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  • Milwaukee Brewers Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

    The latest Milwaukee Brewers free agent and trade rumors, along with notes and tidbits about the team.
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    Matthew Lenz
    While the Milwaukee Brewers as a team didn't bring home any postseason hardware, one of their players may need to make room on their mantles for an individual award.
    The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) announced its award finalists on Monday, including Caleb Durbin as a Rookie of the Year finalist.
    Durbin appeared in 105 games primarily at second base and shortstop. He finished the year with a .785 OPS, including nine home runs, and totaled 48 runs scored. He also swiped 22 bases. Overall, Durbin registered a .345 weighted On-Base Average (wOBA), resulting in a 121 wRC+. Defensively, Durbin was credited with +5 Outs Above Average (OAA) at second base, which would have ranked 7th in baseball had he had enough innings to qualify.
    Do you think he will win the award? Let us know in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    On the second day of the 2025- 2026 Major League Baseball off-season, the Milwaukee Brewers got a sense of what they have to work with ahead of the 2026 season.
    Adam McCalvy of MLB.com is reporting that the Milwaukee Brewers have exercised their team option, declined Danny Jansen's mutual option, and Brandon Woodruff has declined his mutual option. None of these decisions is overly surprising.
    Across 33 starts in 2025, Peralta pitched 176 2/3 innings, recording 204 strikeouts to surpass the 200-strikeout mark for the third consecutive season, joining an exclusive group in franchise history. Peralta finished the regular season with a strong 2.70 ERA, though his expected outcomes metrics suggest some regression moving forward with a 3.64 FIP per FanGraphs. His production led to his second All-Star selection and generated a 5.5 bWAR. He has an $8 million team option for 2026 and will be a free agent at season's end.
    The 32-year-old Woodruff returned to the Brewers rotation in 2025, logging 12 starts and 64 2/3 innings pitched. Woodruff finished the campaign with a strong FIP of 3.17 and an elite 26.9% K-BB% rate. Had both sides exercised the mutual option, Woodruff was set to make $20 million in 2026. Instead, he'll earn $10 million via a buyout and assuredly come out on top in whatever deal he signs via free agency.
    Jansen played 98 games for both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Brewers. He generated 14 home runs with 38 runs scored, resulting in an OPS of .720, a .318 wOBA, and a 103 wRC+ across the year. The Brewers will now be in the market for a backup catcher to relieve William Contreras.
    Do you think the Brewers should try to re-sign Woodruff or Jansen? Let us know in the comments!
    Jason Wang
    Over the past few years, Milwaukee has built a reputation for being a scrappy squad of underdogs powered by hustle and love for the game. In addition to being a euphemism for finding a lot of success with a shoestring budget and no superstars, it also means playing great defense. Chasing down tough fly balls, smothering choppers in the field, and being fundamentally sound are all traits that come to mind when thinking of the Brewers.
    And for the past few years, there was considerable evidence to back that up. The team has consistently been among the best when it comes to accumulating Defensive Runs Saved and haven't placed below sixth in that category since 2020. They've also regularly brought home hardware for their efforts, winning the past two Team Gold Glove awards as well as several individual accolades. Unfortunately, that streak has come to an end.
    Despite having two Gold Glove finalists, Brice Turang and Sal Frelick, neither was ultimately crowned the best defender at their position in the National League, losing out to Nico Hoerner and Fernando Tatis Jr. respectively. Neither of these results are surprising as Nico Hoerner comfortably led all second basemen in baseball in DRS (17), while Tatis had the most DRS of any National League right fielder (15). Turang and Frelick had strong defensive showings themselves, but they didn't do enough to bring home the proverbial bacon.
    In fact, the Brewers as a whole seemed to take a step back this year when it came to fielding production. They combined for just 31 DRS, placing them 11th in MLB. Jackson Chourio, Isaac Collins, and Joey Ortiz accumulated negative DRS while other key starters like William Contreras and Andrew Vaughn accumulated zero.
    At the end of the day, it's difficult to place too much stock in this given the somewhat convoluted logic behind how defensive metrics are calculated as well as the mercurial nature of a player's fielding abilities. Brandon Lockridge seems like a promising outfield glove, Joey Ortiz can and should bounce back on all fronts next year, and the rest of the team will likely continue to be solid. Expect some Gold Glove love to come Milwaukee's way in 2026.
    Matthew Lenz
    Every year, MLB Trade Rumors releases a list of the most likely trade candidates for the offseason. In this season's edition, they named a total of 40 players, including Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher, as the 8th-best trade candidate.
    Across 33 starts in 2025, Peralta pitched 176 2/3 innings, recording 204 strikeouts to surpass the 200-strikeout mark for the third consecutive season, joining an exclusive group in franchise history. Peralta finished the regular season with a strong 2.70 ERA, though his expected outcomes metrics suggest some regression moving forward with a 3.64 FIP per FanGraphs. His production led to his second All-Star selection and generated a 5.5 bWAR. He has an $8 million team option for 2026 and will be a free agent at season's end.
    While the Brewers are known for flipping high-end assets for more controllable pieces (e.g., Corbin Burnes, Josh Hader, and Devin Williams), they bucked that trend with Willy Adames last offseason. Instead, they opted to keep the shortstop for the duration of his arbitration years and collected a draft pick when he was signed by the San Francisco Giants. However, the Brewers have the necessary pitching depth to at least gauge the market for Peralta.
    Do you think the Brewers should trade Peralta? Let us know what you think in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    MLBTR is reporting that this offseason's cutoff for Super Two arbitration eligibility will be around two years and 139-140 days.
    Super Two status in Major League Baseball is a special designation that allows a select group of players to become eligible for salary arbitration one year earlier than the typical eligibility requirement. To qualify, a player must rank in the top 22% (rounded to the nearest whole number) of total Major League service time among all players who have between two and three years of service.
    In short, Brice Turang will be eligible for arbitration this offseason instead of being on a rookie minimum salary.
    The team's most valuable player in 2025, Turang carried a .749 OPS with 18 home runs, 81 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases. He led the team in bWAR (5.5), runs (97), home runs, and runs batted in. He was also recognized as a National League Silver Slugger finalist at the Keystone.
    How do you think this impacts the Brewers' offseason plans?
    Brock Beauchamp
    It's hard to predict how this offseason will unfold, as there is an increasing chance of (yet another) MLB lockout following the 2026 season. Will teams spend big this offseason, hoping to create surety in the face of an unknown collective bargaining agreement? Or will they be hesitant in hopes of a favorable outcome for ownership groups?
    No matter how it shakes out, teams will need to compete in the 2026 season, and they'll need to sign free agents this winter. DiamondCentric has compiled a complete list of free agents, sortable and searchable by pretty much any metric you need. Looking for a first baseman? A catcher? We have you covered. We offer two pages for your reference: one for position players, the other for pitchers.
    Free Agent Hitters In the 2025-2026 MLB Offseason
    Complete List Of 2025-2026 MLB Free Agent Hitters
    DiamondCentric.net Here is a complete list of free agent hitters in the 2025-2026 MLB offseason. Free Agent Pitchers In the 2025-2026 MLB Offseason
    Complete List Of 2025-2026 MLB Free Agent Pitchers
    DiamondCentric.net Here is a complete list of free agent pitchers in the 2025-2026 MLB offseason.
    Matthew Lenz
    Coming off a campaign that saw them have the best record in baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers are reportedly open to offers on their rotation ace, Freddy Peralta .
    A couple of weeks ago, Andy McCullough of The Athletic reported that the "[Milwaukee] Brewers are expected to at least field offers for starting pitcher Freddy Peralta."
    Across 33 starts in 2025, Peralta pitched 176 2/3 innings, recording 204 strikeouts to surpass the 200-strikeout mark for the third consecutive season, joining an exclusive group in franchise history. Peralta finished the regular season with a strong 2.70 ERA, though his expected outcomes metrics suggest some regression moving forward with a 3.64 FIP per FanGraphs. His production led to his second All-Star selection and generated a 5.5 bWAR. He has an $8 million team option for 2026 and will be a free agent at season's end.
    As a "small market" team, the Brewers have become accustomed to flipping high-end assets on expiring contracts for younger, controllable assets - as they did with Corbin Burnes following the 2023 season. Though Peralta doesn't have the track record that Burnes had, a weak free agent class could drive up his value.
    Do you think the Brewers should trade Peralta? 

    Brock Beauchamp
    Matt Arnold has been promoted to President of Baseball Operations; he will continue to oversee baseball operations, a responsibility he has held since October 2022 after the departure of David Stearns, who also held the PoBO title. Arnold originally joined Milwaukee in October 2015 as vice president and assistant general manager, advanced to senior vice president and assistant general manager in June 2019, and was promoted to senior vice president and general manager in November 2020. 
    During his tenure in Milwaukee, the club has qualified for the postseason seven times and secured five National League Central Division championships in 2018, 2021, and 2023 through 2025. The team has won at least 92 games in each of the last three seasons, including a franchise-record 97 victories in 2025. 
    Arnold was named MLB Executive of the Year for 2024 in voting by executives from all 30 clubs. He also received Executive of the Year honors from The Sporting News in 2024 and 2025 and from Baseball America in 2024. 
    Before joining the Brewers, Arnold spent nine seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2007 to 2015, most recently as director of player personnel. Earlier in his career, Arnold held roles with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2000, the Texas Rangers in 2002, and the Cincinnati Reds from 2003 to 2006. He has 25 seasons of professional baseball experience.
    David Stearns once held the position of both PoBO and General Manager, as Arnold does now. Will Arnold hire a new General Manager to work under him, just as he was promoted to that title in 2020 under Stearns?
    Harold Hutchison
    Devin Williams is slated to hit free agency after the 2025 season. Williams struggled with the Yankees, posting a 4.79 ERA – nearly three full runs over his career record with Milwaukee – and being demoted from the closer’s role, with the Bronx Bombers turning to David Bednar and Luke Weaver to fill the slot.
    That being said, with the Brewers showing they can give pitchers new life (Jose Quintana being the latest example), it may behoove them to see if Williams would like to return. They’ve done this before with a closer – see Jeremy Jeffress, who ended up performing well for the Crew after having a rough time of it elsewhere.
    Adding Williams back for at least 2026 could also be a good thing for Craig Yoho, who struggled in some of his appearances with Milwaukee in 2025. Yoho could stick in Triple-A Nashville for some more seasoning and adjustments – while also putting off further additions to his service time – and it could also help manage his innings.
    Given Pat Murphy’s tendency to lean heavily on reliable arms, having Williams, who had an excellent track record with the Crew, may be a good way to avoid overuse of Abner Uribe, Jared Koenig, Trevor Megill, Grant Anderson, and Nick Mears as well as giving Yoho the chance to develop.
    As for Williams, a return to the Ueck would be a chance to show that 2025 is an aberration. A one-year deal (maybe with a mutual option for 2027) could be just the thing to set him up for a better free-agent deal.
    The Brewers need arms Pat Murphy can trust. Williams needs a chance to bounce back from an off year. A 2026 reunion would be a potential win-win for both parties.
    Brandon Glick
    The 2025 Gold Glove finalists have been announced, and the Milwaukee Brewers have two representatives on the list.
    First up is second baseman Brice Turang, who earned -2 Outs Above Average, zero Fielding Run Value, and seven Defensive Runs Saved this season. While OAA and FRV weren't favorable to him, by DRS, he was the second-best second baseman in the NL in 2025. The only problem? Chicago Cubs keystone stopper Nico Hoerner lapped the field in each of those categories (14 OAA, 12 FRV, 17 DRS) and is a surefire bet to win the award this year. Xavier Edwards of the Marlins is the other finalist.
    Meanwhile, Frelick is competing with Corbin Carroll and Fernando Tatis Jr. for the award in right field. Tatis (eight OAA, nine FRV, 15 DRS) was better than Frelick (six OAA, seven FRV, nine DRS) in each of the primary three defensive counting stats and is likely the favorite after winning the award in 2023.
    Both Brewers players won the Gold Glove award at their respective positions last year, with Turang securing the fabled Platinum Glove for the best defender in the NL, regardless of position.
    Gold Glove winners will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 2.
    Jason Wang
    With the Timber Rattlers' season now over, Jesus Made will be making his way to Double-A Biloxi to help with their playoff run starting next week. Of course, this is more than a throwaway move and signals yet another major milestone for the 18-year-old.
    Made needed just 123 plate appearances with High-A Wisconsin to prove that he was ready for a step up in competition. Since being promoted in August, he has slashed .343/.415/.500 for a wRC+ of 157. Other than his walk rate, nearly every aspect of his offensive profile was an improvement from what he did with Single-A Carolina earlier in the year. 
    While in High-A, his top-notch bat-to-ball were on full display as he had a swinging strike percentage of just 9.2% and a contact rate of 78.9%. His walk rate did dip slightly but was still at a respectable 10.6% while his strikeout rate of 17.9% was also a slight improvement over his performance in Single-A. 
    We likely won't get a very meaningful sample of what he can do in Double-A given the small amount of remaining games but it could give fans a glimpse of what's to come starting next year. He's seemingly ahead of what's already a pretty accelerated schedule with an ETA of 2028 but could be on the doorstep of the big leagues as soon as next year. 
    Jake McKibbin
    Ha-Seong Kim would have been an ideal addition for the Brewers earlier in the season, albeit he has spent a lot of the year on the injured list. Capable of pull side power, Kim's fantastic swing decisions and low strikeout rate would mesh well with the Brewers while also showcasing great defensive grades over the last three seasons.
    Kim is being linked with the New York Yankees, who are concerned by the defensive performances of Anthony Volpe in 2025. He's a base-stealing threat and one of the smoothest shortstops in the league, who provides a consistent ~ .700 OPS that marks a substantial upgrade on the output from Joey Ortiz thus far.

    He has back tightness at present, and has struggled with injuries this year, which should lower the cost but does present some risk to any acquisition. How much would you give to see the versatile former Padre in the six hole through August and September?
     
    Jason Wang
    Hoskins has been out of action since early July when he sustained a left thumb sprain while making a tag at first base. He was originally expected to be back in the lineup by mid- to late-August, but the most recent updates suggest that he isn't expected to start his rehab assignment until then. 
    Milwaukee did (sort of) hedge against this by acquiring Andrew Vaughn from the White Sox, and he has been playing incredibly well so far, almost suspiciously so. Since joining the team, he's slashing .375/.439/.771 across a sample of 57 plate appearances, which is way above his career norms of .250/.306/.414. It's unclear as to whether the front office truly saw something in him worth making him the Brewers' starting first baseman down the stretch, but if they just saw him as a holdover that has worked out far better than expected, they'll have to start looking for more reinforcements.
    Ryan O'Hearn stands out as one of the only options at the position that could give the lineup a real boost. With a .456 slugging percentage and 133 OPS+, he's a hitter with qualities that compensate for the current lack of pop. As it stands, Jackson Chourio is the only hitter with a slugging percentage over .450 and the team's combined slugging percentage of .387 places them 23rd in MLB. 
    The only move Milwaukee has made so far is to acquire Danny Jansen to serve as their backup catcher, which does make the team better, but perhaps not enough to push them past their typical first round exit. In an ideal world, Andrew Vaughn would maintain his 234 OPS+ through the end of the season but reality will likely set in before long. Will is true abilities still be enough to take the Brewers to the next level or should they seek more help before it's too late?
     
    Brock Beauchamp
    Brewers rumors are hard to come by this deadline, as they are more deadlines. The Brewers are one of the most tight-lipped organizations in baseball, but according to Curt Hogg of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, most of the Brewers' trade deadline efforts are focused around a first base solution and an addition to the bullpen.
    The corner-infield market is thin, so most conversations start with Orioles first baseman Ryan O'Hearn . In his walk year, O’Hearn owns a .306/.386/.495 slash, a .333 wOBA, and a 153 wRC+ through 91 games, numbers that earned his first All-Star nod. Baltimore has signaled a willingness to move expiring contracts, making the 32-year-old left-handed hitter, who can also cover both corner-outfield spots, one of the few impact bats realistically available. 
    In regards to the bullpen, given the Brewers' proclivity for developing their own bullpen power arms, it's hard to envision them paying a king's ransom for one of the controllable late-inning relievers on the market, such as Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, or Ryan Helsley.
    But there are several middle-inning arms on the market: you can find a starter pack of arms in DiamondCentric's trade deadline roundup.
    Jake McKibbin
    The Brewers have gone where they'd be least expected with (excuse the pun) a left field approach for Steven Kwan of the Guardians per the Moccbomb twitter account.
    Steven Kwan is a Gold Glover in left field who fits the Sal Frelick mold from the left-hand side. He doesn't swing and miss, doesn't strike out, takes his walks, and has shown more power over the last two seasons than many expected out of him. He's posting a .762 OPS so far in 2025 with a .351 on-base percentage and nine home runs so far.
    Kwan is arbitration eligible in 2026, meaning the Brewers would have control of the Guardians outfield star for three years after the conclusion of this season. Would they truly entertain such a move? Are they more concerned about their outfield depth than we realise?
    Kwan fits the Brewers player profile to a T, but there remains a question of whether the Brewers need more of that archetype in their line-up. He also would be incredibly costly than to the years of control remaining. 
    Could the Brewers seriously make this move? How would Kwan fit into the Brewers setup?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
    Editor's Note: The Twitter account MoccBomb has been correct in the past, though is somewhat unreliable compared to other rumormongers. 
    Brock Beauchamp
    Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic has reported the Brewers are showing interest in first baseman/corner outfielder. The 32-year-old O'Hearn has 12 home runs, a .284/.375/.452 slash line, a .360 wOBA and a 133 wRC+ through 92 games, though he has cooled to .218 with a .684 OPS since May 27. He is earning $3.8 million this season, leaving approximately $2.5 million owed, and can become a free agent in November. 
    O’Hearn would give Milwaukee another option at first base while Rhys Hoskins rehabs a left-thumb sprain that is projected to sideline him until mid-to-late August. Andrew Vaughn has filled in capably, and switch-hitting rookie Isaac Collins has taken most of the reps in left field, but manager Pat Murphy has still searched for extra left-side power. 
    That need is clear in the numbers: entering Monday, Brewers left-handed hitters ranked 21st in slugging percentage (.380) and 23rd in home runs (33). Only designated hitter Christian Yelich (20 homers) and Jackson Chourio (17) have exceeded O’Hearn’s total.
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