The Milwaukee Brewers won the World Series, but soon they will have to turn their focus to preparing for next year.
While most of the Brewers' stars are under contract, there are some that have one year remaining before hitting the open market. In the past, the Brewers have traded players like that if they have trade value and the team knows they won't re-sign them as free agents.
The biggest names to watch are William Contreras and Trevor Megill this offseason. While Contreras could be traded, it's more unlikely now that he won World Series MVP and the team does not really have a replacement. However, trading Megill would make a ton of sense.
For one, the Brewers have traded away their last two star closers before they hit free agency. Josh Hader was dealt to the Houston Astros. Devin Williams was traded to the New York Yankees. Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta were also traded before hitting the open market.
The Brewers could trade Megill and not really lose much. They already have Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby ready to step in as closers and their pitching development is so good that they can likely find another arm for cheap and turn him into a high-leverage option.
Any contender would love to add an All-Star closer before next season, and Megill's value is very high.
As for Contreras, the Brewers may prefer to take the Willy Adames route with him. They could just bite the bullet and let him play out his deal and then lose him in free agency if they choose not to pay him. The primary reason for doing that is his leadership and the fact that they don't have a ready replacement.