3 bats the Brewers could target on deadline day after missing out on Eugenio Suárez

Trade deadline eve ending with a flurry of deals, including the biggest move of the deadline so far: the Seattle Mariners trading for Eugenio Suárez of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Suárez was the best bat on the market, with the ability to immediately impact a lineup in the way that most other rumored trade candidates can't.

With a need for another infielder, and more desperately, some power in their lineup, Suárez was seen as an excellent fit for the Milwaukee Brewers. Now, with the D-backs slugger off the board, Matt Arnold and company will have to look elsewhere for an offensive upgrade, should they choose to add one before today's 5:00 p.m. CT deadline. Luckily, as shown by the Suárez deal, the price for power doesn't appear to be as high as the price for some other upgrades at the deadline, most notably relief pitching, which has resulted in some huge prospect hauls up to this point. Let's take a look at three bats that the Brewers could reasonably add to their lineup before the day is done.

1. 1B/OF Ryan O'Hearn - Baltimore Orioles

The Brewers have reportedly been exploring a trade for the Baltimore Orioles' left-handed first baseman Ryan O'Hearn, as initially reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. O'Hearn very well might be the second-best bat on the trade market, trailing only Suárez. He was the starting DH for the American League in the 2025 All-Star Game, he's slugged 13 HR this season, and his .837 OPS would be the best among qualified Brewers' hitters by a fair margin.

The biggest hold-up for O'Hearn is his positional fit on the Brewers. While he does have the ability to man a corner outfield position, neither outfield nor first base is a real need for the Brewers at this year's deadline. Adding O'Hearn would likely push Andrew Vaughn into the everyday DH role, Christian Yelich back into left field on a regular basis, and therefore rid Isaac Collins of everyday at-bats.

Another thing to consider with O'Hearn is how the Brewers roster would shake out once Rhys Hoskins returns. However, Hoskins' return now appears to coincide with the September roster expansion, so it is theoretically possible to keep O'Hearn, Vaughn, and Hoskins — three primary first basemen — on the roster for September, and then pick the two hottest bats when the playoffs roll around.

O'Hearn would be a major boost to the Brewers' lineup, similar to what Mike Moustakas did for the 2018 team. Like Moustakas, O'Hearn doesn't fit perfectly on defense, but the bat is worth shaking up the Brewers' defensive alignment slightly.

2. UTL Willi Castro - Minnesota Twins

Rather than add a big bat to the middle of their order, the Brewers' front office could simply look to upgrade around the margins of their roster ahead of this evening's deadline. Swinging a trade for the Minnesota Twins' utility man Willi Castro could be an excellent way for the team to shore up their bench by adding some infield depth to their roster.

Castro has been a steady contributor for the Twins over the last three years, posting an OPS of .715 or higher in each season. A switch-hitter with the ability to play shortstop, second base, third base, and all of the outfield positions, Castro has the versatility that the Brewers covet, a trait also desirable for any bench piece.

One thing to note about Castro is that he has struggled mightily over his last 30 games, slashing .183/.288/.321. Even with those rough numbers over the last month or so, Castro still has a season OBP above .333 and a slugging percentage north of .400.

Castro isn't the big game-changing bat that O'Hearn or Suárez is, but he still offers a clear upgrade over the Brewers’ current bench options, and would likely force either Andruw Monasterio or Anthony Seigler out of a major league roster spot.

3. 2B/3B Jonathan India - Kansas City Royals

Jonathan India's name hasn't been brought up much in trade talks this year, but the long-time Cincinnati Red could be an interesting buy-low candidate for Arnold and company. India, who was consistently an above-league-average hitter in his four seasons in Cincinnati, hasn't found the same success since being traded to the Kansas City Royals this past offseason.

India is slashing just .240/.322/.342 with 5 HR in 100 games for the Royals this year, after posting an OPS north of .700 in each of his last four seasons. Most notably, India's power numbers have taken a dip this year. Part of that could be switching from the hitter's paradise that is Great American Ball Park to the more cavernous Kauffman Stadium, where homers are harder to come by. In fact, Baseball Savant's expected home runs by ballpark metric predicts that India would have nearly double the amount of homers had he played his home games at American Family Field.

Though he played mostly second base for the Reds, India has played some third base and outfield since going to Kansas City, but his defense is certainly a weak part of his game.

With a year left of arbitration eligibility after this season, and a down year on the stat sheet, India likely wouldn't require an overwhelming package of prospects, but the Royals also won't part with him for nothing. After all, despite having a record below .500, Kansas City remains just three games back of the final Wild Card spot in the American League.