3 short-term infield solutions the Brewers could add in 2025-26 offseason

The Milwaukee Brewers find themselves in an advantageous position this offseason; they have a group of position players that they know is capable of winning a lot of games in the regular season, as the organization is returning nearly every position player from their record-setting 2025 roster.

That position gives Matt Arnold and the Brewers front office something that they love to have in trade talks: leverage. Arnold doesn't need to make any changes to his position player group this winter, apart from filling in a few gaps on the margins, allowing him to wait until a lopsided trade offer enters his inbox. Therefore, the following trade candidates are not necessarily players the Brewers should actively seek out, but if a lopsided offer presents itself, it must at least be considered.

When looking at the Brewers' roster, there are a few places their position player group could stand to improve prior to the 2026 season. Talks of an upgrade in the final outfield position have fans wondering if a Freddy Peralta trade with the Boston Red Sox could be on the horizon. However, the more obvious need is on the infield. First base is set, with Jake Bauers officially returning on a one-year, $2.7 million contract and the Brewers agreeing to tender 2025 breakout Andrew Vaughn a contract for the 2026 season, but the other three spots are more fluid.

Brice Turang, who followed a 2024 Platinum Glove with a Silver Slugger nomination this year, and Caleb Durbin, who was a finalist for the NL's Rookie of the Year Award this past season, are each locked into starting roles, but where that is on the infield dirt remains to be seen. The Brewers proved willing to move Turang to shortstop last offseason when they were searching for Willy Adames' replacement, but arm fatigue stopped the project short. That doesn't mean a switch to short can't be on Turang's to-do list this offseason, especially considering Turang played nearly 3,000 innings at the position in the minor leagues. Meanwhile, Durbin has more than 1,300 innings of experience at second base when including his minor league career.

That defensive versatility is no random trait; it's an asset for Arnold when it comes to finding another bat to add to the group. The Brewers' front office could add an impact bat at any of the three non-first base infield positions and have exceptional defenders and strong bats at the other two. One caveat, however, is that the Brewers possess one of the best groups of infield prospects in baseball, and several are nearing their MLB debuts, meaning Arnold should include the stipulation "short term" in his restricted list of trade offers that he will truly entertain this offseason. Here are three such candidates who Milwaukee's front office should consider if they are blown away with an offer.

1) 2B Brandon Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays are a scary trade partner; there's no doubt about it. Known for taking other teams’ underrated prospects and turning them into big-league contributors, trades with Tampa Bay should be few and far between. The Brewers, who executed a deal with the Rays back in late July that is already looking questionable, must be sure of the trade package they are sending Tampa Bay's way if they do want to add All-Star infielder Brandon Lowe to their roster for the 2026 campaign.

Owed $11.5 million on a club option that the Rays picked up earlier in the offseason, Lowe will be a free agent after the 2026 season, which, paired with the fact that the salary is a little rich for Tampa Bay even with their new ownership, is why his name has surfaced in trade rumors this offseason. Lowe was an All-Star for the second time in his career in 2025, with his other All-Star performance coming six years prior in his rookie season when he was also a finalist for the American League's Rookie of the Year Award.

He's certainly a bat-first infielder, one that can only play on the right side of the infield, with most of his experience coming at second base. That said, he had -13 Outs Above Average (OAA) at the keystone position, so perhaps a switch to first base is in Lowe's future. The appeal is his bat, which has produced an average of 24 home runs per season dating back to a 2021 campaign during which Lowe cracked 39 long balls. If a concerningly dropping walk rate rebounds and a consistently high strikeout rate improves slightly, with the power that Lowe displays from the left side, it's not hard to imagine him finding success in Milwaukee. And his glove could play closer to the 0 OAA it produced in 2024 when his middle infield partner wears platinum.

Lowe wouldn't command too large of a prospect package, unless Arnold and company are looking for the Rays' new ownership group to cover a majority of the infielder's 2026 salary, which is likely given the Brewers' payroll situation.

2) 3B Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies

Two things are true that could lead to Alec Bohm being the centerpiece of a lopsided trade this offseason. First, the Philadelphia Phillies are known to be looking to shake things up this winter, with their ultimately unsuccessful core that included Kyle Schwarber and Nicholas Castellanos, who both might be joining new teams this offseason. Second, rumors of Bohm being traded by Philadelphia date back to last offseason. So, it's fair to say that if the Phillies are shaking things up this offseason, Bohm, who will be a free agent next offseason anyways, could be a casualty of change as well.

Bohm's projected to make slightly less than Lowe in 2026, with MLB Trade Rumors estimating a salary of $10.3 million in his final year of arbitration. He's a steady contributor at the plate, with an OPS+ better than league average in each of the last five seasons. A debut season that netted a runner-up finish in the NL Rookie of the Year race and an All-Star 2024 campaign are the highlights of Bohm's career thus far.

While Bohm may not possess the big home run numbers that Lowe has, with his single-season career high being 20 in the 2023, his power displays through an impressive amount of doubles when he's on. Bohm racked up 44 doubles in 143 games during the 2024 season, following a season in which he posted 31 two-baggers. Meanwhile, his impressively low whiff and strikeout rates fit the Brewers' offensive mold perfectly and lead to strong on-base percentages and high batting averages for Bohm despite his low walk rate.

Acquiring Bohm would mean shifting Durbin to either shortstop or second base, with the latter meaning a switch to shortstop for Turang as well. In terms of trade cost, the Phillies likely won't ask for too much just to get Bohm off their books, but if they want to improve the return, covering some of their third baseman's contract would work for both sides.

3) INF Ramón Urías, Houston Astros

Ramón Urías, brother of former Brewers Luis Urías, is likely destined for free agency in the near future after the Houston Astros, who traded for him at the 2025 trade deadline, designated him for assignment last week. Assuming Houston goes on to release Urías, who is absolutely deserving of a spot on a 40-man roster, Milwaukee could bring in the six-year MLB veteran to cover an infield spot for the 2026 season.

Urías isn't a huge upgrade over Ortiz, the Brewers' incumbent shortstop who ironically was competing for playing time with Urías when the Baltimore Orioles traded him to Milwaukee ahead of the 2024 season. However, he would serve as both strong competition with Ortiz for the starting shortstop role and a solid insurance policy if one of the other infielders suffers an injury.

That said, Urías, with his career OPS+ of 104, is an above-league-average hitter, whose glove doesn't hinder his value significantly if at all. There's not much power in his bat and certainly inconsistency in his glove, but he is a much cheaper option than the first two names on this list, with his projected arbitration salary from MLB Trade Rumors being just $4.4 million, but it's likely the Brewers wouldn't add him at that salary.

Acquiring Urías may fall under the category of "making a move just to make one" with players like Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler already on the roster. Players like Lowe or Bohm would move the needle more in regard to their additions to the batting lineup. That said, sometimes an external addition is simply the spark that a position player group needs to make the necessary improvements during the offseason.