Brewers rumors: Milwaukee must avoid trading for this "good fit" veteran third baseman

The Milwaukee Brewers will once again be buyers at this year's trade deadline, but this year, perhaps more than ever, the question is: will they look to simply add complementary pieces or swing for a more impactful acquisition?

Adding a starting pitcher like Tarik Skubal would easily be the biggest move the organization can make, but it's also possible they opt for a more subtle addition to their pitching staff and instead spend bigger on an upgrade at third base. Finding the right player to man the hot corner would give fans more optimism about the team's postseason chances, especially after watching their offense go silent in last October's National League Championship Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Recently, the San Francisco Giants announced that they are willing to turnover their roster, which includes moving players who are under contract for many years to come. Former Brewer Willy Adames is included in this group, but of the Giants' core, Matt Chapman has been one player cited to be a good fit for Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee Brewers would be wise to avoid trading for Matt Chapman at this year's deadline

At 33 years old, Chapman is putting together a solid season in 2026. The 5x Gold Glove Award winner and 2x Platinum Glove Award winner is once again showcasing premier defense at third base, while posting slightly better than league-average numbers at the plate. Chapman currently owns a 104 wRC+ with seven home runs and 41 runs batted in.

While Chapman has yet to tap into the power that fans have come to expect from him on a yearly basis, seeing as he is currently slugging under .400 for the first time, his track record suggests he will soon turn that area of his game around. He has hit 20 or more home runs in four of the last five seasons, with his lowest slugging percentage over that time frame being .403. Combined with his defensive track record, he seems like a logical fit for a team like the Brewers.

The caveat comes in that Chapman is far from a rental. He is owed over $100 million across the next four seasons, with his remaining contract holding an average annual value (AAV) of $25,166,666. This would make him the highest-paid Brewer for the foreseeable future, surpassing even Christian Yelich whose AAV comes in at $23,370,000 for the 2027 and 2028 campaigns.

That said, even if MLB implements a salary floor next season, potentially forcing Milwaukee to increase payroll, taking on Chapman and his contract would still be difficult to justify as it would block infield prospects like Jett Williams, Jesús Made, and Andrew Fischer. Additionally, by the time his deal expires, Chapman would be 37 years old, and continuing to perform at a high level is no guarantee then. Paying a potentially league-average hitter more than $25 million for four years just to slightly improve their offense for half of a season is the type of move the Brewers have avoided in recent years, allowing them to remain consistently competitive year in and year out.

Unless the Brewers could add him this year and then flip him immediately after the season is over, an unlikely scenario, Chapman's age, long-term salary, and the players he would be blocking in the organization's prospect pipeline make him a player Milwaukee should avoid at this year's trade deadline.

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