While some teams have already made moves to upgrade their roster during this year’s free agency, many of the biggest names available remain unsigned.
Earlier in the offseason, Paul wrote a series of (extremely thorough) articles on Brewers’ potential offseason targets. That was before the Brewers traded outfielder Isaac Collins (who appeared in 130 games last season). Suddenly, Milwaukee doesn’t have a ton of depth behind Sal Frelick and Jackson Chourio.
Blake Perkins is a great defensive option who has shown a knack for timely hits, although he’s more of a fourth outfielder than an everyday starter on a contender. Other than that, the Brewers’ outfield options are the oft-injured Garrett Mitchell, Brandon Lockridge, and… Akil Baddoo? Jake Bauers, kind of? Christian Yelich is the break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option in left field, although the Brewers would prefer to have him at DH given his injury history and age. Milwaukee also has prospects Braylon Payne (No. 9) and Luis Lara (No. 12), but Payne definitely won’t be ready this season. Lara spent last year in Double-A — theoretically, he has an outside shot at contributing in the majors, but I wouldn’t bet on that happening. All this is to say that the Brewers might now be in the market for another outfielder.
As Milwaukee’s circumstances have changed over the last month, so have those of their potential trade partners. The initial flurry of signings and trades has calmed down, and things look a little different around the league. Let’s take a look at some of the players Paul mentioned as potential options to see what’s changed over the last month.
Kyle Tucker: As Paul said, not happening. He’s still unsigned, but nothing about Milwaukee’s front office philosophy makes me think that they would give Tucker upwards of $35 million a year.
Cody Bellinger: Also unsigned, also probably not happening. Recent reports have indicated that Bellinger and his agent, Scott Boras, are asking for a lot more than teams are currently offering. Even if he wasn’t represented by Boras, I can’t see Bellinger settling for a prove-it deal after a great year.
Mike Yaztremski: Signed a two-year, $23 million contract with the Atlanta Braves. By the time he hits free agency after the 2027 season, he’ll be 37.
Byron Buxton (MIN): The two-time All-Star is an absolute stud and would be a superb addition to the Brewers’ roster. However, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported earlier this month that Buxton is expected to remain with Minnesota. The Twins are planning on rebuilding around Buxton, Joe Ryan, and Pablo Lopez as they head into 2026 because “trades of players such as Ryan and Buxton would further alienate the fan base” after last season’s trade deadline teardown.
To be fair, Rosenthal did include the caveat that the “Twins will listen, as clubs in their position are obligated to do. But it likely would take an overwhelming offer for any of the three to be traded.” I know that teams leak this kind of news to the media all the time to drive up the asking price of a player, but I just don’t see Milwaukee as the team to overpay (in terms of prospects) for a 32-year-old outfielder who’s struggled with injuries. Buxton has also been vocal about wanting to remain with the Twins and has a full no-trade clause through next season.
For what it’s worth, his contract would be within the realm of possibility ($15 million a year through 2028 plus bonuses). Milwaukee does have a ton of talent in their farm system, so if the Twins decided to rebuild further (say, at next year’s trade deadline), he could be a potential trade target. As of now, it appears most likely that Buxton will be wearing a Twins jersey on Opening Day 2026.
Colton Cowser/Heston Kjerstad (BAL): Both are intriguing options, especially Cowser, but Baltimore just traded four of their top 30 prospects for Tampa Bay Rays starter Shane Baz. This makes a trade less likely, for two reasons:
Jarren Duran (BOS): There’s a ton of smoke around Duran right now, and where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. The Red Sox traded for veterans Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras this offseason; if those moves are any indication, the Sox seem to be stockpiling for a playoff push, not tearing down. Duran will help them next year, so any Duran deal would probably have to include a productive veteran in addition to prospects. That doesn’t seem like a match for Milwaukee, although I hope I’m wrong.
Lars Nootbaar (STL): Chaim Bloom built a successful team on a low payroll in Tampa Bay. Boston hired him away to trade veterans, reduce salary, and get under the luxury tax while remaining competitive. Now, he’s the GM of the Cardinals, who have proceeded to… reduce salary by trading veterans Gray and Contreras. Nootbaar is 28, so he might not have a future with the Bloom-era Cards. He’s not Duran or Buxton, but he would at least be an upgrade over Lockridge/Baddoo. It makes more sense to me the more I think about it.
He’s also a Cardinal, so this probably isn’t happening.
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Paul’s conclusion was that “the likeliest outcome is that the Brewers enter the season with Collins, Chourio, and Frelick, with Yelich as the designated hitter, Perkins resuming his role as one of the best extra outfielders in the league, and Mitchell as a scratch-off ticket in their back pocket.” I agree that a major acquisition doesn’t seem likely, at least at the moment. Despite the trade of Collins impacting the Brewers’ outfield depth, none of the realistic outfield options seem more likely than they did a month ago.
Maybe the most realistic option is an unrealistic one. After all, Brewers GM Matt Arnold has surprised Brewers fans before…
