Ranking the Milwaukee Brewers' best in-season trades of 2025

Over the years, the Milwaukee Brewers have shown that their most impactful trades don’t always come at the end of July; they often happen much earlier. The mid-May acquisition of Willy Adames in 2021 and the late-April trade for Trevor Megill in 2023 stand as prime examples of that approach.

This season, two early trades played a major role in propelling the Brewers to the best record in baseball. Those moves, of course, were the acquisitions of Quinn Priester and Andrew Vaughn.

Several other trades occurred as well, including the deals for Danny Jansen, Brandon Lockridge, and Daz Cameron. Here, we’ll rank those five 2025 trades, starting with the least impactful and building up to the most significant.

Ranking the top five Milwaukee Brewers trades made during the 2025 season

5. OF Daz Cameron acquired from the Baltimore Orioles for LHP Grant Wolfram

Back in April, the Brewers outfield depth was being tested. Blake Perkins was recovering from a broken shin sustained during Spring Training, and Garrett Mitchell was down with an oblique injury. Milwaukee responded by calling up Daz Cameron, who is the son of former Brewer Mike Cameron, as he had been on a tear at the plate since being acquired earlier in the month via trade.

Unfortunately, Cameron's stint this year in the big leagues was not all that memorable. Through 21 games, he had a .195/.214/.293 slash line. He stuck around on the roster until July but was sent outright to Triple-A, where he finished the year.

4. C Danny Jansen acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays for minor league INF Jadher Areinamo

With everyday catcher William Contreras playing through a fractured finger, the Brewers bolstered their offensive depth behind the plate by acquiring Danny Jansen at the end of July. The move came at a cost, as they had to part with promising infield prospect Jadher Areinamo. However, GM Matt Arnold made the decision knowing that Milwaukee’s system is already loaded with middle infield talent, and Areinamo wasn't progressing quite as fast as the organization hoped he would.

Fortunately for Milwaukee, Jansen wasn’t heavily relied upon, as Contreras managed to play through the injury. Jansen appeared in 25 games and hit two home runs during the final week of the season, arguably the highlights of his brief stint with the Brewers. He holds a $12 million mutual option for the 2026 season, which is likely to be declined.

3. OF Brandon Lockridge acquired from San Diego Padres for LHP Nestor Cortes and minor league SS Jorge Quintana

After Nestor Cortes was sidelined with a left flexor strain for the second time in under a year, the Brewers decided to move on before reinstating him from his rehab assignment. To facilitate the trade, Milwaukee packaged minor league shortstop Jorge Quintana with Cortes, sending both to the Padres in exchange for speedy outfielder Brandon Lockridge.

Lockridge’s late-July arrival proved timely, as Jackson Chourio’s hamstring injury soon after opened the door for regular playing time. Over 20 games in August, he batted .261/.308/.370 with six RBIs and quickly earned manager Pat Murphy’s trust. Although he spent September back in the minors, Lockridge was added to the postseason roster and even drew a start against the Cubs in the NLDS.

2. RHP Aaron Civale traded, per request, to the Chicago White Sox for 1B Andrew Vaughn

After a move to the bullpen upset Aaron Civale, he demanded a trade. Milwaukee found the Chicago White Sox as a trade partner, who parted ways with Andrew Vaughn to acquire Civale. Vaughn had been in Chicago's minor league system after what was a dreadful start to the season for the former first-round pick.

With the Brewers, Vaughn had to wait a few weeks before getting his call to the big leagues, which came after Rhys Hoskins suffered a thumb injury in early July. He wasted no time making an impact, homering in his first at-bat and going on a torrid stretch at the plate during his first month with the team. Though his production leveled off as the season progressed, Vaughn continued to start following Hoskins’ return and now is the clear choice to be Milwaukee’s starting first baseman on Opening Day in 2026.

1. RHP Quinn Priester acquired from the Boston Red Sox for minor league OF Yophery Rodriguez, minor league RHP John Holobetz, and Competitive Balance Round A 2025 draft pick (RHP Marcus Phillips)

On April 7, 2025, the Brewers and Red Sox struck a deal that proved to be the season’s most important. Milwaukee was in dire need of starting pitching, while at the time Boston had an abundance of arms to work with. The Red Sox offered up Quinn Priester, who was in the minors to begin the year, and the Brewers jumped at the opportunity. The move paid off immediately as Priester went on a remarkable run, setting a franchise record with 19 consecutive team wins in his starts between May 30 and September 18, posting a perfect 12-0 record during that stretch.

Overall, Priester wrapped up the 2025 season with a 3.32 ERA across 157 innings pitched. His 3.0 WAR easily surpassed Vaughn’s 1.3, which points out why this deal stands out as the most impactful of the year. Timing also played a role, as Priester was acquired early in the season, giving Milwaukee more months of value, while Vaughn joined much later in the campaign.

In the end, the Brewers’ two most impactful trades of the 2025 season both came long before the trade deadline. This year is once again a great example of the Brewers front office having a proactive approach by making bold moves early rather than waiting for July.