A comeback surge from a 29-year-old Brewers hurler is igniting growing buzz across the trade market .MH
The Milwaukee Brewers hurler is an intriguing trade candidate…
The winter meetings are just about over and things have been surprisingly quiet around the Milwaukee Brewers.
Over the first few weeks of the offseason, the noise around Milwaukee has centered around the trade candidacy of starting pitcher Freddy Peralta. Will the Brewers trade him? Will they keep him for one more season before free agency? The reports and speculation have been endless.
Throughout the week, Peralta hasn’t been at the center of the most trade rumors around the league; that has been Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Ketel Marte. When it comes to Milwaukee, All-Star closer Trevor Megill is someone who has come up as a potential trade chip. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon reported on Wednesday that another guy who has generated trade interest in reliever Nick Mears.
The Brewers are getting trade interest
“In addition to closer Trevor Megill, right-handed reliever Nick Mears is another player generating trade interest from Milwaukee’s bullpen, league sources said,” Rosenthal and Sammon wrote. “Mears, 29, is under club control for two more seasons. MLB Trade Rumors projects Mears to make $1.6 million in 2026. In 63 appearances (56 2/3 innings), Mears had a 3.49 ERA/3,86 FIP. Mears’ chase rate ranked in the top 7 percent, per Baseball Savant.”
Mears is 29 years old and is a six-year big league veteran entering his seventh campaign in 2026. So far in his career, he has spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, and the Brewers. He had the best season of his career so far in 2025 with a 3.49 ERA in 63 outings. It was the first time he made over 41 appearances in a season and the first time he finished a season with under a 3.72 ERA in which he made 16 or more outings. In comparison, he had a 7.30 ERA in 13 outings in 2024.
Relievers are volatile and Milwaukee has a lot of arms. If Milwaukee could get some sort of prospect return for Mears, it wouldn’t hurt. Milwaukee could either replace his production in the open market or with an internal option. If teams are calling, Milwaukee should be listening. The 2025 season was the first time since 2023 that his ERA was below 5.56. Why not move him when his value is higher?
