The Milwaukee Brewers have four very talented outfielders under club control for years to come, but may need to consider trading one of them.
Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick and Luis Lara were integral to the Brewers winning it all, but unfortunately, not all of them can play every day. In 2025, Frelick hit .280 and played pretty much every game. This year, he played through a torn labrum and will likely need surgery after the season.
He hit .230 this year, but is a premium defender and recorded a hit in all but two of the 10 postseason games he played in. He hit a huge home run in Game 2 of the World Series and is a huge part of the clubhouse. He is under club control through 2029.
Mitchell played in his first full season this year and was great for the Brewers. He played every day and posted a .771 OPS while playing elite defense. He is under club control through 2028.
Chourio is one of the best players in baseball and has already signed an extension that keeps him under team control through 2033.
Lara signed an extension this year before even making his debut. He is an amazing defender and platooned with Frelick in right field. He is a switch-hitter, and the Brewers believe he can be a great offensive player.
For the time being, all four can coexist, with Frelick and Lara sharing right field. However, if the team re-signs Jake Bauers, there will be a decision to be made.
Bauers is nowhere near the defender that Lara and Frelick are, but he is a far better hitter. This season, he played right field at times so the Brewers could get him and Andrew Vaughn, who is also a great hitter, in the lineup together. If the Brewers pay Bauers, there's no way he won't play every game.
The decision the team needs to make is whether to trade Mitchell or Frelick, or to trade Vaughn if they re-sign Bauers.
If the team believes Frelick can be the hitter he was in 2025, they would be foolish to trade him. Mitchell has the potential to be an All-Star-caliber player, so trading him may also be a miscalculation.
The Brewers don't need to trade any of their outfielders right now, and Frelick platooning with Lara is a likely scenario going into next season. However, if Bauers does end up staying in Milwaukee, something will have to be done. Vaughn is too good a hitter to be sitting on the bench.