3 early Milwaukee Brewers trade targets ahead of 2025 deadline

The Milwaukee Brewers are in a new era, fighting for their third National League Central crown in three years. For now, though, they have work to do. Pat Murphy’s team is in the middle of the NL Central race, but are only a few games behind the Chicago Cubs for the division lead.

The Brewers built their team around great defense and some of the best base running in Major League Baseball. Outside of that, though, the team is fraught with holes. Milwaukee’s pitching staff is riddled with injuries and their offense is in the bottom ten of the league in both home runs and doubles.

Being aggressive on the trade market is a risk for teams, especially those who are on the brink of contention. However, the Brewers need to make a change if they want to win 90 games or more in four of the last five seasons. Their division is as competitive as ever, and the odds of the top three teams all making it into the postseason are low.

Here are three players that Milwaukee can target on the trade market to give themselves a better chance to move up the standings.

Tampa Bay Rays Pitcher Ryan Pepiot

Murphy has been dealing with a starting rotation full of holes since the beginning of the season. Brewers ace Brandon Woodruff is still recovering from a shoulder injury while Nestor Cortes and Aaron Civale are also on the injured list. They are close to their return, but there is no telling how they will play once they retake the mound. Even when they are fully healthy, an upgrade on the mound is a priority for Milwaukee.

Ryan Pepiot holds the best ERA(3.68) on the Tampa Bay Rays in early May(as of May 10), but it hasn’t translated into wins. He is 2-4 on the season on a Rays team that is near the bottom of the American League East. The division is tight, but Tampa Bay is unlikely to compete for long enough to secure a playoff berth. The 2025 trade deadline looms large for them, and many teams will give them a call.

Pepiot is a younger pitcher at just 27-years-old, but he is already a talented righty. This year is the only one in his four professional seasons where he doesn’t have at least a .500 record. There is a long way to go in 2025, but the Rays offense is inconsistent, leaving him in a tough spot. If Pepiot can repeat the volume of innings he pitched in 2024 combined with a better record while playing with a better offense to support him, he could be the biggest add of the trade deadline.

Baltimore Orioles Outfielder Tyler O’Neill

Tyler O’Neill had a career year last season with the Boston Red Sox. The 29-year-old outfielder hit 31 home runs and hit .241 in 113 games with Boston in 2024. The Orioles rewarded O’Neill with a three-year, $49.5 million deal. After 19 games played with his new team(as of May 10), O’Neill has the lowest batting average since 2020. His power also seems to have left him. He only has two home runs so far this season.

While O’Neill’s lack of power is a concern, it could be chalked up to the pressure he faces after last year. If he were to join the Brewers, he would likely bat lower in Murphy’s order. The reduced pressure, combined with the fact that his teammates have above average on-base percentages, would give him an opportunity to get back on track.

Chourio, Yelich, and Willson Contreras have had their moments at the plate, but Milwaukee desperately needs a power hitter. The team made the playoffs last season, but trading Daniel Vogelbach to the New York Mets took power out of their offense. If O’Neill just needs a change of scenery, he and the Brewers are a match made in heaven.

St. Louis Cardinals Third Baseman Nolan Arenado

The St. Louis Cardinals are looking to move Nolan Arenado, but nobody has expressed significant interest in him. However, the best trade partner for this deal could be within their own division. Caleb Durbin is playing as well as could be expected in his first professional season, but Arenado’s All-Star level talent is a far more enticing option. In the postseason, experience matters, and Arenado is no stranger to big moments.

Trades between two teams in the same division are rare, but give birth to interesting storylines for the rest of the season. In this situation, though, the trade is more of a win-win than anything else. St. Louis is looking to offload one of their older players at a position of need for Milwaukee. The only question is whether or not the Cardinals would be willing to deal with a rival.

The Brewers have shown flashes of their prior dominance this season, but are fighting to stick around .500 in early May. Making the right trade could help them return to the postseason or could leave them on the outside looking in. Milwaukee needs to evaluate all of their options and make a confident decision. If they do, they have a chance to finally get past the National League Wild Card Series.