The Milwaukee Brewers and General Manager Matt Arnold find themselves in an interesting position this offseason, just after the Winter Meetings. They will be returning 99% of their roster from last season’s MLB-leading 97-win team and can proudly boast one of the best farm systems in the league. Additionally, Baseball America has awarded the Brewers the title of the top franchise in baseball for 2025.
While the Brewers have very few questions heading into the 2026 season, it would be unusual for Arnold not to make significant moves at this point. Following the team’s decision to finalize an offer sheet to bring back veteran Brandon Woodruff for the league-average salary of $22.5 million, they seem set to return much of their core in 2026 and see how things unfold.
However, not all of Milwaukee’s questions have been answered. The decision on whether to retain Woodruff, who became the highest-paid pitcher in Brewers history, was seen as a toss-up. This raises the possibility of other moves that would typically fall outside the Brewers’ usual strategies.
Conventional wisdom from the team’s finance department, particularly given that they operate in the smallest market in MLB, suggests that they might consider trading ace Freddy Peralta, especially with his appeal due to a team-friendly $8 million salary.
Here are a few less conventional ideas that might be on the table as the offseason continues (noting that signing a high-priced free agent seems far-fetched).
Three Outside-the-Box Ideas for the Brewers This Offseason
1. Trade for Nationals Southpaw MacKenzie Gore
Keeping Peralta this offseason would signal that the Brewers are “going for it” in 2026. Adding another young ace like MacKenzie Gore could fuel this ambition. The 26-year-old had a breakout year in 2025, making 30 starts and pitching 159.2 innings, during which he struck out 10.43 batters per nine innings while posting a 4.17 ERA behind the league’s worst defense. He carries a 99-pitch stuff+ rating, and with improved command, he has the potential to become a future ace, especially with Milwaukee’s defense backing him. Most importantly, Gore has two years of team control left, fitting well into Milwaukee’s plans.
What would it take? Given the skyrocketing prices of starting pitching, it would likely require two top-ten prospects, excluding Jesus Made. The situation is intriguing since the Nationals’ new general manager, Blake Butera, might see Gore as part of the rebuilding plan and be willing to deal him to maximize value before he becomes a free agent.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com noted on Thursday’s Tony Kornheiser Show that it’s probable the Nationals will look to trade Gore and shortstop CJ Abrams, considering Butera did not draft or develop either player. In Gore’s situation, he would be a free agent by the time the Nats are in ready-to-win mode.
Robert Murray on MacKenzie Gore and CJ Abrams pic.twitter.com/Husiz6mI0d
— Stars and Strikes – Daily Nats Content (@StarsStrikesBB) December 11, 2025
If Abrams is not in the Nats’ future plans, the Brewers’ farm system is stocked with talent up the middle that could be attractive to the Nationals.
Imagine a starting rotation featuring Peralta, Gore, Woodruff, Quinn Priester, and Jacob Misiorowski!
2. Trade for a One-Year Rental of Tarik Skubal
Acquiring Tarik Skubal would be a significant departure from traditional Brewers’ moves. However, the question remains—what is the asking price for one year of Skubal, especially given the near-zero chance of re-signing him in 2027? While the Brewers’ deep farm system could facilitate this trade, it would not address the pressing shortstop issue.
Would offering two top-ten prospects (excluding Jesus Made) be sufficient to secure Skubal? That remains to be seen. It’s uncertain whether Detroit general manager Jeff Greenberg would even entertain the idea.
3. Run with Cooper Pratt as the Opening Day Shortstop
Cooper Pratt could likely be a part of either of the aforementioned trades. Ranked as the eighth-best prospect in the Brewers’ system, he is entering his 21-year-old season and might still be a year away from a full season with the big club. However, he demonstrated his potential last spring, and during his 2025 season with Double-A Biloxi, Pratt had a slash line of .238/.343/.348 while slugging eight home runs and stealing 31 bases.
While those numbers aren’t eye-popping, they present a comparative potential against what the Brewers received from Joey Ortiz last season.
The shortstop position could also open up other possibilities. In a recent discussion with Matt Arnold, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel revealed Arnold’s openness to re-evaluating Brice Turang at shortstop. Arnold stated, “I don’t know if there’s anything that’s totally locked down… We always have to stay open-minded on things. I do think there are a lot of things you can point to with Joey offensively where he didn’t perform to the expectations we had hoped. But he’s an incredible defender, and those guys are really hard to find. It’s a championship-level defender on a 97-win team.”
He added, “But we also have somebody like Brice Turang, and Brice wants to play whatever’s best for the team. There’s always an opportunity for him to get some reps there, too.”
Main Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
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