May 25, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detailed view of a Philadelphia Phillies hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Phillies Insider's Unlikely Trade Speculation Is Bad Look For Brewers

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Nov 1, 2025 1:49 PM ET

The Milwaukee Brewers may do well in the trade market, but that doesn't mean everyone on the team should be expendable.

After years of trading away stars like Josh Hader, Corbin Burnes, and Devin Williams, all eyes have turned to ace Freddy Peralta this winter, as he's entering the final year of his contract. But as rough as it would be for Brewers fans to see Peralta go, seeing catcher William Contreras get traded would be 10 times worse.

Contreras wasn't quite at his peak this past season, but he's still among the top three or four catchers in the game, and he's got two years of team control remaining. Entering his age-28 season, he's one of the most important building blocks not only on the Brewers, but around the National League.

Contreras named trade fit for NL rival

Nevertheless, because he's relatively close to free agency, the narrative has begun to fester that Contreras could be available in an unlikely trade scenario.

On Friday, Todd Zolecki, the Philadelphia Phillies beat reporter for MLB.com, suggested that Contreras could be among the options the Phillies would consider to replace free agent backstop J.T. Realmuto.

"He probably isn’t getting traded this winter with two years of team control remaining," wrote Zolecki. "But the Brewers’ MO is trading their best players before they hit free agency, so Contreras is a name to watch."

Even with Zolecki couching his opinion in the idea that Contreras is unlikely to move right away, the Brewers need to take a look in the mirror and admit that the reputation has gone too far.

It's true that trading away stars can net important future pieces. But who knows what those stars might have done had they stayed in Milwaukee? The Williams trade likely worked out for the better, but what if the Brewers had made a World Series run with Burnes still in the rotation last year?

If the Brewers traded Contreras in the middle of his prime, they'd rightfully be mocked from every corner of the baseball world. They should still be trying to extend him as we speak, and they don't get a pass even if they wait until next winter to do so.

And if the Brewers were silly enough to trade Contreras, who is better right now than Realmuto by a wide margin, to Philadelphia... karma would dictate that they'd eventually get what they deserved in an important matchup between the two teams.

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

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