The Milwaukee Brewers are worried about their projected $133 million payroll for 2026 and may need to subtract from their roster to create room for new players. This comes after a strong 97-win season in 2025, where they were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. Reports suggest potential trades involving key players like Freddy Peralta, Trevor Megill, and Nick Mears.
The Milwaukee Brewers' front office is navigating financial constraints heading into the 2025-26 offseason. According to reports from The Athletic's Will Sammon, Ken Rosenthal, and Katie Woo, the team is concerned about a payroll projected at around $133 million for 2026, similar to their 2025 year-end figure per Cot's Baseball Contracts. To manage this, Milwaukee might trade players to free up salary space.
Right-hander Brandon Woodruff has accepted the team's one-year, $22.025-million qualifying offer, bolstering the rotation. However, ace Freddy Peralta, earning $8 million and set to become a free agent after 2026, is a prime trade candidate due to his appeal to other teams. Owner Mark Attanasio and president of baseball operations Matt Arnold recently clarified that Woodruff's signing does not signal an imminent Peralta trade, though offers are expected.
Relievers Trevor Megill, projected for $4.2 million in arbitration, and Nick Mears, slated for $1.6 million, could also be moved. The Brewers' 2025 success, with an MLB-best 97 wins, underscores the need to maintain competitiveness amid these adjustments.
Looking at potential reunions, the team could re-sign free agent José Quintana, who made 24 starts in 2025 with an ERA below 4.00 over the past four seasons despite turning down a $15 million mutual option. The 36-year-old lefty offers rotation depth. Additionally, Jordan Montgomery, acquired at the 2025 trade deadline in the Shelby Miller deal with $2 million of his salary assumed, missed the season recovering from Tommy John surgery. His prior performance, including a 2.90 ERA in 31 postseason innings in 2023, makes him a low-cost reclamation option for 2026.