Jake McKibbin

Oneil Cruz is one of the most talented players in Major League Baseball, but it's talent the Pittsburgh Pirates have failed to fully unlock. Boasting the hardest tracked batted ball, coincidentally against the Brewers, Cruz's power is undeniable, but could the Brewers provide a tempting package? Under control through 2028, Cruz fits the bill for the Brewers in providing both power and shortstop cover. At times maligned for his effort, perhaps a change of scenery, and especially a taste of the Brewers ethos, could help him take the next step. The package required would be a big one, but it could center around Garrett Mitchell as an outfield replacement, and Cooper Pratt as a shortstop and build from there. Would you like to see Oneil Cruz in Brewers uniform? What would you be willing to part with for perhaps the most singularly destructive bat in baseball? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! View full rumor

Jesus MadeLuis PenaMarco DingesJeferson QueroLogan HendersonBraylon PayneCooper PrattAndrew FischerBishop LetsonBrock WilkenLuke AdamsRobert GasserLuis LaraJosh AdamczewskiBrady EbelBlake BurkeEric BitontiTyson HardinJosh KnothBryce Meccage

Jesus MadeLuis PenaMarco DingesJeferson QueroLogan HendersonBraylon PayneCooper PrattAndrew FischerBishop LetsonBrock WilkenLuke AdamsRobert GasserLuis LaraJosh AdamczewskiBrady EbelBlake BurkeEric BitontiTyson HardinJosh KnothBryce Meccage

Certainly an experience for the ACL kids to face a couple of innings from Hunter Greene on a rehab assignment

I'll not ask what this fantasy involves 👀

That's certainly one way to look at it!

I know that was foul from Bitonti, but dear god. When he leans back on one, that thing just carroms out of there

Yeah the difference Adamczewski makes to this lineup is impressive. It just appears a ton more formidable and certainly seems to help those playing around him. Can we also note once again how impressive that 90th percentile EV is for an 18 year old?!?

Can't extend a QO to anyone acquired during their final year of control. That being said, given Arizona are still in the hunt and would be losing that QO, that may factor into their valuation of him

Andrew Fischer confirmed per BA to sign for $3,500,000, roughly 18% under slot and a $768,100 saving Front sheet has been updated to match the below

Due to how inefficient Misiorowski was last season, taking 4/5 innings and reaching 90+ pitches to do so, I thought I'd have a look at how many pitches he threw last season compared to this one. In 2024, he threw 1434 pitches at Double A Biloxi and a further 295 at Triple A Nashville, so 1729 in total In 2025 so far he's thrown 1014 at Triple A Nashville and 469 with Milwaukee, so 1483 in total Different people have different schools of thought in how much you can push a pitcher each season around their innings count, so take from that what you will, but it does present a slightly rosier pitcher than the innings totals comparison (97 1/3 in 2024, 92 2/3 in 2025 so far)

Image courtesy of © Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images The Milwaukee Brewers are soaring. On the high of an 11-game winning streak, they now sit atop not just the NL Central, but the entire National League.. The rotation is the stuff of dreams, with Jacob Misiorowski, Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff and Quinn Priester all throwing the ball nicely while Jose Quintana fills the fifth starter role with aplomb. The offensive output and the bullpen have been impressive, but both are showing signs that an upgrade could go a long way. With a chance to not just take the division against a rival who are pushing their own chips in, but also take a top-two seed and avoid the Wild Card Series that's caused so much hurt to the Brewers, there's a serious opportunity for the front office to make a mark by fortifying their roster both in terms of impact and depth. Here's how. Ryan O'Hearn - 1B/OF, Baltimore Orioles There may not be a more perfect fit than this one. Ryan O'Hearn has improved year on year with the bat, posting an .838 OPS in 2025 while showcasing plus walk rates and strikeout rates. He's patient at the plate—perhaps, occasionally, too patient—but he's a left-handed bat with the ability to clear the fence who also plays some of the best first-base defense in baseball. Regardless of the future performance of Rhys Hoskins or Andrew Vaughn, O'Hearn has shown himself a superior option to Jake Bauers by a healthy margin. He should be an everyday option against right-handed pitchers, whether that be at first base or the occasional spot start in left field. Against righties, O'Hearn is slashing .296/.390/.498 in 2025, whereas he has just a .597 OPS against left-handers. The Brewers are missing some mix-and-match versatility on their bench, with limited impact offensively. Whether that comes from O'Hearn or from him pushing Vaughn or Hoskins into a bench role, he makes the infield look a lot sturdier from an offensive and defensive standpoint. Gregory Soto - LHP, Baltimore Orioles The other area that's shown some flakiness of late is the back end of the bullpen, and especially Jared Koenig. His aggressive approach to strike-throwing means that, when his stuff is slightly down, he can get hit hard. Unfortunately, that's shown up more of late, with two home runs against the Dodgers in a single outing. The Brewers are basically carrying a passenger on their roster as well, with Easton McGee and Tobias Myers pitching just three innings between them in July, meaning the Brewers can add a leverage arm without sacrificing anything meaningful in their bullpen assortment. Gregory Soto is another candidate from the Orioles who makes a lot of sense. Pitching like a left-handed Abner Uribe, Soto relies on a bowling-ball sinker and tight gyro slider that garner a lot of swing-and-miss to put hitters under pressure. He also possesses an ability to add more sweep to his slider, presenting another look for hitters that allows his whole arsenal to blend together quite effectively: He has walked more hitters this year, but he avoids barrels like the best of them and can strike out hitters with the best of them. I'd like to see him blend in the sweeper a little more often if he joined the Brewers, given its weak contact profile and deception alongside the slider, but there are a lot of tools to work with in Soto that could close up the one remaining hole in the Brewers bullpen. Adding these two rentals shouldn't be overly expensive, although the trade market will no doubt push up prices. Both are free agents at the end of the season and, even better, the Orioles have a clear need for young, controllable major-league arms, something the Brewers are swimming in right now. It may involve a current arm like Myers or Chad Patrick alongside an upside arm from Double A or below, but the Brewers definitely have the excess depth to make this trade without breaking a sweat. The Milwaukee Brewers need more pieces. They're an injury away from a problem in either the outfield or at first base, and the added versatility will leave them well-stocked heading into the most important months of the season. Gregory Soto can reinforce a bullpen that may just be flagging a little bit, and strengthen the depth they have in their relief corps. What would you give up for these Baltimore Orioles assets? How much of a boost can they provide the surging Milwaukee Brewers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! View full article

Miqueas Mercedes now, and despite being a similar age the velocity gap is noticeable vs Colmenarez. Impressive spin rates for his age with 2300 RPM's on the four seam fastball and averaging almost 94 mph on that offering, as well as solid vertical break given the low arm angle. The slider is a tight offering, really killing the vertical break well while his release points all blend quite nicely together. Killing the break on the changeup too, you can see why this arm has been pushed this season

Gabriel Colmenarez game summary. A lot of release point variation, and the stuff is representative of his age but I do like the movement profiles on his changeup quite a bit

Handelfry hit three batted balls over 105 mph yesterday

Ryan Helsley plays for the St Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals seemed determined to sell this season, despite looking like a solid contender for the playoffs for most of the season. It's a "Major League" type of problem for a club looking to reset, but it could play to the Brewers' advantage. Rumors are swirling that Ryan Helsley will be available at the deadline, and he could be the perfect complement to a Brewers bullpen that could perhaps strengthen its leverage spots. While Jared Koenig has performed admirably, he doesn't have the shutdown presence of Helsley, and a combination of the Cardinals bulldog with Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe could be truly devastating at the back end. While Helsley has been one of the best closers in baseball over the last few seasons, his walk rates have shot up and he has been prone to some hard contact. He profiles quite like the 2025 Megill in that his fastball whiffs have dried up but he's using his slider more often to devastating effect. His market will no doubt be strong, but his walk rates have surged and, by being a rental, the price may not be shockingly high for the Cardinals to part with their closer. Would you want to see Ryan Helsley pitching for your Milwaukee Brewers? What would you be willing trade for the rental closer? View full rumor

I won't break the paywall, but anyone with a BA subscription should take a loot at Eli-Ben Porats statcast standouts, covering Braylon Owens and, very very intriguingly, Parker Coil

Fascinating game coming up. It would be an incredible one to see Misiorowski pitch against Logan Gilbert for the 12, but the Mariners have been hot Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena are on fire of late

@brendannnbrock • Instagram photo WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM brendannnbrock on July 18, 2025: "Staying home ☝️ #boomer". Looks like Brendan Brock is staying with Oklahoma

I'd say you're probably right that a few will filter through, with the tougher, later signings left until the end. They'll want to have a strong idea of their bonus pool before confirming those negotiations although they will have ballpark figures in mind

Tyler Black recalled as Jake Bauers on the 10 day IL with shoulder inflammation.

Updated in bold to show signings confirmed in the media, if not officially released

Theoretically yes, but the pitcher is unlikely to agree to that. These contracts have inherent compromises on both sides. Is a risk for the Brewers with the unknown of future performance, limited track record of Misiorowski's command and injury risks. For Misiorowski, he's worth far more than $25m AAV in free agency if he sustains this level of performance. Still it's a gamble both sides may be willing to take, trading future earnings potential for guaranteed life changing money, while the Brewers gamble on health and performance continuing.