3 Big League Assets the Brewers Could Move at 2025 Trade Deadline

1. LHP Nestor Cortes

Nestor Cortes has been on the IL since April with a flexor strain, making just two starts this season and the first one saw him allow three home runs on three pitches. Still, Cortes is on a rehab assignment and he's on track to return to the Brewers rotation well before the Trade Deadline.

His absence necessitated the trade for Quinn Priester, who has done a swell job in the Brewers rotation, pitching to a 3.59 ERA in 16 games. The Brewers in all likelihood would prefer to keep Priester in the majors but Cortes' return would create somewhat of a logjam in the starting rotation. 

An abundance of pitching this time of year is rare, and starting pitching is always in demand at the Trade Deadline.

If Cortes can return from the IL and get a couple starts under his belt, and they go well, then the Brewers could realistically flip Cortes to a team in need of pitching. Their rotation would be in no worse of a position than they have been all year, and the Brewers can either get an asset to immediately help in 2025 or a prospect to help in the near future.

2. 1B Jake Bauers

Jake Bauers' name has already surfaced in trade rumors following the Brewers acquisition of Andrew Vaughn in the Aaron Civale trade last month. While Bauers has been solid as a backup to Rhys Hoskins the last year and a half, if another team is looking for some first base help, Bauers would be a potentially attractive piece.

The Brewers also currently have four primary first basemen sitting in Triple-A. Vaughn is one, along with another MLB veteran, Bobby Dalbec, as well as #12 prospect Tyler Black and #36 prospect Ernesto Martinez. 

Bauers by himself may not bring back much, but he could be packaged with someone else to bring back a better return, a la the Junis/Wiemer trade for Montas last July.

3. LHP Jose Quintana

The Brewers have a mix of veterans and young starters filling out their rotation. The young starters are the future that the organization is going to want to give opportunities to down this stretch. The veterans can't be demoted and are also worthy of rotation spots. What is the team to do?

Freddy Peralta and the now healthy Brandon Woodruff are longtime franchise cornerstones that are not going to be moved. Cortes and Quintana are one year rentals without the kind of connection to Milwaukee that makes them easier to be traded. 

That said, Quintana is far less likely to be the one on the move between him and Cortes. He's been largely healthy all season, giving the team quality innings with a 3.44 ERA and he's a favorite of manager Pat Murphy. His wealth of postseason experience is also a quality the Brewers are going to want down the stretch.

If another team calls and convinces the Brewers with a strong enough offer or Cortes isn't able to be flipped, perhaps Quintana could end up on the move. The chances are fairly low that he gets traded, however.