5 infield trade targets the Brewers need to strongly consider this offseason

The Milwaukee Brewers are generally not big players on the free agent market and this offseason is not likely to be any different. The trade market, however, is where the Brewers usually play and where they are rumored to be quite active before the 2025 season.

Milwaukee flexes the muscles of their roster and minor league system routinely to make trades that benefit both the short-term and long-term plans for the team. Last offseason, the Brewers made nine trades. Not all of these trades were blockbusters, not all of them have to be. However, the Brewers figure to be big players on the trade market once again this offseason.

Here are some infield trade targets for the Brewers this offseason

We've already looked at the trade candidates the Brewers could ship away this offseason. Let's look at some potential trade targets that could be available this winter that the Brewers front office should strongly consider.

Rockies 3B Ryan McMahon

The top, proven option that could be available on the trade market this winter and fit the Brewers needs is Ryan McMahon of the Rockies. Colorado is notorious for holding on to their players despite a desperate need for a full rebuild. However, the Brewers and Rockies got together on their first trade in 20 years back at the trade deadline to get Nick Mears to Milwaukee. Perhaps in those discussions a general framework for Ryan McMahon was also discussed.

McMahon has a long-term contract, under team control for three more seasons, hitting free agency after 2027. He's due to be paid $12MM in 2025 and then $16MM each in 2026 and 2027. Taking on that contract may be a bit of a hit considering the Brewers are going to be operating with a tight budget, but he'd be a massive boost to the offense.

The 29 year old is coming off a solid season, hitting .242/.325/.397 with 28 doubles and 20 home runs. The Brewers will need to fill the production void that's going to be left behind by Willy Adames this offseason and McMahon would go a long ways towards doing that.

The contract could help dampen the price tag the Brewers would have to pay to get three years of McMahon, although it still would be costly.

Angels 2B/3B Luis Rengifo

There were rumors back at the trade deadline that Luis Rengifo was available, but ultimately the Los Angeles Angels decided to keep him. Rengifo was dealing with some injuries in 2024, but he ended up with some very good numbers.

In 304 PAs, the switch-hitting Rengifo hit .300/.347/.417 with six homers and 24 stolen bases. He has a career strikeout rate of just 18.5% and beat that number by quite a bit with just a 14.5% K rate in 2024.

Rengifo is entering his final year of arbitration before hitting free agency, making a trade for him a one year stop-gap option. He's projected to earn $5.8MM in arbitration in 2025, but that's not a bad thing for the Brewers. They have a number of corner infield prospects coming quickly through the pipeline, including Brock Wilken, Mike Boeve, and Tyler Black. All three of them could reasonably see big league time in 2025, especially Black who made his debut this past season.

Acquiring Rengifo would be cheaper than trading for McMahon. He's not as big of a star and there's only one year of control left. Even though he had just six long balls in 2024, Rengifo hit 17 and 16 homers in 2022 and 2023 respectively, so there's more power in the tank here.

Rengifo's experience at second base and third base could allow the Brewers to move either one of Joey Ortiz or Brice Turang to shortstop and he can slide in to the new shortstop's old position.

Orioles 3B Coby Mayo

Many thought Coby Mayo would be a target of the Brewers last offseason when the Corbin Burnes trade discussions were happening. A top prospect at a position of need, it made logical sense. Instead the Brewers picked a different Orioles infield prospect to headline the return for Burnes in Joey Ortiz. So far, the acquisition of Ortiz looks to be a good call.

That doesn't mean also adding Mayo wouldn't be a good call either and perhaps Baltimore will be open to trading him this winter. The Orioles have a logjam of infield prospects. Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, and Jackson Holliday are the favorites to get the starting positions at second, short, and third in no particular order. Ryan Mountcastle has first base locked down as well. Despite being MLB ready heading into 2024, Mayo didn't get much run in the majors.

He, like Ortiz, may need a change of scenery to get opportunity at the big league level and Milwaukee may just be the perfect place for him. The departure of Willy Adames likely slides Joey Ortiz to shortstop, and even if Turang wins that job, Ortiz can slide to second base if the Brewers bring in Mayo.

Mayo played in just 17 games in the big leagues this year with some pretty rough numbers. In Triple-A though, Mayo hit .287 with 22 homers, so the bat can play. Keep in mind, Ortiz also got limited run in the majors with Baltimore with not very good numbers in 2023, so the situations are very similar.

Also similar is that the Brewers have a star pitcher entering his final year of team control that they could trade in order to get this highly touted Orioles infield prospect. Devin Williams is a very likely trade candidate this winter and he could intrigue the Orioles, who scuffled down the stretch in part because their closer, Craig Kimbrel, crumbled.

Milwaukee and Baltimore lined up on a big trade in the past and perhaps they do so again this offseason.

Rays 2B Brandon Lowe

The Tampa Bay Rays were active sellers at the Trade Deadline this year and they were rumored to be open to trading infielder Brandon Lowe. They ultimately kept him, and a number of other players that were rumored to be on the market, but those talks could be revisited this winter. Lowe is going to be the highest priced player on that Rays roster next year with a $10.5MM club option that's likely to be picked up.

Lowe has two more seasons of potential team control and while it's a little pricey with $10.5MM next year and $11.5MM in 2026, he also brings plenty of production. Lowe hit .244 with 21 homers and a 123 wRC+ this season.

Lowe has primarily been a second baseman and DH for the Rays, not playing much of third base at all. Should Brice Turang win the shortstop job, then Lowe would slot into second base perfectly. If he has to move to third, the defensive fit may be tough.

The Rays are almost always swamped with quality infield prospects. As soon as their good players start to get a little too expensive, they have someone right behind them in the pipeline to take over. Lowe appears to be getting to that point where he's too costly for Tampa and his team control is dwindling, making him a clear trade candidate. The Brewers and Rays have linked up on numerous trades over the years and could do so again this winter.

Adding Lowe's power potential to the Brewers infield would go a long way toward mitigating the free agent loss of Willy Adames this offseason, who was himself a Rays infielder the Brewers acquired in a trade back in 2021.