No, the trade deadline isn't for two-and-a-half months. But the Milwaukee Brewers are already hard at work behind the scenes.
By the time trades are made in July, teams have already spent months thinking about who can be dealt and who is untouchable. This Brewers team has a lot of untouchable assets , so if there are going to be meaningful moves made, the front office will have to be aggressive with those it sees as expendable.
This is our best guess at predicting the three names that could fetch the Brewers the most appealing returns at the deadline -- at least, among those who have a serious chance of being shipped out.
If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google .
Milwaukee Brewers infielder Tyler Black, shown running the bases early in spring camp, had another big day at the plate on Thursday, Feb. 26, collecting three hits with a pair of RBI in a 5-1 victory over the Rangers in Cactus League action. | Dave Kallmann / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Brewers have a position player mix that's primed for a cutdown. Black proved in his recent call-up that his bat is close to big-league ready, but there's not really a position for him with Christian Yelich back (assuming he's healthy).
The Brewers could dangle Black, one of their 2021 first-round picks, as part of a larger package. He's not a prospect, per se, but an interesting hitter who could start for teams without Milwaukee's depth.
On the Brewers' current top prospects list from MLB Pipeline, Lara ranks fifth. The top four (Jess Made, Luis Pea, Jett Williams, and Cooper Pratt) are all fairly untouchable, so if Milwaukee is going to swing a legitimate blockbuster to bring in talent for a playoff push, Lara feels like the smartest bet.
A 21-year-old speedster from Venezuela, Lara stands just 5-foot-7, but already has seven home runs for Triple-A Nashville this season. He was a prospect who had just about everything but power working in his favor coming into the season, so his stock could be soaring with other clubs at the moment.
May 12, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Trevor Megill (29) delivers a pitch against the San Diego Padres in the eigth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
On the other side of the coin, the Brewers could still look to unload talent on expiring contracts if they think the value is right. Megill's season is off to a rough start (6.00 ERA in 15 innings), but he's got an All-Star track record and could easily right the ship.
Moving Megill wouldn't be the same as trading Josh Hader , one of the most dominant closers in baseball when he was dealt in 2022, but it would still be a shock to the clubhouse. But the Brewers' bullpen would be fine without him, given the amount of quality arms they have sitting in Triple-A.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/brewers/onsi as Brewers' Top 3 Trade Chips Who Could Actually Be Dealt This Year .
