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Mears and Collins could both turn into pumpkins in 2026. Zerpa seems like a guy that can be effective, even if he’s not a needle mover 🙂

Zerpa had 61% ground balls last season. 99th percentile on Savant for GB%.Allowed .326 BABIP which suggests some bad luck. His # 4 similar player on BRef is Jared Koenig.

Zerpa had 61% ground balls last season. Allowed .326 BABIP which suggests some bad luck. His # 4 similar player on BRef is Jared Koenig.

Will Baddoo bat clean up for us by May 1? Bauers had 19 PA batting clean up for us last year. 🙂🤷‍♂️

I look forward to Hoby coming at our left handed batters with the lowest arm angle in baseball.

But are they cracking the door open or fretting over payroll?

Keston Hiura inducted into hall of fame (For Valencia California baseball)

McKinstry had double the bWAR and fWAR compared to Megill in 2025. Plus, McKinstry makes Ortiz, Durbin, Turang, Frelick and Collins better by giving them more opportunities to rest and competes with some of them for playing time. Even if McKinstry regresses, I'd still say he has more WAR and impact on game outcomes than Megill in 2026. We'd all understandably prefer to give up low level prospects. 🙂

What do we think about Spencer Jones from Yankees or Spencer Arrighetti from Houston? Or, Spencer Michaelis, for that matter.

Returning every meaningful piece from a franchise record 97 win team seems like the best possible window to build upon 🙂🤷‍♂️

Image courtesy of © Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images Brewer Fanatic recently examined Milwaukee's positional depth at third base and shortstop. Readers can safely conclude that the current infield reserves are insufficient for a playoff-caliber roster in 2026. One more capable veteran could help prevent the offense from fading in October. One strong candidate to be that veteran addition is Zach McKinstry, Detroit's super utilityman. McKinstry's career was unremarkable until last season. He had his best year ever in 2025, though, producing a .771 OPS while playing competent defense at every infield and corner outfield position. This performance earned him his first All-Star appearance and a Silver Slugger award. Zach McKinstry, Performance Percentiles, 2023-25 Season Batting Runs Fielding Runs Baserunning Runs Bat Speed Arm Strength Sprint Speed LA Sweet Spot % 2023 4 74 82 7 96 80 80 2024 20 70 92 7 58 79 87 2025 44 46 91 4 90 75 96 McKinstry runs the bases well, has excellent arm strength and frequently hits line drives and flyballs with launch angles that are favorable for hits and home runs. At the same time, he doesn’t hit the ball particularly hard in terms of exit velocity and bat speed. Furthermore, it is worth noting McKinstry's extreme home/road splits in 2025. He had a .991 OPS at Comerica Park and .544 OPS everywhere else. McKinstry, a left-handed batter, turns 31 years old in April. He has two years of team control and is projected to earn $3.5 million in arbitration this offseason. This could be a terrific fit for Milwaukee. Their top position-player prospects are unlikely to contribute in 2026, and McKinstry can provide needed depth through 2027. Give Infielders a Break Pat Murphy rarely rested his primary infielders in 2025. It was not until later in the year that Anthony Seigler would earn an occasional start in place of Caleb Durbin. The Brewers' offense ran out of gas in the postseason. An extra day of rest for infielders a couple of times per month could help avert a late-season collapse or a postseason fade. It was clear that Milwaukee did not believe it had a viable alternative to starting Joey Ortiz at shortstop in 2025. Players like Vinny Capra, Oliver Dunn, Owen Miller and Andruw Monasterio have not been legitimate threats to become everyday players anywhere on the infield. McKinstry is good enough to compete for at-bats with nearly anyone in the lineup. Insurance Policy for Outfielders The last thing Milwaukee needs is another left-handed-hitting outfielder. However, McKinstry has reverse splits: he’s hit better against left-handed pitching throughout his career, in limited appearances. He managed an .854 OPS against left-handed pitching (119 plate appearances) and a .746 OPS against right-handed pitching (392 PA) in 2025. Murphy doesn’t seem to mind keeping a few left-handed bats in the lineup, even against difficult left-handed pitching. McKinstry Isaac Collins was terrific through August, but he fell out of favor after slumping to a .664 OPS in September and October. Collins also went hitless in nine postseason at-bats. It is unclear which version of Collins the Brewers can expect in 2026. Garrett Mitchell should be healthy in time for spring training. If Mitchell becomes injured again, McKinstry would fill in nicely in left field with Jackson Chourio heading back to center field. Blake Perkins consistently provides Gold Glove-caliber defense and a .647 OPS, doing exactly that over the past two seasons. Brandon Lockridge figures to be a useful fifth outfielder, if that is more than faint praise. McKinstry doesn’t profile well in center field, but with Jackson Chourio and Sal Frelick each able to play there and Perkins as the defensive ace for the spot, he doesn’t need to. He can shield the team against another injury to Mitchell, and filter into the lineup against both lefties and righties to spell each of the regulars across the grass. Christian Yelich played in only 19 games as a left fielder in 2025. At this point, it seems unlikely that Yelich will spend meaningful time in the outfield. What Would it Take to Acquire McKinstry? The underlying point of this article is that Milwaukee should consider trading from its pitching depth to provide affordable reinforcement for its position players. McKinstry could be an intriguing target. McKinstry doesn’t immediately strike one as being worth a high-leverage reliever in trade. If the Brewers could receive 500 plate appearances from a .750 OPS utility player who plays five positions, though, that might be more valuable than another 47 innings of relief from Trevor Megill. Megill will play his age-32 season in 2026. Like McKinstry, he has two years of team control remaining. His performance could reasonably be expected to regress in 2026, and he dealt with arm trouble at the end of 2025. It is equally possible for McKinstry to revert back to a 1-WAR player. Even in his breakout campaign, he only had an 87 DRC+ (where 100 is average, and higher is better), according to Baseball Prospectus. His track record of success in the majors is short, and some of it might be illusory. Even so, McKinstry has the potential to make the 2026 Brewers a more competitive team by being a credible short-term replacement for anyone on the field. He might cost them a strong prospect or an important relief arm, but he’s a tremendous baserunner; he might have power upside that has been hidden by the spacious Comerica Park; and the Brewers like patient hitters whom they can optimize with even better swing-decision training. The fit could be too good to pass up. View full article

That’s more than Brian Anderson 🙂

It seems likely that a main offseason narrative will be ‘who will win the Freddy Peralta sweepstakes?’ even if the Brewers are not active participants

Megill’s intangible leadership is likely more difficult to replace than his on-field performance as measured by ERA+. The Brewers have had 61 single season performances of 153 ERA+ from relief pitchers with 40+ IP since 1970. Two from Megill, the # 43 and #60 best seasons. 47 relievers produced a 153 ERA+ last season (over 40+ IP) across MLB. Megill is very good but not that rare.

Flexibility for what reason and for whom? And why? 🤷‍♂️🙂

Megill will be 32 years old next week. He has been very good and seems like a leader in the clubhouse, too. At the same time, 6’8” max effort relievers should be expected to regress in their thirties. I am all for keeping Megill. At most we are talking about 47 effective innings, though. If another team wants to overpay for someone with the ‘proven closer’ label, I’d be open to listening. I expect Uribe to get the most saves for Milwaukee in 2026. I also do not think Milwaukee is proactively seeking to trim payroll.

Per CBS Sports: Players who accept the QO remain with their team and cannot be traded without their consent until June 15.

Can’t trade a player who accepts QO until June 15.

Image courtesy of © Curt Hogg / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Athletic recently cited unnamed "people briefed on (Milwaukee's) plans" that the Brewers are "fretting" over payroll. MLB Trade Rumors posted the story on Thanksgiving, too. As a result, national news outlets continue to advocate for Brewers' pitcher, Freddy Peralta, to be traded this offseason. It is no surprise when pundits openly wonder which veteran player a small-market team will trade next. Speculation is what makes baseball's offseason so much fun. At the same time, claims that the 2026 Brewers' payroll is a problem and that Milwaukee needs to trade Peralta this winter are both highly questionable. The Brewers' 2026 payroll is currently projected to be $136 million, according to FanGraphs. This would be an estimated $13 million increase over last season's final payroll numbers. However, Milwaukee's 2022 final payroll was $138 million. There is little evidence to believe the Brewers cannot support a payroll smaller than a few years ago, especially after an appearance in last season's National League Championship Series. If Milwaukee were worried about a $13 million payroll increase, it would not have extended a $22.025 million qualifying offer to Brandon Woodruff. The Brewers already have plenty of cost-controlled pitchers to fill next year's rotation. On the other hand, it was clear from the postseason that Milwaukee lacked an additional top-of-the-rotation starter who could be relied upon in October. Woodruff's contract is a calculated risk for 2026 to make the team better. Brewers' principal owner, Mark Attanasio, and President of Baseball Operations, Matt Arnold, both told The Athletic in a November 18 article after signing Brandon Woodruff that Milwaukee is "excited about our rotation," and the future of Freddy Peralta was an "independent decision." A rotation of Peralta, Woodruff, Quinn Priester, and Jacob Misiorowski would be among the best in the National League. The Brewers could conceivably do nothing else for the remainder of the offseason and be favored to win a third consecutive Central Division title. All that to say, Milwaukee does not need to trade Freddy Peralta. For three consecutive years, Peralta has made 30 or more starts with 200 or more strikeouts. Eight million dollars cannot buy that level of performance, especially on a one-year commitment. Dollar for dollar, Peralta could be the most valuable veteran starting pitcher in the league, especially for a small-market team. The best argument for trading Peralta is the promise of receiving multiple years of control from one or more prospects. It is worth noting that Milwaukee already has the best minor league system in the league, according to Baseball America's 2025 mid-season report. The Brewers' top three prospects are shortstops with Cooper Pratt and Jesus Made already appearing in Double-A last season. Jeferson Quero and Marco Dinges already have bright futures as catchers. The Brewers do lack high-end outfield talent, but Jackson Chourio and Sal Frelick are entrenched in Milwaukee for several years. A high-end pitching prospect with five or six years of team control would be worth considering. The prospect would need to be "can't miss" because the Brewers already have Misiorowski, Priester, Patrick, Henderson, Ashby, and Gasser for multiple years, too. It is tempting to wonder about the unnamed sources that receive briefings on the Brewers' level of payroll comfort. Are the briefings in PowerPoint format, or are they simply conversations overheard at the water cooler? Do the briefings address the contradiction of expressing an urgent need to shed one-year financial commitments to add multi-year commitments, presumably in free agency? It is absurd to suggest the Brewers need to trade Freddy Peralta to sign Isiah Kiner-Falefa or another platoon player. Matt Arnold did not win his second consecutive Executive of the Year award by fretting about payroll or doubting the organization's long-term plans. Freddy Peralta understandably should be on every team's Christmas wish list. But what can a big market club offer a small market club that already has everything it needs to win 97 games and high-level prospects at most positions? View full article

I just realized Nick Castellanos has a total of 1.3 bWAR during four seasons and 2303 AB in Philadelphia. $80 million for less than a third of a win per season. Beware 30 year old free agents

Bites at the apple. Heartbreak in October is better than in April. 🙂

Tyler Black has 0.5 trade value according to BTV. That is nearly zero.

I’d expect Quintana to receive a similar contract in 2026. Quintana struck out hardly anyone over 131.2 IP (6.1 K/9) and had FIP of 4.81 - which is bad. Gray struck out 201 batters over 180 IP with a 3.39 FIP - which is good.