Eugenio Suarez is the flavor of the day, the talk of the town, the cream of the crop when it comes to trade deadline targets. Reports are coming out of everywhere that teams are interested in Eugenio Suarez, including the Yankees and just about every other contender. The Brewers could use that kind of power, as Suarez has hit multiple homers in back-to-back games now and just keeps on raking.
3 Realistic Trade Targets For the Brewers Not Named Eugenio Suarez originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Eugenio Suarez is the flavor of the day, the talk of the town, the cream of the crop when it comes to trade deadline targets. He's been a much discussed target for not just the Milwaukee Brewers, but the entire league.
Reports are coming out of everywhere that teams are interested in Eugenio Suarez, including the Yankees and just about every other contender. The Brewers could use that kind of power, as Suarez has hit multiple homers in back-to-back games now and just keeps on raking.
But with so much attention on Suarez, the Brewers might find themselves priced out in a bidding war and not willing to pay what will likely be a higher price than what Suarez should be worth.
With Suarez's price tag rising by the day and his popularity among other contenders rising, let's take a look at some alternatives for the Brewers to target to upgrade their roster.
Orioles 1B Ryan O'Hearn
32 year old Ryan O'Hearn is in the final year of his contract with the Baltimore Orioles and is having a productive season. The Orioles are open to selling off their rental pieces amidst a tough 2025 season and O'Hearn is one of the more logical pieces to go.
This season, O'Hearn is hitting .282 with 11 homers, an .829 OPS, and a 135 OPS+. He's hitting almost exclusively versus righties as a lefty swinging platoon bat.
The Brewers currently have a number of first base options within the organization. Their two primary ones, however, are currently on the IL with Rhys Hoskins and Jake Bauers. Bauers has a shoulder injury and his timeline for a return is still very murky. Tyler Black was called up in his place, but he hasn't proven much at the big league level.
Milwaukee likes having both a left-handed and right-handed first base option. O'Hearn represents a big upgrade over Black and Bauers as a LH hitting first baseman. Him and Andrew Vaughn present a strong tandem to cover the spot until Hoskins returns.
O'Hearn draws his walks and doesn't strike out a ton, making him a logical target for the Brewers, especially with everyone that's seeking a corner infielder focused on Eugenio Suarez.
Diamondbacks 1B Josh Naylor
Instead of talking to the Diamondbacks about their one corner infielder, the Brewers should talk to them about another, first baseman Josh Naylor.
Similar to O'Hearn, Naylor is a left-handed hitting first baseman in the last year of his contract before hitting free agency. However, Naylor can play everyday and doesn't need to sit against lefties. On the season, Naylor is hitting .291 with 11 homers, an .813 OPS and a 125 OPS+.
It's a very similar fit as an upgrade to the left-handed hitting first baseman position on the Brewers. He could also get some time at DH and Christian Yelich could move into the outfield when the Brewers want to give Vaughn or eventually Hoskins a start in the lineup.
He's making $10.9MM this year, but the Brewers would only be on the hook for about one-third of it should they make the trade. While everyone is calling Arizona about Suarez, the Brewers can be talking to them about Naylor and still get the upgrade to the lineup they seek, adding some more power, but also the contact skills that Pat Murphy wants.
Guardians 1B/DH Carlos Santana
Why not go back to this well one more time? The Brewers acquired Carlos Santana to help them down the stretch in 2023 and they could do so again in 2025. In his 16th MLB season, the 39 year old Santana may not be as good as he once was, but he is still a steady and productive switch-hitter that can give you some pop.
Pat Murphy has preached getting the right kind of guy for the clubhouse, not just focusing on stats but someone that can fit in and not have a big ego. Carlos Santana is someone the Brewers are quite familiar with and who has an excellent reputation as a clubhouse presence.
This season, Santana is hitting .228 with 11 homers, a .681 OPS, and a 90 OPS+. So he's below-average in the league in production, but he draws lots of walks, he can produce some pop off the bench, and can run into homers a little more often than Jake Bauers has. You know Santana will give you a good at-bat, and he's stuck around the league this long for a reason.
The Guardians won't make available Jose Ramirez, who's one of the best all-around hitters in the game. But they are likely to make available someone like Santana as they sit more than 10 games out in the AL Central. Santana is a legend in Cleveland and they'll still want to do right by him if they move him. Sending him to a place that he's been to before and did well with, just might be that right move.
Related: 5 Prospects the Brewers That Could Be Attractive Trade Chips at 2025 Trade Deadline
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
