Aug 27, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Ryan O'Hearn (32) an at-bat against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

These 3 Under-The-Radar Free Agents Could Be Brewers' Perfect Targets

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Oct 29, 2025 8:43 AM ET

As free agency approaches, we know the Milwaukee Brewers probably won't be pursuing the names at the top of most people's rankings.

The Brewers have made it a habit to find bargain-bin deals, but they typically do well in terms of return on the dollar. President of baseball operations Matt Arnold, with his flashy new title, will have his work cut out for him trying to keep his squad's roster in contention with the best in the sport.

So with the World Series winding down, who are some mid-tier free agents that could make a big-tiem impact for the Brewers next season? We've settled on three potential options.

Merrill Kelly - Texas Rangers SP

The Brewers could easily be in the starting pitching market this winter, considering Brandon Woodruff is a free agent and Freddy Peralta, fairly or unfairly, is being widely discussed as a trade candidate. Kelly isn't going to get paid like either of those two eventually will, thanks to his age (37), so he could be a viable alternative.

With a 3.52 ERA in 184 innings this past season, Kelly represented a sturdy No. 3-type option, and perhaps the Brewers could even get a bit more from him with their pitching brain trust. That production would be well worth a two-year contract.

Ryan O'Hearn - San Diego Padres 1B/OF

The Brewers probably could have made a run at O'Hearn at the trade deadline, but their first-base situation worked out relatively well with Andrew Vaughn's long-awaited breakout. That said, Vaughn only has one year left under contract, and his overall track record isn't appealing.

O'Hearn doesn't provide Gold Glove-worthy defense, but he can play the corner outfield and also fill the designated hitter spot on any given night. It would mean juggling O'Hearn and Christian Yelich playing on defense, but with a 125 OPS+ this past season, the bat could be worthwhile on a reasonable contract.

Luke Weaver - New York Yankees RP

Weaver looked as if he'd be cashing in on a pretty significant contract this winter, but the bottom fell out in the second half of the season. He had a 5.31 regular-season ERA in 39 innings after returning from the injured list in June, then allowed five earned runs and recorded just one out in his three playoff appearances.

The Brewers are the Brewers, so they'll probably instead find someone in the Rule 5 draft no fan of the team has ever heard of and turn him into a quality eighth-inning man. But perhaps the price tag on Weaver has dropped far enough to consider this move.

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

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