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The Milwaukee Brewers are leading the pack in the tightly contested National League Central. They're 5.5 games up on the second-place St. Louis Cardinals thanks to a 36-21 record.
But there's still time to squander this lead, so the Brewers shouldn't feel totally comfortable in their position just yet. To feel more confident, the Brewers could add some help at this year's trade deadline.
That's exactly what Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report is predicting the Brewers will do in 2026 at the deadline. Miller is predicting that the Brewers will make a "big splash" and trade for a 3.20 ERA All-Star ace or a .761 OPS All-Star infield slugger.
Brewers predicted to trade for either Joe Ryan or Isaac Paredes
"Milwaukee makes a big splash as a buyer," Miller predicts. "... They won't trade away Jesus Made or Luis Pena, but they do have a handful of fringe top 100 prospects who could be the main attraction moving out in a minor blockbuster for someone like Houston's Isaac Paredes or Minnesota's Joe Ryan."
The Brewers are a great team right now, but they do need some help in a few key spots. Ryan might be the more intriguing addition, as they already have a few incredible starters in Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison.
But adding Ryan, who has a 3.20 ERA this season and is an All-Star under club control for the next two seasons, would make a lot of sense for this team.
The potential of a Paredes addition, though, makes too much sense for the Brewers. They have a massive need in the infield at both third base and shortstop.
Luis Rengifo, Joey Ortiz, and David Hamilton aren't good enough for the Brewers right now. They really could use someone like Paredes, a two-time All-Star third baseman.
He has a .237 batting average this season and for his MLB career, with a .708 OPS in 2026 compared to a .761 OPS for his career.
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Paredes is capable of hitting 30-plus homers in a season, recording 31 back in 2023 with the Tampa Bay Rays. He has six this season and has accumulated 1.0 bWAR in 55 games, a little below his All-Star pace of 2.4 bWAR in 102 games last season.
The Brewers being predicted to make a splash at this year's trade deadline does seem like a more feasible outcome than in prior seasons.
They might've lost Freddy Peralta, but the Harrison addition in the trade with the Boston Red Sox, along with how good the rest of the team looks, has the Brewers as clear buyers this season.
Adding help to the left side of the infield is a must, and acquiring another frontline starter would be a huge help as well. This prediction would be a great one to come true, as a "big splash" in the trade market could have Milwaukee as a top World Series contender.
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