Brewers rumors: MLB insider lists Milwaukee as potential destination for All-Star third baseman

Trade season is upon us. Though the MLB Trade Deadline isn't until the end of next month, several teams, including the Milwaukee Brewers, have already started moving some of their veteran players. The most notable has been the Boston Red Sox trading their franchise cornerstone, Rafael Devers, to the San Francisco Giants a week ago, after months of turmoil and fights over positional changes. Though Devers isn't really a third baseman anymore, a different hot corner protector might be on the Brewers' radar as proposed by MLB insider Mark Feinsand in a recent article on MLB.com.

The angle of Feinsand's article was "14 prime trade candidates," and he offered possible destinations for where they might fit as well. So, there's no concrete evidence that any of the matches listed have actually been discussed by teams’ front offices. However, the fact that an MLB insider is listing the Brewers as a potential trade destination for an All-Star third baseman is a good sign nonetheless.

MLB Insider Mark Feinsand lists Brewers as potential trade destination for Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon

This isn't the first time that Ryan McMahon has been listed as a potential fit for the Brewers’ roster. The team's need for an impact bat on the infield dirt was evident during the offseason and remains a necessity nearly three months into the 2025 season.

Enter Ryan McMahon, who would immediately add some thump to the Brewers' infield group. His .416 slugging percentage in 2025 is just .004 points lower than Rhys Hoskins', and much higher than the rest of the Brewers' infielders. Additionally, that singular statistic doesn't tell the whole story for McMahon, who has really picked things up after a brutal month of April. Since May 1, McMahon is slashing .275/.370/.531 with 10 HR and nine doubles.

However, despite consistently having a slugging percentage north of or just below .400, McMahon has been a below-average MLB hitter in each of his nine years in the big leagues, with his league-average OPS+ of exactly 100 this season being the highest mark of his career.

On top of that, while McMahon's contract may seem reasonable for most teams — he's on a $12 million contract this season and is owed $16 million in each of 2026 and 2027 — that's not necessarily a cheap contract for the Brewers, especially for a league-average hitter. Any hypothetical deal that the Brewers do strike with the stubborn Rockies' front office is likely to include cash coming from Colorado to Milwaukee in exchange for a better trade package from the Brewers' end.

Even still, McMahon's bat would add some much-needed left-handed power to the middle of the Brewers' lineup, with the team really only having Christian Yelich as an everyday power-hitting option from the left side.

Power isn't the only tool that McMahon possesses; he's also a very strong defender. While McMahon did play a little bit of second base as recently as 2023, his services are best used at third base, where he has spent a majority of his defensive innings throughout his career. However, acquiring McMahon would not necessarily mean that the Brewers are replacing rookie third baseman Caleb Durbin, who has been swinging a hot bat as of late.

With the defensive versatility of the Brewers’ current infield group, McMahon could replace either Durbin or Joey Ortiz in the Brewers’ lineup, but the latter would likely require Platinum Glove second baseman Brice Turang to switch to shortstop while Durbin takes over at second. That type of mix-up might not be ideal for the Brewers, especially if Durbin and Ortiz continue to hit as they have in recent weeks.

There's no doubt that the Brewers could use a little more consistency in their lineup, and it's possible that the Rockies' third baseman could help them find some. However, with McMahon being owed considerable money through the 2027 season, and his bat remaining somewhat of a question mark, it's also possible that the Crew looks elsewhere for their offensive upgrade at this year's deadline.