ESPN insider has already dubbed the Brewers "sellers" for this year's trade deadline

It isn't too bold to say that this season hasn't gotten off to an ideal start for the Milwaukee Brewers. After two straight years of winning the NL Central, the team finds itself looking up at the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, and Cincinnati Reds in the divisional standings. Though only about a quarter of the way through the season, the NL Wild Card race is also shaping up to be a competitive one.

Milwaukee has not been at full strength at any point this season. While the team came into spring training as one of the odds-on favorites to win the NL Central, the myriad of injuries to the pitching staff put the Brewers behind the proverbial eight ball. Combine that with slow starts to the season on the offensive end from some of the team's top hitters, and Milwaukee is now four games below .500.

Buster Olney designates the Brewers as opportunistic sellers for this year's trade deadline

With a less than ideal start to the season, ESPN insider Buster Olney has already indicated that the Brewers could be sellers at this year's trade deadline, though he indicates that they would be "opportunists" in doing so. Citing a better chance to win the NL Central (now 7.3% according to FanGraphs) than qualify for a Wild Card spot (3.7%), with some top individual talent on team-friendly deals, Olney argues that Milwaukee should take advantage of other teams’ needs, particularly the ever-present need for starting pitching.

With the playoff expansion a few years back and more and more teams finding themselves teetering on a playoff spot, fewer clubs are selling at the deadline. Under Olney's assessment, it would not result in a full-on sell-off, rather just a piece or two that would net a major return given the limited options available.

Freddy Peralta on the move?

In his piece, Olney admits that most execs around the league do not foresee the Brewers moving on from many players, if anyone, especially if they're in striking distance of the Cubs in the division. The rivalry alone would typically be enough, but Craig Counsell's departure for Chicago's North Side has added extra animosity.

However, if they continue to fall in the standings, the top candidate in an "opportunistic sell,” according to Olney, would be Freddy Peralta. On the mound, Peralta has been incredible, with a 4-3 record and just a 2.66 ERA across nine starts. He leads the team by a far margin with 52 strikeouts and recorded his 1,000th career strikeout in his last outing against the Cleveland Guardians. Additionally, Peralta holds a team-friendly $8 million club option for the 2026 season before he becomes an unrestricted free agent the following offseason.

For the right team, Peralta could be a staff ace, and he's a really strong middle rotation option for others. Peralta is in his age-29 season, holds a year and a half of team control, and has postseason experience; he's an enticing deadline option for any team. On the flip side, losing Peralta would be devastating for the Brewers' rotation, so moving on from him would require an overwhelming offer.

Other candidates to sell?

Given the Brewers’ roster structure, the team doesn't have too many true free agents after this season. Tyler Alexander, Aaron Civale, and Nestor Cortes make up the only true unrestricted free agents without any sort of option or arbitration time left.

Rhys Hoskins, who has stepped up as one of the vocal leaders of the Crew, is absolutely mashing the ball. Hitting for an impressive .285 average and team-high OBP of .389 with five home runs and 24 RBIs, Hoskins would be an attractive option for any team looking for a rental option at 1B. He does have a mutual option pending for next season, which could make him a free agent should the team not want to pay the $18 million option year, or if Hoskins wants to explore other opportunities. With a bevy of infield prospects in the minors, it isn't totally unrealistic for Milwaukee to send him out if they are outside the playoff window.

William Contreras could even be moved for the right deal. He still has two more years of club control and has rightfully turned many heads, with two career All-Star nods and back-to-back Silver Slugger awards. Selling early on Contreras might seem unrealistic, but so did trading Josh Hader in the middle of a playoff chase.

Milwaukee is in a great spot as an organization overall, with plenty of young talent to build around. Should the team decide to sell and move on from a couple of these deals, reload with new talent, and get healthy, the Brewers could indeed be in a great spot for 2026. Choosing to be "opportunistic sellers" does not mean that the Brewers will enter any semblance of a rebuild.