Chris Reinoos

If there's a possibility the team has to choose just one current player to whom they offer a large extension, I'd choose Turang over Contreras pretty easily. Turang is the best player on the team, is younger and plays a position at which the attrition and decline rates are lower. If they're able to sign Turang long-term, then perhaps Pena becomes a trade chip in the search for Contreras's near/medium-term replacement.

But they also got Harrison and Drohan in that deal. Getting those two has been much more important to the 2026 Brewers (and will be for the next several years) than worrying about the jumble of backup IF's involved in the deal. Also, Hamilton's been fine! He's gonna push 2 WAR as a part-time IF. What more could a team reasonably expect?

Maybe Pena's best use for the org does end up coming as a trade chip, but I certainly wouldn't consider him blocked. I think Pratt is locked in as the shortstop going forward and I expect Made to be the third baseman soon, perhaps as early as mid-2027. Pena's timeline for arrival in the big leagues seems to dovetail nicely with the likely Turang trade in a few years. Unless Turang shockingly agrees to a long-term deal, I think Pena is the second baseman of the future.

This matches how it's felt watching him play center this year. Still elite athleticism, just not finishing plays the way we've come to expect. He's also missed the cutoff man a few times, allowing baserunners to take an extra base on throws that have no chance of recording an out. It's felt off all year. If he's not bringing his customary level of CF defense, then his floor is much lower and he feels more like a good 4th outfielder than a legit starter. Will be interesting to see how long his leash is as the unquestioned everyday CF.