Harold Hutchison

Maybe the Crew could send Ashby to Cleveland - get a CB pick and a prospect.

Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-Imagn Images Brewers fans continue to react and accustom themselves to the Freddy Peralta trade that took place last week. Milwaukee got utility man Jett Williams and right-handed pitcher Brandon Sproat for Peralta and Tobias Myers, which has far reaching and overlapping implications. Let's break them down a bit more. The Good Perhaps the biggest benefit the Brewers got was the reinforcement of the farm system. On the face of it, it looks to be similar to the return in the Corbin Burnes deal, in which the Brewers got DL Hall and Joey Ortiz, plus a Competitive Balance pick that became Blake Burke. The difference? This time, the Brewers got two players from the Mets’ farm system, both of whom landed in the top six slots of MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 list for Milwaukee. Sproat is a better version of Quinn Priester, who should fit in well with Jacob Misiorowski, Logan Henderson, Priester, Chad Patrick and Robert Gasser as long-term pieces in the starting rotation. Williams is arguably the more intriguing of the two. He appears to be a more potent version of Isaac Collins, a highly versatile infielder-outfielder who could play second base and the outfield. Unlike Collins, Williams has some real pop in his bat and also plays a passable shortstop, should his readiness for the majors coincide with further regression by Ortiz. Had he not been traded, Collins could have spelled Brewers starters at multiple positions. Williams could easily fill that role for Milwaukee, making him a crucial asset in 2026, even with a raw bat. Bulking up the farm system isn't an objective worth trading good players for, in itself, but really, it's just one way to see that the Brewers got two more players who look likely to be solid contributors in the short and medium term, and who are under team control past the end of this decade. Sustaining the winning machine in Milwaukee requires this kind of refueling. The Bad On the face of it, the bad includes the fact that the Brewers traded their ace. Even with a very deep rotation, which had a dozen viable options, Peralta is a major loss. It makes Brandon Woodruff the team’s number one starter, unless Misiorowski harnesses his stuff or Henderson can stay healthy. While Brandon Sproat has a chance to be very good, he’s not the proven commodity Peralta was. So the Brewers' rotation has suffered a slight downgrade. Nor was Peralta the only useful arm the Brewers surrendered. Myers, a mainstay of the 2024 rotation, will not be arbitration-eligible until after 2027 and would be under team control through 2030. The Brewers probably didn't have much more use for Myers, given their depth, and the Mets were unwilling to send both Williams and Sproat without getting a second arm in return, but there's opportunity cost (at least) in giving up Myers as a second piece, and he could yet blossom into a mid-rotation starter. The Ugly The Peralta trade is just the latest in an ugly cycle that’s been hitting Milwaukee for decades, whereby the team finds itself priced out of the market to keep the stars it has developed in its farm system. Major League Baseball has a problem. Any baseball fan who doesn’t root for a big-spending, big-market club can see it clearly. While the Brewers have clearly had an excellent run since 2017, in each of the last four seasons, the team had to trade a top-of-the-line player because it's effectively priced out of the premium free-agent market. Some of that is a choice by the Attanasio family and the rest of the Brewers' ownership group, but some of it, too, is a harsh and inexorable economic reality. One way or another, the league needs to better distribute revenue and even out the pain of spending (if not the spending itself) among the 30 teams. Until that happens, these moves will remain annual occurrences, and while it can be fun to watch the Brewers nail it over and over again, that they feel the need to do so is an ugly truth. What are your thoughts about the positive and negative aspects of the Freddy Peralta trade? Let us know in the comments below! View full article

Image courtesy of © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images New Brewers prospect Jett Williams brings versatility to the table, with some serious OBP skills, power, and speed and experience at shortstop, second base and center field. His versatility and upside are why the Brewers wanted him, but they make him an (almost) immediate threat to the playing time of some of the team's incumbents. Williams might start the season in the minors, but he should be ready to play in the big leagues sometime this year. The Brewers usually keep all 13 allowed pitchers, so after accounting for the nine starters each day, they have just four spots for bench players, one of which will be held by the backup catcher. So, which Brewers could be bumped off, should Williams seize a job—be it off the roster, or out of the regular mix? Andruw Monasterio Monasterio has been an unsung cult hero for the Brewers since he came up in 2023, including being Brewer Fanatic’s top rookie that year as the team’s primary third baseman down the stretch. Since then, he’s been one of the top options off the Brewers bench, playing all four infield positions adroitly. His playing time has been sparser the last two seasons (251 at-bats total in 2024 and 2025, compared to 282 in 2023). Williams brings a similar type of versatility and a more potent bat. Monasterio is eligible for arbitration after this season, and while he’s solid, his time may be running out. It's possible for Monasterio and Williams to coexist on the 26-man roster, and even on the same bench, but it sure seems unlikely. Joey Ortiz Ortiz will get a shot to redeem himself after a horrid 2025 at the plate. His outstanding defense at short kept him in positive WAR territory, per Baseball Reference, but the leash will be justifiably short. He could lose out (directly or indirectly) to Williams if the offensive struggles continue. The direct path is Williams taking over at shortstop, though few see him as a shortstop in the majors. Indirectly, Williams could take over second base as Brice Turang slides to the other side of the keystone, displacing Ortiz. Blake Perkins Perkins has been the Brewers’ fourth outfielder since the 2024 season. He’s a pesky switch-hitter with some speed, a little pop, and Gold Glove-caliber defense. He’d be a competent starter on some teams, but in Milwaukee, he’s backing up Garrett Mitchell—which could still mean a lot of playing time—and jostling with Jackson Chourio. Williams has more pop, and also plays a pretty good center field, which could edge Perkins out of Milwaukee. Garrett Mitchell Mitchell has a dynamic bat, excellent speed, and is a skillful defender when he’s on the field. The big problem for Mitchell is a series of injuries that have kept him off the field for large portions of the past three seasons, meaning a lot of his service time has come on the injured list. Another injury that costs Mitchell significant time in the offseason, and Williams could take over, providing the same dynamism, albeit as a right-handed hitter. Brandon Lockridge For Lockridge, it’s not about being on the major-league roster; that is not his biggest worry. The Brewers' 40-man roster is also quite crowded, and if and when Williams is added, it could squeeze Lockridge. Williams is the team’s seventh non-roster invite, joining Eddys Leonard as an infielder, but he also plays a competent outfield, and his bat is more dynamic than Lockridge’s. Depending on injuries and offensive performance, Lockridge could be the odd man out for the Brewers, even though they appear to like him quite a bit. Which player do you think should be the most nervous about Jett Williams’ arrival? Let us know in the comments below! View full article

Image courtesy of © Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Brewers appear to need a number two catcher as spring training is mere weeks away, which is surprising as Top 100 prospect Jeferson Quero is on the 40-man roster, even as he’s recovered from an injury that cost him all of 2024. Talk about signing a veteran centered on the chance the Brewers could reunite with Victor Caratini, whose bat has improved since his first stint in Milwaukee. There was speculation from Sports Illustrated that Milwaukee was a dark horse to pick up free agent J.T. Realmuto. Neither of those happened. Per the FanGraphs free-agent tracker, Caratini signed a two-year $14 million deal with the Twins, while Realmuto worked out a three-year deal to stay in Philadelphia. The best free-agent catcher left on the market is Christian Vazquez, who posted a 52 OPS+ for the Twins in 2025. FanGraphs estimates that he could get a one-year deal worth $5 million. Thanks to the latest drama about the Brewers' broadcast deal, Milwaukee may not be able to afford $5 million for a backup catcher. In a sense, though, things may work out well for the Brewer, simply because those two moves give a returning non-roster invitee the chance to shine. Darrien Miller came to big-league camp in 2025, which was intriguing given that the Crew had Quero on the 40-man roster, even though his power had declined in 2024 from his 2023 season. Miller returns to the big-league camp in 2026 after a 2025 that saw him fail to reach the Uecker line in terms of batting average while playing at Double-A Biloxi. That said, during that season, he regained a power stroke, hitting seven home runs and driving in 37 in 66 fewer at-bats than in 2024, while his OBP skills remained elite (57 walks and getting plunked 17 times). Is Miller the answer the Brewers are seeking as their backup backstop? At first glance, people might think that it isn’t a good idea. Over the last two seasons, he’s slashed a .203/.387/.308 line in Double-A Biloxi, a .695 OPS. These numbers are not horrific in one of the most pitching-friendly leagues in professional baseball. How pitching-friendly is the Southern League? Cooper Pratt posted a .691 OPS in 2025. Despite those seemingly uninspiring numbers over two years, the Brewers re-signed him after he reached minor-league free agency. Teams don’t usually bring back minor-league free agents and invite them to spring training in back-to-back seasons if they think the player is a dud. So, the team obviously sees something in Miller worth keeping him around. As it turns out, Miller could be very valuable to Milwaukee for the next five to six years, given his lengthy tenure with the organization. Since he was drafted in 2019, he’s worked with a lot of young pitchers in that organization, some of whom reached Milwaukee (Jacob Misiorowski, Logan Henderson, and Craig Yoho), others who could be in Milwaukee soon (Coleman Crow, Tate Kuehner, and Mark Manfredi jump to mind). In other words, this is right around the timeframe where these pitchers are under team control. This sort of working relationship and mutual familiarity among batterymates can’t be picked up via sabermetrics, but it does have an effect. The Brewers have long valued team chemistry – witness the haste with which they traded the disgruntled Aaron Civale and their desire to avoid arbitration hearings (which soured relationships with Josh Hader and Corbin Burnes). But Miller also has some offensive skills the Brewers value. He’s been exceptional at drawing walks over his professional career (271 in 1,515 professional at-bats in minor-league baseball and winter ball in Australia). He also could compete with Caleb Durbin in terms of being willing to get plunked for the team (he’s been hit by pitches 102 times over his career), meaning almost a quarter of his at-bats end with him on base without needing a hit. Miller brings some other advantages for the Brewers: He would be cost-controlled through 2028 at the very least (possibly longer if he and Quero swap places between Milwaukee and Nashville in what could very likely be William Contreras’ final season in Milwaukee, barring a miracle). He also bats left-handed, which would complement the largely right-handed catchers currently on the 40-man roster. Miller is also only 25 and would be nearing his physical peak years. Milwaukee's search for a backup catcher in 2026 - and beyond - may be over, with the solution right before their eyes. View full article

Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-Imagn Images During their recent run of success, the Brewers have been famous for some late signings that ended up paying off big-time. For instance, Jose Quintana became a rotation mainstay in 2025, helping the team power through early injuries. Could they find similar magic again in 2026? Milwaukee currently boasts a deep starting rotation, featuring Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff, Jacob Misiorowski, Quinn Priester, Chad Patrick, Logan Henderson, Robert Gasser, Carlos Rodriguez, and Tobias Myers as candidates to fill slots. That doesn’t include current relief options Ángel Zerpa, DL Hall, and Aaron Ashby. So, why consider adding a free agent or two? Firstly, Woodruff, Henderson, Gasser, and Myers all spent time on the injured list in 2025. So did Hall and Ashby. That’s half of the rotation candidates. Top depth starter Cameron Crow also has an injury history, and Peralta could very well be traded. You really can’t have too many starting pitchers. Here are four names the team could still pluck from free agency for help, in the event of a trade or injuries. Jordan Montgomery Montgomery will still be recovering from his second Tommy John surgery in the early part of 2026, likely not being available until the All-Star Break. The Brewers could consider signing him to a Woodruff-esque deal ($3 million in 2026, $7 million in 2027, and a $15 million mutual option with a $2.5 million buyout for 2028). It would be like getting a solid starter as a mid-season acquisition, without paying the price in terms of prospects. The Brewers acquired Montgomery along with Shelby Miller this July, in exchange for a player to be named later. By taking on the money remaining on Montgomery's deal with the Diamondbacks, the Crew avoided having to give up any meaningful prospect to get Miller, but they also bought some time to work with Montgomery and oversee his rehab process in the wake of surgery. The deal didn’t quite work; Miller was lost for the season due to injury. Bringing Montgomery back could make some good come out of it, after all. Nestor Cortes The Brewers hoped Cortes would be a solid piece of the rotation in 2025, when he was acquired in the Devin Williams trade. Instead, he was injured early in the season and eventually traded to the Padres (with shortstop Jorge Quintana) for Brandon Lockridge. Before 2025, Cortes had been a solid starting pitcher, including being a top-10 Cy Young vote recipient in 2022. Milwaukee’s brought pitchers back from the brink before, and Cortes could be the latest in that line. Besides, if Cortes has a dominant year, the Brewers could issue the qualifying offer and get a compensatory draft pick. A one-year, $3-million deal for 2026 with a $10-million mutual option for 2027 (and a $2-million buyout) could bring Cortes back, if no stronger an offer materializes for him. Jose Quintana Quintana was such a late signing that Milwaukee had to option him to the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League Brewers and couldn’t bring him up until two weeks into the regular season. Thereafter, though, he was a solid presence in the rotation who ate innings and gave the bullpen much-needed breaks when he was on the mound. Quintana took $4 million to come to Milwaukee in 2025, but made another $4.65 million in incentives based on innings and starts. This year, Milwaukee could offer him $5 million on a one-year deal, and then a mutual option for $10 million in 2027, with a $2.5 million buyout. Patrick Corbin At his best, Patrick Corbin was an All-Star and received votes for the Cy Young Award. From 2022 to 2024, though, he had a rough stretch in Washington, wherein he was arguably the worst full-time starter in baseball. He rebounded somewhat with the Rangers in 2025. Over the last five years, Corbin has pitched an average of 167 innings a season, making him a reliable workhorse. Corbin also has a World Series ring, won with the Nationals in 2019. Milwaukee’s track record of maximizing pitchers’ stuff (as they did for Quintana in 2025) might be appealing to Corbin, as well. Corbin’s strikeout rates have been better than Quintana’s over the last two years. As a similarly cheap echo of Quintana's signing, Corbin could be the veteran presence and high-volume arm Milwaukee needs. Which of these lefties do you think the Brewers should take a chance on? Let us know in the comments below! View full article

Image courtesy of © Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Milwaukee Brewers have a bit of a conundrum at shortstop. The incumbent, Joey Ortiz, is the epitome of good-field, no-hit, to the point where Milwaukee may be better off moving him. Over the long term, talent like Jesus Made, Luis Pena, Juan Baez, Brady Ebel, and Filippo di Turi could also stake a claim to the position. A short-term solution could be to move Brice Turang there, but that would necessitate filling the resulting hole at second base by sliding Caleb Durbin to the keystone. So where does that leave Cooper Pratt, who is slated for a Milwaukee debut of his own sometime in 2026? The answer may be a move a little further to the left side of the infield, a move that could benefit both him and the Brewers over the long haul. Third base might seem to be already in good shape, with Durbin proving to be a solid starter at the hot corner, while the Brewers have multiple options (Brock Wilken, Luke Adams, Andrew Fischer, and Mike Boeve) in High-A or higher. However, Pratt may be a better long-term solution than Durbin. Pratt’s offensive profile fits the approach used by manager Pat Murphy almost perfectly. As the number three prospect in the Brewer Fanatic Top 20, he’s the type of player who should be a franchise cornerstone. In Biloxi, he walked 67 times in 437 at-bats, striking out only 80 times, which should alleviate some concerns about his bat-to-ball and plate discipline from his brief stint in Advanced-A Wisconsin in 2024. His defense has drawn raves, and he has a minor-league Gold Glove. Pratt’s current offensive profile in some aspects is similar to that of Wade Boggs in the 1990s, a solid performer who hit for a .300 average and got on base to the tune of a 112+ OPS. In addition, the 1990s version of Boggs delivered very good defense (Boggs won a pair of Gold Gloves during that timeframe). Pratt, though, has shown he is a very capable threat on the basepaths, notching 58 steals in 66 attempts. So, why the hot corner for Pratt, and why 2026? The fact is, Jesus Made is on a Jackson Chourio-esque rocket up the minor-league ladder. Assuming he splits between Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville in 2026, he’s likely to be Milwaukee’s Opening Day 2027 shortstop. So, moving Pratt to third would help him get accustomed to what could be a long-term home. As for bringing Pratt up in 2026, much of that can be laid at the feet of Joey Ortiz, whose offensive production plummeted in 2025. The 2024 version of Ortiz would be pretty good for most teams, but Pratt’s offensive floor is higher than what Ortiz provided in 2025, and his ceiling – especially if he taps into his power potential – could propel him to be among the franchise’s best at that position. Turang could handle shortstop for 2026 and shift back to second base when Made makes his Milwaukee debut, allowing the Brewers to flank the switch-hitting with two Gold Glove-caliber defenders in the infield – proving some outstanding run-prevention over the next few years, especially if they can work out an extension with Turang. This also allows the Brewers to use 2023 first-round pick Brock Wilken as a potential trade asset to help nail down a position of need in 2026 – or beyond. The Brewers have been seeking some hot corner stability since trading Aramis Ramirez. Cooper Pratt may well be the solution to that hot problem. Do you think Cooper Pratt should handle the hot corner in Milwaukee? Let us know in the comments below! View full article

Image courtesy of © Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images The New York Post reports that the Yankees are among the teams looking to get in on the market for free-agent infielder Bo Bichette. For the Brewers, this could be a chance to clear a couple of logjams, and perhaps get a short-term power boost. In 2025, Jazz Chisholm Jr. split time between third base and second base for the Yankees, while also handling some of the duties in center field for the Yankees in 2024. With Miami, he played second base and center field and also saw action at shortstop. He has a left-handed bat that has seen a power surge since he left Miami (42 home runs in 638 at-bats) and has some speed and baserunning skills as well (49 out of 59 in stolen bases). At first glance, Chisholm could give Milwaukee a brief power boost to give Top-100 prospects like Cooper Pratt and Jesus Made time to season in the minor leagues, while allowing the Brewers to make some adjustments in the infield to account for Joey Ortiz’s offensive struggles. He also adds power to a lineup that could use it. That left-handed bat could also thrive in American Family Field, as suggested by the power jump when he left Miami (Christian Yelich had a similar power boost when he came to Milwaukee). Both the power bat and the versatility of Chisholm would help Milwaukee in the course of 2026. For the Yankees, trading Chisholm would clear some payroll and, more importantly, roster space for the Yankees to get Bichette. There is a big question for Milwaukee: Who should be offered to seal the deal and get Chisholm in a Brewers jersey? The answer might seem steep, but it could well be worth it. The Brewers should offer third baseman Brock Wilken and outfielder Braylon Payne to the Yankees. While both of them are in the Brewer Fanatic Top 20, they may also be the best options for Milwaukee to deal at this time. We can start with Wilken, the team’s first-round pick in the 2023 MLB draft. Over two seasons at Double-A Biloxi, he’s hit 32 doubles and 35 home runs despite a scary injury in the 2024 season. However, in 695 at-bats, he’s struck out 235 times – a 33.8% strikeout rate. While he’s also drawn 132 walks, his 3TO profile is not exactly the type of thing that fits the offense that Pat Murphy has assembled. His lack of speed on the basepaths is another glaring omission from the type of profile the Brewers used to great regular-season success in 2024 and 2025. Wilken stole only three bases in those two seasons. Wilken’s defense is also suspect to a degree, and he is arguably better suited for first base. Milwaukee had Blake Burns as one option at the cold corner, with Tyler Black another potential option, and Jake Bauers and Andrew Vaughn likely to handle the bulk of the playing time in 2026. It won’t be the first time the Crew used a recent first-round pick for a rental (their 2007 first-round pick, Matt LaPorta, was the centerpiece of the midseason deal that brought CC Sabathia to Milwaukee). The other piece of the deal, Braylon Payne, the Brewers’ first-round pick from 2024, might be tougher to part with. Still, in his first full professional season, while he flashed signs of a dynamic bat across 77 games at Single-A Carolina, he also struck out in 35.7% of his at-bats. While Payne stole 31 bases and has excellent defense, the Brewers are very deep in center field (Sal Frelick, Blake Perkins, Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, Steward Berroa, and Brandon Lockridge all saw action for the Brewers in center field in 2025 and are on the 40-man roster, while Black, Turang, and Yelich are among Brewers with past experience). Payne, who will be just 19 on Opening Day 2026, could be a fast riser, and he did have some bad injury luck in 2025; still, the Brewers have to consider that Luis Lara and Jose Anderson may still be ahead of him in the minors, in addition to all of their options at the major-league level. To balance things out, Milwaukee may want to ask for a low-level prospect or two, like utility player Hans Montero or left-handed reliever Kevin Centeno, and some international bonus money. The Brewers also get a “conditional” draft pick, depending on how well Chisholm does. Do you think the Brewers should make a Jazz Chisholm deal with the Bronx Bombers? Let us know in the comments below! View full article

When a team notches four division titles in five years, you would expect that they have the key positions locked down tight. The Brewers, though, have had five different players as their primary starter in center field in each of the last five seasons. Jackie Bradley Jr., Tyrone Taylor, Joey Wiemer, Blake Perkins, and Jackson Chourio have each been primary starters at the position since Opening Day 2021. That’s a lot of turnover, but there’s been a lot of quality there. Bradley was the only flop, and the Brewers turned him into Hunter Renfroe, and Renfroe became some pitching help. Taylor and Wiemer also were dealt for new assets by the Crew. Could another different player be the primary starter in 2026? In one sense, the Brewers hope so. Chourio starting the bulk of the games in center field was actually a worst-case scenario for the Brewers. This was due to a rash of injuries in the outfield that resulted in the worst-case scenario of Jake Bauers seeing significant time in a corner outfield spot. The organization would like to see Garrett Mitchell handle the bulk of the starts in center, largely due to his dynamic bat. In his 141 total games, he’s racked up 3.6 WAR, with a 112 OPS+ according to Baseball Reference. Mitchell has 30-30 potential and could be a left-handed version of Carlos Gomez at his 2013-2014 peak. If, that is, he is on the field and not on the injured list. That’s been a big if the last three seasons. Blake Perkins was the primary center fielder in 2024 and was a Gold Glove finalist. He missed a lot of 2025 due to an injury suffered in spring training, but his style of hitting has been more productive despite a lack of pop, and he contributes on the basepaths as well. Chourio has posted two 20-20 seasons to start off his major-league career and is seen as the franchise player for the late 2020s and into the 2030s. Mitchell, Perkins, and Chourio are the best three center fielders on the 40-man roster, but there are now others. Perhaps the most notable is free-agent pickup Akil Baddoo, whose offensive profile has been like another former Brewer, Keon Broxton, albeit Baddoo’s left-handed. Sal Frelick, who’s primarily played right field, is a natural center fielder, and he has a Gold Glove from 2024. His bat’s taken a step up, although he arguably ran out of gas late in the season. But he’s a viable option there. Behind those five, the Brewers have Brandon Lockridge and Steward Berroa, mid-season acquisitions in 2025 due to the injuries that hit the outfield. There is also Christian Yelich, who’s had some experience in center during his major-league career, although he’s arguably limited to corner outfield at this stage of his career. However, there are some other players in the organization who might see time in center. Both Tyler Black and Brice Turang played center in the minors. Minor-league prospect Luis Lara will likely be in Triple-A Nashville, while Braylon Payne will patrol center in Advanced-A Wisconsin. The Brewers could also move prospects like Jesus Made and Luis Pena to center to accommodate other prospects. In short, center field could be in flux for a long time in Milwaukee, but in this case, it’s a sign of the immense depth and drafting success the team has had. Who should be in center field for the Brewers in 2026? Let us know in the comments below! View full article

Image courtesy of © Denis Poroy-Imagn Images Isaac Collins was a crucial reason why the Brewers survived the injuries suffered by Garrett Mitchell and Blake Perkins in the early part of 2025. In no small part, it's thanks to Collins that the Crew came away with their third consecutive division title and the top seed in the National League playoffs. The value he provided was huge, considering that he was plucked from the Rockies in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft two years earlier. Collins did that through his OBP skills, speed, and excellent, unorthodox defense in left field. He provided 2.1 wins above replacement and a 118 OPS+, according to Baseball Reference. Despite that performance. there still seems to be doubt about his ability to contribute, partially because he seemed to fade in September and October, and was often on the bench due to Jake Bauers being the hot hand. The Brewers appear to be skeptics, too. They traded Collins and reliever Nick Mears to Kansas City in exchange for lefty reliever Ángel Zerpa on December 13, gaining a 40-man roster spot, but the cost could be much higher than many Brewers fans (or even some team executives) think. The 2025 Brewers had one Achilles’ heel: They ran out of gas by the time of the National League Championship Series, largely due to injuries. If there was a team “need” going into the offseason, it was to assemble a bench that could give Brice Turang, Caleb Durbin, Sal Frelick, and other players more rest during the regular season, while still maintaining above-average offensive performance. On a 26-man roster, the Brewers usually go with 13 position players and 13 pitchers. (By rule, they can't have more pitchers than that, but in practice, neither they nor any other team in the league spend much time rostering fewer, either.) With the designated hitter, nine position-player slots are spoken for in each day's starting lineup. The team will usually carry a backup catcher, which leaves three bench spots to fill. Collins would have been immensely valuable in one of those spots, due to one aspect of his game that didn’t get a ton of play due to the circumstances in 2025: his versatility. Through his minor-league career, Collins played all three outfield positions and saw time at second base and third base. While perhaps he would not be a regular starter on the Brewers in 2026, the versatility he displayed in the minors could have allowed him to give Frelick, Durbin, Turang, and even Jackson Chourio some in-season rest. Between a lighter schedule (but still four or five starts a week) and a full offseason to prepare with a specific big-league role in mind, Collins would likely have still performed close to his 2025 levels, and he would have also kept more talented players fresher during the playoffs. The Brewers don't really trust Collins on the dirt, and even in left field, his defense degraded late in 2025. Still, if pressed into flexible duty, he might have had significant roster utility, beyond his simple production. Come 2026, the Brewers may find themselves missing Isaac Collins a lot, no matter how well Ángel Zerpa turns out for them. Do you think Isaac Collins was too high a price to pay for Ángel Zerpa? Let us know in the comments below! View full article

Ashby's too expensive for the Crew if he's a reliever, even an ace reliever.

Meant Durbin.

Isaac Collins is a bigger loss than he appears. Ideally, he was the guy who could give Durham, Turang, Frelick, Chourio, and whoever mans center field days off. He keeps the toolsier/talented players fresh.

Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images In 2025, the Brewers got excellent production (in the aggregate) at first base. Rhys Hoskins, Andrew Vaughn, and Jake Bauers each carried the team at times. Hoskins has departed via free agency, after the Brewers declined their end of a mutual option, but can first base be as productive in 2026 without the veteran? Let’s take a look. On The 40-Man Roster Andrew Vaughn .235/.333/.426 with five doubles, one triple, five home runs, and 27 RBI between Triple-A Charlotte and Triple-A Nashville .254/.307/.411 with 22 doubles, 14 home runs, and 65 RBI between Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox Vaughn was a somewhat under-the-radar acquisition, after Aaron Civale requested a trade. It worked out exceptionally well for the Brewers, with Vaughn posting an .869 OPS across 221 at-bats with his new team, a huge improvement over his totals with the White Sox. The question is, will Vaughn continue at the 141 OPS+ clip he had with the Crew, or will he fade to his pre-Milwaukee form? Jake Bauers .211/.318/.737 with one double, three home runs, and five RBI in Triple-A Nashville .235/.353/.399 with nine doubles, seven home runs, and 28 RBI in Milwaukee Bauers returned to the Crew on a minor-league deal after he was non-tendered in the 2024-2025 offseason. He was a solid complement to Hoskins in 2024, even with a batting average below the Uecker line. In 2025, his offense took a step up, and he posted a 111 OPS+. In addition to playing first base, he has also handled both corner outfield spots and taken some time on the mound. This time around, he signed a guaranteed big-league deal in November, and he's in line for more playing time than he got this season. Tyler Black .261/.388/.391 with 12 doubles, three triples, five home runs, and 39 RBI between Triple-A Nashville and Rookie League ACL Brewers .250/.538/.375 with one double and one RBI in Milwaukee Tyler Black is a one-time top-100 prospect. The problem came after a breakout 2023 season. In the 2023-2024 offseason, the Brewers acquired Joey Ortiz and Oliver Dunn, who crowded him out at third base. He moved to first base, but in 2025 suffered a hamate injury late in spring training. Now, he’s played left field, first base, and had a stint in right field for the Brewers. Nowhere, over the last two seasons, has he looked like a major contributor either in producing or preventing runs. Minor-League Players Who Could Impact 2026 Blake Burke .292/.379/.453 with 27 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs, and 82 RBI between Advanced-A Wisconsin and Double-A Biloxi Burke was selected with the Competitive Balance Round A pick acquired by the Brewers in the Corbin Burnes trade during the 2023-2024 offseason. So far, he’s made that part of the deal look very good, rapidly moving up the minor-league ladder. While he won't be on the Opening Day roster, either his sheer talent or regression by Vaughn and Bauers could see him in Milwaukee by the end of the season. Luke Adams .231/.417/.436 with 15 doubles, 11 home runs, and 42 RBI between Advanced-A Wisconsin and Double-A Biloxi .333/.471/569 with three doubles, three home runs, and 10 RBI with Surprise in the AFL Adams doesn’t get on the field much, but when he does, he’s been frighteningly productive wherever he’s playing—positionally, and in the Crew’s farm system. His stint in the Arizona Fall League was quite dominating. He’s split time at both corner infield positions and seen some limited action in left field. Adams could be a 30-30 player, if given enough playing time. Like Burke, he could force his way to Milwaukee sometime in 2026. Wild Cards Christian Yelich .264/.343/.452 with 21 doubles, 29 home runs, and 103 RBI in Milwaukee Yelich has mostly played the outfield, and is now Milwaukee’s primary DH, but the Crew could use him at first base in the event of injuries or slumps. The Florida Marlins selected him as a first baseman in the 2010 draft. The Brewers made a similar move with Ryan Braun at the start of the 2018 season, only to shift Braun back to the outfield after Jesús Aguilar caught fire. Yelich at first would be an emergency move, though. It's not a great position for a player with a recent spate of back problems on their medical chart. William Contreras .260/.355/.399 with 28 doubles, 17 home runs, and 76 RBI in Milwaukee Contreras is an anchor for the Crew behind the plate, so why is he a wild card at first base? Two reasons: First is the emergence of Jeferson Quero, who has been a top prospect on multiple lists (including Brewer Fanatic’s) for years. If the rookie wins the backup job, the team will want to play him more often than they've used previous backups, but they also won't want to lose Contreras's bat in the lineup. Second is the fact that the team looked wiped out during the NLCS, and they'll want to ease the burden on players like Contreras, whose brother Willson made the move to first this year for those fifth-rate flying rats in St. Louis. A similar shift might be good for the team as a whole. How do you think first base will shake out for the Brewers in 2026? Let us know in the comments below! View full article

Image courtesy of © Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images In one sense, it seems absurd that Tyler Black is in a make-or-break situation with the Brewers. He was a top-100 prospect after his breakout 2023 season, but then things went sideways. Two trades in the 2023-2024 offseason put Joey Ortiz and Oliver Dunn ahead of Black at third base—though he, in turn, gave no evidence that he could handle the spot, anyway. Another trade saw Jake Bauers take the role of left-handed complement to Rhys Hoskins in Milwaukee for the 2024 season—though Black didn't hit enough to be a first baseman, either. Black ended up riding the Milwaukee-Nashville shuttle a bit, and never really got the chance to fully adjust to big-league pitching or to settle in at some position and find a defensive home. Even when Christian Yelich was gone for the season, the Brewers kept Black in Nashville, instead of giving him the chance to fill in at DH. Black’s luck got a bit worse in 2025, when he suffered a hamate injury. Again, he spent most of the season at Triple-A Nashville, while also spending time at Maryvale rehabbing with the ACL Brewers. In a brief stint with Milwaukee, with far fewer plate appearances than he had in 2024, he posted a .538 OBP and only struck out once. Black could still be an asset in the Brewers lineup. He's not powerful enough to hit in the middle of the batting order and he lacks defensive value, but he seems likely to sustain an average or better on-base percentage even against the best pitching in the world. The big question, of course, is whether can he break through on a talented Brewers team. Isaac Collins properly won plaudits for his defense in left field, and his approach is somewhat similar to Black’s. He's a switch-hitter, unlike Black, and he's proved that he can be a plus hitter in the majors. Collins's sluggish finish to the season cracks the door for Black, but he's probably the only player on the projected 26-man roster Black has any hope of displacing—and again, that would require the best version of Black to show up this spring, whereas Collins has much less to prove. Could Black also end up at first base? It would require, at the very least, a slump or injury to Bauers, who has the power normally associated with that position. Bauers also plays better defense at the cold corner. Even if Bauers were hurt, Andrew Vaughn might expand his role to take all the playing time at the position; he certainly showed more in 2025 than Black has ever shown. Collins’s defense is similarly better in left field, which has been the sticking point for Black. He’s not found a defensive home. In short, Black needs to get significant at-bats at the major-league level in order to be sure about his remaining upside. If the Brewers can find him some playing time, Black deserves one more chance. If they can’t, he will likely be traded—or worse, designated for assignment and picked up for a song by another team. That could happen before Opening Day, but at the very latest, he'll finish the season as either a late-blooming breakout guy or some other team's problem. Do you think Tyler Black will make it in 2026? Let us know in the comments below! View full article