basically an unusually fast DH that doesnt field any position particularly well. Some team will likely give him a good contract, but the Brewers arent going to commit 15% of their payroll to him.

He's platooning with Vaughn at 1B and the Brewers have Yelich at DH. They already need to find room for Fischer, Burke, and Adams.  His value is marginal to next year's team.

Likely they throw that $20M at a pitcher or to extend someone in the system.

  

Bauers hasn't been platooning with anyone this year. He plays against both LHP and RHP.

[nate82]

It’s near impossible to predict what the Brewers will do this offseason until there is a CBA deal.

There will probably be a floor.  Each of the floors proposed by both sides the Brewers would have to add to get to the floor.  So if we assume there will be a floor then I see the Brewers being aggressive in bringing him back.  

[Brewcrew82]

5 hours ago, wntrtxn21 said:

I don't see any way the Brewers offer Bauers a QO. He's been pretty much a journeyman 1B before this year with a career .223 BA/717 OPS. The most he's ever made was this year at $2.7M. This has been a career year for him, but he'll be 31 next year.  I could see something like 3 for $24M - $27M. 

He’s likely going to surpass Ryan O’Hearn’s deal from last year.

31 is not that old, and he’s got the best wRC+ on the market. 

[Mr Southpaw]

Bleacher Report has Bowers at #25 which is the top 1B on their list.  It looks pretty thin at 1B this year and I think they should offer the QO and the worse that can happen is they have Jake for another year.

[tmwiese55]

I'd guess that one of Frelick or Mitchell is in a Durbin to Boston style trade this offseason.  I think I've said year or so back to keep Mitchell for '26 and hope he can stay healthy to trade him after the season (rather than to have dumped him in the past for nothing).   Though I know he's the better play for '27, I think I stick to the plan and try to cash him out before he gets hurt, since his salary will go up a lot and he's not controlled much longer.  But I could see either route on which one gets moved.  

[wallus]

Mitchell's salary isn't going to go up a ton because of all of the injuries 

[liveforoctober]

I guess I'm not seeing why Payne/Adamczewski and Burke/Fischer have anything to do with next year's team and lineup configuration out of camp? All 4 of those guys will start in AA/AAA and at best have a Lara/Pratt like ascension and force decisions in the early to mid stages of summer. But I don't see why "we have a promising left fielder in Biloxi" means we have to trade a cheap starting outfield option currently in Milwaukee?

I'm in the same boat with you all that if Frelick or Mitchell end up in a favorable trade we should pursue it but I don't think we are calling teams trying to get rid of either one of them necessarily. Starting outfield next year should be Chourio, Mitchell, Lara with Sal as the 4th until someone calls us with an offer.

Bauers is an incredibly interesting scenario. I have no doubt he will get a lot more money on the open market with someone else. I don't think Milwaukee offers him a multi year anything. I do think if we offer him a $22mil+ 1 yr QO and the best offer the thinks he can get in FA is something like 3yr $42 or something odd like that ... that he might just roll the dice and come back to a situation he loves and bets on himself here again.

I don't pretend to know what to do with him. He is a "I want him here but I understand if he can't be" situation.

[PBTank]

I would imagine the Brewers will be more “listening to offers” than “actively peddling” a small group of players that would include Contreras, Mitchell, Frelick, Vaughn, McGill, Ashby….  Of course it always comes down to what the other team is offering.  

[cragi]

2 hours ago, liveforoctober said:

I guess I'm not seeing why Payne/Adamczewski and Burke/Fischer have anything to do with next year's team and lineup configuration out of camp? All 4 of those guys will start in AA/AAA and at best have a Lara/Pratt like ascension and force decisions in the early to mid stages of summer. But I don't see why "we have a promising left fielder in Biloxi" means we have to trade a cheap starting outfield option currently in Milwaukee?

They showed with Durbin and Collins that they are willing young starters for pitching and to open up room for the upcoming talent. They can be strategic about this in the offseason, rather than wait until someone is forcing the issue in AAA during the season

[liveforoctober]

1 hour ago, cragi said:

They showed with Durbin and Collins that they are willing young starters for pitching and to open up room for the upcoming talent. They can be strategic about this in the offseason, rather than wait until someone is forcing the issue in AAA during the season

I definitely think you could be right about this and I could be wrong. I guess with both Durbin and Collins (and Mears) it seemed we were trading guys who maybe had maximized their trade value at the time (Seems to have been true with Collins and very untrue now with Durbs) .. so I guess if that is the philosophy Mitchell would be the sell high candidate of the two OFs?

Along that same note, I know others have mentioned Ashby's name in trade talks and he is a curious one for me. I wonder if his crazy start this year has ballooned his value to some that we could get a nice return for him. Also wonder if DL Hall has made Ashby expendable or if Hall himself is a "trade at the top" guy. 

A lot of interesting players to watch this next cycle!

[cragi]

i think it would be selling low on Frelick and certainly not maxing on Mitchell. Seems he could easily turn in some Bauers seasons in his future. But maybe teams will be able to see the trajectory and offer a fair price in exchange for pitching