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

[wallus]

With Joey performing so well lately, is our 3rd base WOAH SOLVVD now and we don't need to address it in the offseason?

[cragi]

It looks solved, and either way, there are just plenty of good options that are close enough now.

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

I think Bauers is a huge priority resign, either via QO or maybe a 2/$36M type deal (he may get more)

if we have to choose Vaughn or Bauers, ai choose Bauers 100 times out of 100.  Vaughn is a nice part time player.  Right now, Bauers is our best and most consistent every day offensive player.

[TURBO]

24 minutes ago, TwinsBrewersWorldSeries said:

 Vaughn is a nice part time player.  

That is what we use him as, but with other teams, he would be a damn fine everyday player.

 

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

2 minutes ago, TURBO said:

That is what we use him as, but with other teams, he would be a damn fine everyday player.

 

Maybe, or he’s successful because of how we use him.

as a full-time player through 1st Half 2025 he was nearly washed out of baseball completely.

still confused how his Arby number (when he came over to us in the trade) was already so high given his whitesox career was such an unmitigated disaster

[jay87shot]

I am interested to see the offseason plan, if we keep Megill and Contreras they really aren't any holes. If we lose Bauers there are plenty of 1B options even after Vaughn. We have great depth in the rotation, it would be nice to add another young top of the rotation starter as always. The bullpen is solid, even if we trade Megill as we usually trade 1 year left high end relievers, we have lots of late inning options and upside young arms coming up. Clearly how the playoffs and CBA shake up will decide alot.

 

 

[jay87shot]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/09/kaima-taira-expected-to-be-posted-for-mlb-teams-this-offseason.html

I think Kaima Taira could be a sneaky interesting option for us to look into. He likely has some funky metrics being a much shorter than usual pitcher. I have seen some different opinions that he could be the best pitcher on the market after Skubal (not buying that much hype). There are some smaller injury concerns and he has been a reliever most of his career (started on in 2024 and 2026). I do think that is possible he could be a guy that would be in our price range, especially if teams look to guys like KIng, Gray, Rogers, Holmes, Gausmann, Freddy, and others before Taira. It would be a gamble but I think that there is likely an interesting enough profile that our pitching lab could make him into something special. He also will only be 27 next year so his age is better than other FA starters. Imai from the Astros sign 3/54 last year, this guy might be similar but I could see size, injuries, and relief concerns pushing the price down a bit. Thoughts????

[TURBO]

12 hours ago, jay87shot said:

We have great depth in the rotation...

Ummmm, actually, that is going to have to be something we address in the off season imo.

All that depth you speak of, just isn't really there, unless Harrison, Priester, Drohan, and Sproat get things figured out.  If all 4 of those guys make a BIG turn around, that still only leaves us with 7 guys, and we know damn well, that isn't going to happen.  Priester is a HUGE concern.  I simply don't trust that we will ever see Priester at full speed again after this injury.  Can we consider Patrick as a starter again, or are his nerves going to continue to be a problem?  

Miz, Henderson and probably Gasser right now would be penciled into the rotation, after those 3 guys, who do you consider GREAT depth?  Who are we considering to be some depth pieces that we can count on, and not have to pull rabbits out of hats to get through 5 innings every 5 to 6 days?

[jay87shot]

19 minutes ago, TURBO said:

Ummmm, actually, that is going to have to be something we address in the off season imo.

All that depth you speak of, just isn't really there, unless Harrison, Priester, Drohan, and Sproat get things figured out.  If all 4 of those guys make a BIG turn around, that still only leaves us with 7 guys, and we know damn well, that isn't going to happen.  Priester is a HUGE concern.  I simply don't trust that we will ever see Priester at full speed again after this injury.  Can we consider Patrick as a starter again, or are his nerves going to continue to be a problem?  

Miz, Henderson and probably Gasser right now would be penciled into the rotation, after those 3 guys, who do you consider GREAT depth?  Who are we considering to be some depth pieces that we can count on, and not have to pull rabbits out of hats to get through 5 innings every 5 to 6 days?

Miz, Henderson, Harrison, Gasser, Drohan, Sproat, Priester, Crow, Hardin, Stallings, Gordon with Patrick in case is better depth than any other team. As I said originally said probably the top priority would be adding another top of the rotation potential arm. But as far as pure depth goes we have 12 guys who could make starts next year.

[SF70]

7 hours ago, jay87shot said:

Miz, Henderson, Harrison, Gasser, Drohan, Sproat, Priester, Crow, Hardin, Stallings, Gordon with Patrick in case is better depth than any other team. As I said originally said probably the top priority would be adding another top of the rotation potential arm. But as far as pure depth goes we have 12 guys who could make starts next year.

I’d add Tate Kuehner to the list with Letson-Thompson & Knoth as possibilities at some point later in the season. Upper-minors SP depth has really taken a step-up the second-half of this season.

The key to the team’s SP depth will be how Priester returns from TOS surgery (near 80% come back with same performance with a timeline of 6-9 months), and if the team can iron out Harrison’s issues. If 1 or both can be counted on that improves the depth greatly.

They also will need to add from outside the org, imo, either thru trade or FA addition or both.

1. Miz  2. Henderson  3. Gasser

4. FA 

5. Trade addition.

6. Harrison 7. Priester 8. Drohan 9. Sproat 10. Crow

Upper-minors:

11. Hardin 12. Kuehner 

13. Letson 14. Thompson 15. Knoth

I’m keeping Patrick in the bullpen, which imo, is a great role for him and one he excels in.

Never have enough SP depth, but if the team can nail the right FA addition and trade addition they should be ok until the trade-deadline.

[jay87shot]

What would you all say to something like Megill and Crow (throw in someone like Dylan O'Rae if necessary) for Sandy Alcantara?

Instead of getting prospects for Megill we could flip him for a perfect starter like Alcantara. The Marlins need relief help badly and have other top of the rotation starters, Megill would make their pen look decent and they could get good value still in a trade if they aren't contenders at the deadline. If the Marlins want mlb players, this would be a pretty good package for Alcantara. We would get a perfect workhorse arm that I believe we could offer arby to and get a little back for. If we gave up Frias and Ragsdale for 1/2 a year of May, I could see us going after a guy like Alcantara to add alot of stability to the rotation. 

[TURBO]

1 hour ago, jay87shot said:

What would you all say to something like Megill and Crow (throw in someone like Dylan O'Rae if necessary) for Sandy Alcantara?

Instead of getting prospects for Megill we could flip him for a perfect starter like Alcantara. The Marlins need relief help badly and have other top of the rotation starters, Megill would make their pen look decent and they could get good value still in a trade if they aren't contenders at the deadline. If the Marlins want mlb players, this would be a pretty good package for Alcantara. We would get a perfect workhorse arm that I believe we could offer arby to and get a little back for. If we gave up Frias and Ragsdale for 1/2 a year of May, I could see us going after a guy like Alcantara to add alot of stability to the rotation. 

Would love it, but I don't think Megill and Crow would be enough, you'd probably have to add in a Hardin or Letson, plus maybe even someone else.

[wntrtxn21]

I look at Drohan and Patrick as bullpen guys. Maybe openers if needed, but not full time starters. They both have added value to the pen this year. Gasser looks to be the #5 to start the sason. Hopefully Preister can come back and be servicable. Who knows about the head cases (Sproat and Harrison) but you can't count them out. Crow and possibly Hardin are in the mix. Woody is a very outside chance as a #4-5/Pen type. Milwaukee definitely has to get a veteran in a trade or FA for the #3 spot. The have plenty of pieces in the minors and I'd include Frelick, Ashby, Sproat, and Harrison to make deals for a SP. Obviously everything now depends on the new CBA.