Four Brewers Who Could Be Surprise Trade Candidates

Sitting atop the National League Central with a five-game cushion, the temptation might be for Milwaukee to stand pat. But perhaps some trades are in store, especially as top prospects keep making noise at Triple-A Nashville. Dealing from the major-league roster can be a bit risky. The Josh Hader trade of 2022 (and the Crew’s near-miss in the playoff race that year) might have some people feeling a little worried about tinkering with the clubhouse chemistry. Then again, the Hader trade has been a long-term winner for Milwaukee, based solely on the return for Esteury Ruiz: William Contreras.

So, which players on the active roster could be moved? Let’s take a look.

OF/1B Jake Bauers
Bauers has arguably been the team’s offensive MVP this season, leading them in home runs and RBIs. So why might he be on the block? The answer is all too typical for Brewers fans: Impending free agency. With the way he’s hitting, Bauers is going to get a healthy pay bump from the $2.7 million he’s receiving in 2026, and it will probably be a multi-year contract. The Brewers won't risk making a qualifying offer, which would be necessary to secure draft compensation.

There is a potential partner for the Brewers in this deal: The Rays. The Tampa outfield’s offensive production has been about as problematic for them as the production at shortstop and third base has been for the Brewers. They would have to believe in Bauers's defense in the grass, because they have Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz at first base. The Brewers would have to get something good in return, and have considerable faith in someone like Blake Burke or Tyler Black, but it's not entirely out of the question that they could trade Bauers.

OF Garrett Mitchell
Mitchell has managed to stay healthy, and he’s been reasonably productive on offense, with some excellent defense in center. So why move him? Here’s one reason: Luis Lara. Lara’s tearing it up in Nashville, and he looks to not only have Gold Glove defense, but his toolset could also take the leadoff spot. The current leadoff hitters for the Brewers are Christian Yelich and Jackson Chourio. To clear space for Lara, someone’s going to need to be moved, and Mitchell may be the guy to go. The team wouldn't trade Mitchell just to hand things off to Lara, though. Again, it depends on the return they're offtered.

RHP Trevor Megill
Megill has rebounded in terms of velocity, after having figured out how to get batters out without it. He’s a top-tier closer, but the Brewers have youth moving through the minors, and could land a decent return for Megill, just as they did with Devin Williams and Hader before him. This might seem counterintuitive, but the Brewers have a lot of young relief talent in Nashville (Will Childers and Blake Holub spring to mind) and some guys they could move to relief if needed. Again: the team has the luxury of waiting to see if anyone bowls them over.

RHP Chad Patrick
Patrick has been one of the most reliable and versatile parts of the Brewers' pitching staff since the start of the 2025 season. That said, the Brewers have a lot of pitching talent moving up, and it might behoove them to move some of the second-tier pitchers to teams in need. The goal here is to secure a higher return than might otherwise be obtained. Trading such a useful piece of pitching depth is almost unfathomable for a team with World Series aspirations, but like Megill, Mitchell and Bauers, Patrick could become available in just the right deal. After what Matt Arnold did to the Red Sox when he seemed to be innocently trying to shore up pitching depth by moving Caleb Durbin, the big risk might be that teams won't even answer his calls anymore.

Which players do you think could be a surprise trade candidate? Let us know in the comments below!