Wow-worthy offer could persuade Brewers to trade 2-time All-Star, team reporter suggests

He bounced back from a slow start with 11 home runs between July 31 and the end of August. Many came at pivotal moments in games. After a homerless September, he rebounded yet again in the NLDS versus the Cubs with two more longballs and a .300 average.

In his three seasons in Milwaukee, Wild Bill has become a fan favorite. He himself has shown genuine affection for the city. A trade might result in riots.

And yet, baseball is a business. When asked about his own future with the team, Peralta acknowledged the same in the locker room after the Brewers had just been swept by the Dodgers in the NLCS. Contreras still has two years of control, but Milwaukee is known for getting ahead of the curve when it comes to maximizing their return value on players they are not willing or able to pay.

That’s not to say that they will trade Contreras, only that it is in the realm of possibility. McCalvy does say that the Brewers would have to be “absolutely bowled over by an offer.”

He also points to a compelling reason why they might test Contreras’ worth in the trade market: catching prospect Jeferson Quero, whom McCalvy says that fans could see as early as next season as a backup.

“And if he can avoid the sort of injuries that plagued the past two seasons,” McCalvy writes, “Quero looks like a solid player for the future.”