After the drama of an offseason that included the departure of franchise cornerstones Corbin Burnes and Craig Counsell, the Milwaukee Brewers have responded with one of the best starts in franchise history. The club is 46-33 — five games ahead of the second-place St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central and nine games in front of the last-place Chicago Cubs.
Despite this success, the team could use some reinforcements to maintain their high level of play throughout the season. Here are three Brewers players who will be on the trade block ahead of the MLB trade deadline as Milwaukee looks to strengthen its squad for the playoff push.
Sal Frelick (outfielder)
The Brewers are overflowing with outfield depth with Garrett Mitchell ready to return to the majors after breaking his hand in spring training.
Christian Yelich is an All-Star in left field. Blake Perkins has ensconced himself in center with a solid bat and elite defense. Rookie sensation Jackson Chourio is finally starting to show signs of warming up in June, while Sal Frelick has played all three outfield positions at a respectable level. The team also has Jake Bauers and Joey Wiemer available when necessary.
With Garrett Mitchell healthy, the Brewers have an abundance of contact-heavy outfielders with little power and above-average defense. Of these players, Sal Frelick is the most redundant. He has just five homers in 431 career at-bats and currently ranks in the first percentile in expected slugging (fifth-worst in MLB) and is third-worst in hard-hit rate.
Frelick's offensive approach does hold value, though, as it falls in the 94th percentile in whiff rate and has 10 steals and 10 doubles on the year. He has also provided above-average defense across the outfield.
Sal Frelick is a good trade piece for a team in search of a dependable outfielder who can get on base, and at age 24, he still has plenty of room to improve.
Luis Lara (outfielder)
If the Brewers decide to move any of their top prospects in a blockbuster deal, Luis Lara could be the most viable option. Lara is a 19-year-old outfielder out of Venezuela who joined the Milwaukee system in 2022 and currently slots in as the team's No. 7 prospect.
The switch-hitter is known primarily for his speed, nabbing 51 bases across 140 minor-league contests. He also possesses good patience at the plate, registering 44 walks to 61 strikeouts last season. At 5-foot-8, 155 pounds, there are concerns about his lack of power as Lara has just two homers since the start of 2023.
As with Sal Frelick, the Brewers already have plenty of speedy, undersized outfielders with above-average defense. Lara's potential to be a solid leadoff hitter and centerfielder makes him a valuable trade asset for a Milwaukee team with numerous needs ahead of the deadline.
Eric Brown (shortstop)
One of eight players among the Brewers' top-30 prospects who is at least a part-time shortstop, Eric Brown is the only one playing at Double-A or higher. Brown is a speedster, racking up 37 steals in just 63 games at High-A Wisconsin last year while posting a .362 OPS.
He has struggled to get going after his promotion to Double-A Biloxi in 2024, batting .178 across 49 games, but at 23 years old, he still has time to adjust to the higher level of pitching. Eric Brown should help Milwaukee reel in one of its prominent trade targets this summer.
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