Report: Brewers worried about payroll, might subtract from roster
The Milwaukee Brewers are concerned about their payroll and might subtract from their roster to make room for new players, people briefed on their plans told The Athletic's Will Sammon, Ken Rosenthal, and Katie Woo.
The Brewers are projected to have a payroll of around $133 million in 2026, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. That figure would be similar to their year-end payroll for 2025.
With right-hander Brandon Woodruff accepting the team's one-year, $22.025-million qualifying offer, Milwaukee might need to consider trading ace Freddy Peralta, whose $8-million salary makes him particularly appealing to teams.
Peralta is set to become a free agent after 2026, and the Brewers were reportedly expected to field offers for him. However, owner Mark Attanasio and president of baseball operations Matt Arnold recently said signing Woodruff wasn't a prelude to a Peralta trade.
Additionally, Milwaukee may explore trading relievers Trevor Megill and Nick Mears, according to Sammon, Rosenthal, and Woo. Megill is projected to earn $4.2 million through arbitration, while Mears is slated to receive $1.6 million, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
The Brewers won an MLB-best 97 games in 2025 before the Los Angeles Dodgers swept them in the NLCS.