Harold Hutchison

In the book “Nine Innings,” Daniel Okrent went into the franchise-altering trade during the 1980-1981 offseason that brought Ted Simmons, Rollie Fingers, and Pete Vukovich to the Brewers. He also mentioned one deal that could have brought Bruce Sutter to the Crew instead, but which didn’t happen because the Cubs insisted that the return include Paul Molitor. Thankfully, the Crew told the Cubs to forget it, pulled the trigger on that seven-player deal with the team from St. Louis, and history went as we knew it – Molitor put together a Hall of Fame career mostly with the Brewers (later departing to the Blue Jays as a free agent in the heart-breaking 1992-1993 offseason). Sutter, though, ended up being the closer on the 1982 Cardinals team that beat the Brewers in the World Series. With that in mind, let’s look at two trades the Brewers didn’t make prior to the July 31 trading deadline. Acquiring 3B Ryan McMahon from the Rockies Ryan McMahon is not a horrible player – he’s been a solid starter since Opening Day 2021. But a closer look reveals some red flags. The first being his $16 million per year contract running through 2027. Second, there is an iffy offensive profile: McMahon has played about half his games in Coors Field, one of the most hitter-friendly establishments in MLB. Yet in the same five years he posted those 14.0 WAR, he posted an OPS+ of 95. When you look at the return the Rockies got from the Yankees, pitching prospects Josh Grosz and Griffin Herring, who ended up at #5 and #18 in the Rockies system, according to MLB Pipeline, it seems a comparable price would arguably have been Bishop Letson and Tyson Hardin, one a potential top-flight starter for Milwaukee down the road who is on the 60-day injured list, the other a college reliever who has turned into a solid rotation prospect (a 12th-round steal so far). That was a high price for a player whose defense has been good, but not good enough for Gold Gloves while also bringing along an iffy offensive profile that includes a lot of strikeouts and who would cost the team $16 million a year. It was a deal the Yankees could afford, being the Yankees. The Crew couldn’t afford the short-term or long-term costs. Grade: A+ Acquiring IF/OF Willi Castro from the Twins With the injury to Jackson Chourio, the Brewers have a bit of a hole in their lineup. In the few games so far, that hasn’t been an issue, thanks to the renewed power of William Contreras, Andrew Vaughn’s hot streak since coming over in the Aaron Civale trade, and the acquisition of Danny Jansen. Still, with Sal Frelick potentially banged up, Castro’s versatility and his bat may have been very useful to have, as detailed in July. The highlights were his versatility (he plays all four infield and all three outfield positions competently) and a solid bat (he posted a 103 OPS+ before the Twins traded him to the Cubs). He also would have added another switch-hitter to the Crew’s lineup (alongside Blake Perkins and Isaac Collins). The cost would have been some talent in return, perhaps Carlos Rodriguez and another pitching prospect, and but it would have been a short-term rental. Make no mistake, this would have been the Crew trading a potential asset down the road for three months of Castro. Grade: C Overview Brewers fans are wondering if the team did enough at the trade deadline to get a deep run into the playoffs in the 2025 offseason. That answer won’t be known until sometime in October. Will the deals the Crew didn’t make come back to haunt them? We may never know that answer for sure, but we may get a hint in October as well. View full article

How badly will the DFA of Bryan Hudson sting the Crew, though? Those roster moves will also have an effect on the Crew.

I wonder if Jose Quintana can be given a QO...

Agreed. I'd rather send Brock Wilken to the Twins for Castro, $1.5 million in international bonus moneyand their 2026 competitive balance pick than get Kwan.

Who says Martinez is on the heavy side? I'd plug him into the Bauers role (backup 1B/corner OF), let Vaughn have the bulk of the ABs for 2026. Or, the Crew could, if Vaughn keeps up his current pace in Milwaukee, flip him for some help.

Who says Collins comes out? Brewers get Kwan, they put him in left. Collins moves to right, Frelick to third, Durbin to second, Turang to short, Ortiz to the bench.

Plus, O'Hearn is a free agent after the season. At the very least, it looks like the Crew could go with a platoon of Vaughn and Ernesto Martinez, who's hit very well when he's been on the field for Nashville.

A lot of it is Smith's three years of control. That's going to come at a higher cost than, say, Castro, who would be a rest-of-the-season rental. Personally, I'd offer Mears, Anderson, Carlos Rodriguez and Brock Wilken as the package for Smith, Fitz-Gerald, and Kim, and see what Texas says.

Image courtesy of © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images As the trade deadline nears, Milwaukee is looking for a little more offensive punch, even as they have now surpassed the Cubs for the NL Central lead. But how should the Crew go about bolstering their offense? One option has been to go to the Twins to acquire Willi Castro. There is another path for the Crew, though—one that could also help them create space for more multi-inning relief-pitching capability and bolster their offense. It could even complement the deal for Castro. Taking Stock Of Texas The Texas Rangers are 1.5 games out of the third AL Wild Card spot, currently held by the Boston Red Sox. They're tied with the Rays and just one game ahead of Cleveland in a muddled chase for those Wild Card berths. Their big need: The bullpen. To boil a big thing down small: they recently designated their saves leader (Luke Jackson) for assignment. This is a team that could use some late-inning help. Old friend Hoby Milner has been solid for the Rangers, as is Robert Garcia, but their depth chart has effectively had a Joel Payamps equivalent at the top of it all year. Real, high-leverage relief depth would go a long way for them. The Rangers haven’t had a problem scoring runs. They have four players who would rank third on the Crew in home runs, and a fifth player in double figures. But the Crew doesn’t need to target any of them. Rather, the prime asset the Crew needs to ask for is Josh Smith, a utility player under team control through the 2028 season. He’s a highly versatile player (having played all four infield positions and all three outfield spots), with a left-handed bat that has posted a 123 OPS+—just the answer for the Crew’s offensive production issues on the left side of the infield. The Brewers’ Bountiful Bullpen Of course, Milwaukee can help the Rangers out, too. In this case, it’s the simple fact that their bullpen depth is such that a pitcher they might turn to in the sixth or seventh inning would be a viable late-inning option for teams that aren’t so loaded. Creating space for more multi-inning options is important for the Crew, given the innings limits multiple key pitchers face. Plus, Logan Henderson and Chad Patrick, who pitched well in Milwaukee, are currently in Nashville and are arguably the answer to the Crew’s desire for an upgrade. In this case, the Crew could send Texas Grant Anderson and Nick Mears—just the boost the Texas bullpen could use for their push for the playoffs. Anderson and Mears have given the Crew 1.5 WAR, according to Baseball Reference. If they replace Jackson and Jacob Webb, the Rangers get a lot better in a hurry. Leads can be converted into wins much more reliably. The Total Package That said, the Rangers will want more than two relievers from the back end of the Brewers bullpen for Josh Smith. The Crew would need to add one or two other pieces. One might be a young pitching prospect, like Henderson, Patrick, or Coleman Crow. Alternatively, it could be a higher-end position prospect like Braylon Payne, Cooper Pratt, Josh Adamczewski or Blake Burke. For the sake of discussion, let's say it's Adamczewski. Let's also say that they throw in Dominican Summer League outfielder Kenny Fenelon. In return, they could ask the Rangers for a prospect or two in addition to Smith. Devin Fitz-Gerald and Seong-Jung Kim could be possibilities to come over to the Crew, along with Smith. On its own, the deal would give Milwaukee an offensive upgrade at third against right-handed pitchers, and allow them to shift Caleb Durbin to second and Brice Turang to shortstop if Joey Ortiz continues to struggle. It would also net them a prospect for the Crew’s future. If combined with the proposed Castro trade, the entire left side of Milwaukee’s infield gets a boost, with players who could bolster the bench upon the return of a healthy Sal Frelick. Big moves often get the talk, but the Crew has shown they can do just as well with deals that don’t look like much at first glance. In this case, the Crew could come out ahead, not just in the short term, but down the road, as well. View full article

Jesus MadeCooper PrattLuis PenaCraig YohoMelvin HernandezJeferson QueroJosh AdamczewskiLogan HendersonBrett WichrowskiLuke AdamsBraylon PayneTyler BlackMarco DingesEric BitontiLuis LaraMike BoeveBishop LetsonJosh KnothErnesto MartinezJadher Areinamo

A high price for a rental, yes. But Suarez may be enticed to stay for at least one more year, especially with a deep playoff run.

A better solution? Include Ortiz in the package for Suarez, and have Turang slide to short for the rest of 2025, let Durbin handle second. The Crew doesn't give up as many young pitchers, I'd also package Brock Wilken in the mix - per MLB Pipeline, the Brewers still would have two Top 10 3B prospects at Double-A Biloxi (Luke Adams and Mike Boeve) after shipping Wilken off. As for pitching, send over Coleman Crow and Carlos Rodriguez, two young, high-level pitchers. Brewers get: Suarez D-Backs get: Ortiz, Wilken, Crow, Rodriguez Or Suarez could play first base...

Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images With the Brewers ready to face down the Chicago Cubs in a final sprint for the NL Central crown, the team’s biggest need may be what has been a traditional area of strength. That said, their best solution may be to borrow an approach from a very similar situation seen years ago. Currently, the concern centers around the rotation, which has several pitchers limited due to coming back from injury (Brandon Woodruff, Nestor Cortes, Robert Gasser down the road) or because they are young arms whose innings need to be managed (Jacob Misiorowski, Logan Henderson). This has taxed the bullpen, and the Brewers may need to find some help, mostly of the type that can go a couple of frames, maybe once around the order. In a sense, the Brewers had this problem before, and they overcame it. This was during the 2018 season, where they ultimately reached Game 7 of the NLCS, falling to the Dodgers. During that year, the Crew used Woodruff and Corbin Burnes—both highly-touted starting prospects—as high-leverage, multi-inning relief options. How did that work out? Burnes and Woodruff combined to go 8-0, with two saves and three holds from July 3 to the end of the season. The best part about it was that it solved a lot of problems for the Brewers. They were able to address a rotation that sometimes couldn’t go deep into games, while at the same time, they were able to bridge the gap to shut down late-inning options. They found a way to manage the innings of two top pitching prospects, and as a bonus, those players were able to be in the middle of a division race, which was the start of a very successful run that is still going on. Seven years post-2018, the Brewers have the in-house pitching firepower to do that again, without having to part with prospect capital. Henderson and Chad Patrick both pitched well in Milwaukee earlier this season, yet both have been sent down to Nashville due to the Brewers’ crowded rotation. Carlos Rodriguez has pitched well in Music City and may warrant a spot in Milwaukee, as well. The three of them (as well as Misiorowski and Gasser) will need to have their innings managed carefully, for their long-term health and the Brewers’ long-term success. But they can lift the burden from the starters and give the bullpen a shot in the arm. Here's how that pen would likely look: Closer: Trevor Megill Set-up: Abner Uribe, Jared Koenig Middle Relief: Henderson, Rodriguez, Patrick, DL Hall, Aaron Ashby Combining Henderson, Patrick and Rodriguez with Ashby and Hall in the bullpen would give the Brewers five multi-inning relievers who could handle high-leverage situations. In practice, they won't all be in the mix at once, because Grant Anderson has pitched too well to displace and Nick Mears is out of options, but rotating a few of the optionable long men through one or two spots could work nicely. The Brewers have done very well at developing pitchers over the last ten years, whether they were high-stuff talents like Burnes, Woodruff, Josh Hader, Freddy Peralta, and Misiorowski or hidden gems like Brent Suter, Patrick, or Tobias Myers (who could be another bullpen option). Now, it’s time for the Crew to cash in and have that development pay off yet again. View full article

The Brewers are looking for an offensive jolt to deal with the short-term loss of Sal Frelick and a season-long issue with offensive production on the left side of the infield. How can the Brewers address these needs without mortgaging their future? The answer may be Willi Castro. The Minnesota Twins look like sellers, being four games back in the race for the American League’s last Wild Card spot and posting a 47-49 record coming out of the All-Star Break, while the Crew has surged over the last 30 games to a 56-40 record and just one game back of setting things in the NL Central in their proper order (looking down at four other teams). Castro’s posted a 117 OPS+ this year and has been a little above average for the Twins since arriving as a free agent after the 2022 season (106 OPS+ as of July 18). He has shown decent on-base skills, albeit his bat has exhibited some swing-and-miss tendencies with the Twins. Castro brings two assets that could boost the Crew down the stretch: a somewhat leveled-up power bat (his nine homers would be fourth on the Crew, while his 14 doubles would rank third) and versatility. That combination would be a huge boost for the Crew. Castro provided solid defense at second base, third base, shortstop, left field, right field, and center field in Minnesota, while his bat could, at the very least, extend the Brewers’ lineup. When Hoskins and Frelick return, Castro can be used just about anywhere on the diamond, but represents a massive upgrade over Joey Ortiz at shortstop at the plate. His salary for 2025? All of $6.4 million. That doesn’t break the bank for the Crew, especially since Milwaukee would only be liable for about 40% of that total. That’s a win for the Crew, which has to keep one eye on its cash flow. There is another bonus: Castro is slated to hit free agency in the 2025-2026 offseason, so he would not be a roadblock for the Brewers’ future at third base or shortstop, allowing Cooper Pratt, Brock Wilken, Luke Adams, Mike Boeve, Tyler Black, Freddy Zamora, Jesus Made, and Luis Pena (among others) a clear pathway to compete in spring training for spots over the next two years. He might also be easy to bring back on a one-year deal. The question, of course, comes down to cost. What might it take to get Castro? Here’s where the good news gets better for Milwaukee – as a short-term rental, the Crew could get a bargain. They could send the Twins a lower-ranked prospect, possibly something from the back half of their top 20. There is Jorge Quintana, a switch-hitting shortstop signed in the same year as Made and Pena, but has been eclipsed by the two Top 100 prospects almost from day one, both of whom appear ready to make the move to High-A Wisconsin. Wilken could be another option, especially if the Brewers want to get an additional asset or two (like some international bonus money or the Twins’ competitive balance pick in 2026), or the Crew could send over Hedbert Perez, who has quietly regained some of his prospect luster at the age of 22. While it can be tempting to think big, the best answer, sometimes, is to take a deep breath and look for the bargain. View full article

Carolina won't be crying with Ebel there...

Wilken's my pick for that role. First-round pedigree, the plus power... but I'm not sold due to the high K rate.

Bauer was who I wanted here. He may slip...

Liked him a lot, pure hitter, lefty bat, that arm has me thinking he could also handle right field.

Image courtesy of © Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images What might be better than one Jacob Misiorowski? How about two left-handed versions of Milwaukee’s awesome Miz? That could happen in the 2025 MLB Draft. How might they pull it off, and who should they grab later? Let’s go through the first three rounds and see who the Brewers could pick up. First Round – Pick Number 20 Overall LHP Kurz Schoolcraft Schoolcraft comes in at #26 overall on the Brewer Fanatic draft board, but while he might be a slight reach in one sense, he’d be an easy call to make as well. While he has excellent velocity (97 mph fastball) and an above-average slider, he also flashes a solid changeup as pitch number three. The big thing is that he has a smooth delivery and pretty good control, even if his fastball is a few ticks slower than Misiorowski’s. Schoolcraft also is pretty solid at the plate, and could be an intriguing option as a two-way player (think a much better version of the revolutionary Jake Bauers) if the Crew can pry him away from a commitment to Tennessee, but that is probably a minor detail. Compensation for SS Willy Adames – Pick Number 32 Overall LHP Jack Bauer Bauer’s fastball has hit 103 miles per hour, putting it in the same arena as Misiorowski’s, maybe even a little faster. The issue here, as it was with Misiorowski, is control, but Bauer also adds a slider and changeup to the mix, both of which are a bit slower than the fastball. Worst case, maybe Bauer becomes another Josh Hader (a lights-out closer). Would it be risky to go for two left-handed prep arms so high? Yes, but the Brewers did teach Misiorowski (and Logan Henderson) how to control their arsenals to a degree, and that could be a good enough selling point to get him to turn away from Mississippi State and sign with the Brewers. Second Round – Pick Number 59 Overall 3B Brady Ebel Ebel is a high baseball-IQ player who has an excellent hit tool and a good arm, with a chance at some above-average pop in his bat. His defensive skill set points to third base, but he might also be an option in the corner outfield spots, given his 60-grade arm, per MLB Pipeline. As a left-handed hitter, he could do well at American Family Field. Competitive Balance B Round – Pick Number 68 Overall OF Alec Blair Blair could be a steal, but it might require the Brewers to either reach a little and draft him higher than some teams might, or go for bargains later in the draft to sweeten the signing bonus. He’s a two-sport recruit for Oklahoma (he also plays basketball), but on the baseball front, he could be a plus defender with excellent offense. That said, he could easily vault ahead of Luis Lara and Braylon Payne as a center field prospect, and offer a much more dynamic bat. Third Round – Pick Number 94 Overall SS Colin Yeaman Yeaman’s a middle infielder with an excellent hit tool, as well as some power that could sneak up. He’s a pure hitter with some pop, and could be the type of player to provide a decent option when the Brewers want to rest players at second base, third base, or shortstop. As a college bat, Yeaman could move up the ladder quickly, providing a solid bench bat for the Crew relatively quickly. Which players do you want the Brewers to pick in the 2025 MLB draft? Let us know in the comments below! View full article