Mar 12, 2024; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, Arizona, USA; General view of Kansas City Royals hats and gloves in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies during a spring training game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Brewers Add Relief Depth In Smart Trade With Royals

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Dec 13, 2025 7:17 PM ET

While the Major League Baseball world waits to see what the Milwaukee Brewers do with right-hander Freddy Peralta, the Brewers have remained active, having made a key trade with the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Brewers have sent outfielder Isaac Collins and right-hander Nick Mears to the Royals. Left-hander Angel Zerpa is headed back to Milwaukee in the deal.

The Brewers are still hoping to contend in 2026 after making it to the NLCS, and this trade certainly helps give them a little more flexibility in the bullpen, especially from the left side.

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Brewers Improve Bullpen In Latest Trade

Zerpa struggled a little bit in 2025, posting a 4.18 ERA in 69 appearances, but he did go 5-2 in those appearances and does bring some upside to the bullpen.

At just 26 years old, he still has three years of club control remaining, which should be huge for the Brewers as they try to stay focused on the present and future at the same time.

They might be a little thin offensively after trading Collins away, but they still have options such as Blake Perkins, Garrett Mitchell and Akil Baddoo.

But the Brewers did a solid job addressing their needs in their bullpen. They needed more depth and a little help from the left side, and adding Zerpa gives them that.

There is still plenty of upside with Zerpa too, so he should fit right into the mix. He could help bridge the gap to closer Trevor Megill late in games.

The Winter Meetings just ended on Wednesday, and the Brewers were quiet, like a lot of other teams. But they have hit the ground running since the meetings ended and are making solid moves that should help them stay at the top of the National League Central in 2026.

There is still a lot of work to be done, and the main focus of their offseason will be whether or not Peralta is traded. But they at least added some solid depth for their bullpen and have put themselves in position to have more success next season.

It will be interesting to see what president of baseball operations Matt Arnold does next after making this move.

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Brewers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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