Oct 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Caleb Durbin (21) runs the bases on a double in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game three of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Brewers Insider Reveals 'Leading Candidate' to Replace Caleb Durbin

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Feb 9, 2026 3:00 PM ET

The Milwaukee Brewers are one of the more intriguing teams in the league right now. After finishing the regular season with the best record in baseball last year, the Brewers have swung a few trades that have made their big league club worse.

They traded Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets in exchange for Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat earlier this offseason. This deal makes a lot of sense because the Brewers were likely going to lose Peralta to free agency at the end of the year either way.

But the Brewers also opted to trade Caleb Durbin to the Boston Red Sox on Monday.

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The Brewers sent Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Seigler, and a Comp B pick to the Red Sox in exchange for Kyle Harrison, David Hamilton, and Shane Drohan, per a team announcement.

With Durbin off the roster, the Brewers need to find his replacement at third base, Monasterio and Seigler were seemingly the No. 2 and No. 3 options at the position.

David Hamilton emerging as early favorite at third base

Brewers insider Adam McCalvy suggested the early favorite for the job is Hamilton, who was added in the deal.

"With Durbin, Monasterio and Seigler heading to Boston the Brewers are wide open at third base eight days before the first full-squad workout of Spring Training. Leading candidate as things stand now may be David Hamilton. Plan is for him to get lots of reps at 3B this spring," McCalvy wrote in a post to Twiter/X on Monday.

Hamilton isn't a star, but he would be a solid short-term solution for the Brewers. He hit below .200 last season, which isn't exactly what the Brewers typically employ in their starting lineup, but he's a solid defender.

Still, the long-term solution is likely one of the team's top prospects. Hamilton is more than likely going to be a super-utility player with his role ranging from platoon bat to defensive substitute.

Either way, the Brewers have a few weeks to figure out who's going to man the hot corner this year.

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

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