The Brewers have spent the season in the thick of the National League race, but the rotation still looks like a spot where help would make sense. Injuries have already wiped out 2026 for Brandon Woodruff and Quinn Priester, while Kyle Harrison is on a rehab assignment and still appears to be weeks from being back to full strength.
That’s where Jose Soriano enters the picture. He’s already given Milwaukee 2.5 bWAR this season, and the numbers back up the value: a 3.43 ERA, a 121 ERA+, and 122 strikeouts across 118 innings in 21 starts. For a club trying to stay in the hunt now while also thinking ahead, Soriano checks a lot of boxes.
The longer-term appeal is part of the draw, too. Brandon Woodruff is headed for free agency, leaving a future opening in the rotation, and Soriano’s two remaining seasons of club control would give the Brewers a relatively affordable way to cover that ground in 2027 and 2028.
On the Angels’ side, the logic is different. John Mozeliak has said, “we need to change” and also made clear that he wants to contend again sooner rather than later. That means targeting prospects who are close to the majors, and Milwaukee has several names that fit that mold.
Jeferson Quero stands out as the headliner. He spent his minor league days showing up in the top half of every major prospect list, and this season he has already appeared in one big league game.
The catcher has long been praised for his defense and pitch framing, but the bat has come along, too. In 81 games at AAA Nashville, he hit .261/.340/.427 with 11 home runs and 12 doubles.
The International League, the source noted, is a better test of offense than the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
That kind of profile lines up neatly with what the Angels are said to want. They’re looking for a young catcher, and Quero fits that need almost too cleanly.
Another name in the mix is Adamczewski, who has been scorching the ball at every stop. He opened with a .415 OBP and .538 SLG in the Arizona Fall League, then tore through High A with a .331/.464/.572 line, 9 home runs, 11 doubles, and 10 stolen bases in 50 games. After moving up to AA, he kept rolling, hitting .314/.402/.539 with 9 more doubles and 4 home runs in just 27 games.
The bigger point is that this isn’t some sudden breakout with no track record behind it. Over four minor league seasons, Adamczewski has posted a .319/.435/.512 slash line. He’s always hit; now he’s hitting at an even higher level.
For an Angels farm system short on impact bats, that kind of production would matter. So would Burke, another AA-level piece who could help change the look of the organization.
The left-hander is a first baseman and designated hitter, and through 81 games he has put up a .265/.353/.553 line with 22 doubles and 21 home runs. The strikeouts are there - 86 of them - which is why he ranks lowest among the prospects discussed, but his .368 career on-base percentage suggests enough walks to help balance that out.
Taken together, the idea is simple: Soriano gives the Brewers a boost now and in the near future, while the Angels get closer to the kind of rebuild they’re trying to build around. Add this kind of return to the package that would send Zach Neto to the Red Sox, and the Angels would be bringing in a potential frontline starter, a good catcher, and multiple prospects with real upside. The source projects that Eyanonson, Quero, and Adamczewski could all be in the majors by 2028, with Burke also a reasonable bet to work his way into the DH/outfield mix.
A full reset would not stop there. Reid Detmers would also need to be moved, and trade packages for him are set to be explored tomorrow.
In Other News...
Angels May Finally Be Ready To Fix A Problem Fans Know Too Well
The Angels have spent plenty of seasons trying to patch over the same old issue behind the plate, and this winter looks like another chance to finally address it in a more lasting way. Logan OHoppe has not given the club the offensive or defensive return it expected, and while the system does include catcher-capable prospects, the organization may be ready to pursue a more established answer rather than keep waiting for internal development to solve everything.
With the front office in transition, the search for a long-term catcher figure to be one of the clearest priorities. There is still a path that keeps the current pipeline intact, but the more interesting possibility is a trade market that could bring in a young option with more staying power, which would mark a meaningful shift for a team that has spent too long living with uncertainty at a premium position. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Face A Familiar Deadline Test With One Costly Veteran Bat
The Angels are again staring at a deadline that could push them toward selling, and one veteran bat stands out as the likeliest piece to move. Jorge Soler has not delivered the kind of season that would make him easy to shop, but his status as an expiring contract keeps him in the conversation as the front office weighs whether to turn a short-term asset into something useful for the future.
Solers market is complicated by the fact that he has underperformed and still carries enough salary to make any deal tricky. Even so, the Angels have been linked to a broader deadline picture that includes interest in arms and younger pieces such as Reid Detmers, Jose Soriano and Zach Neto, which makes Soler feel like the type of veteran who could be moved if the club decides to lean into the market rather than fight it. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Tried To Pry Mike Trout From The Angels Again
The Red Sox have already taken a swing at Mike Trout before, according to a report from Bob Nightengale, and the idea alone says plenty about how Boston views the Angels star. Trout remains one of the biggest names in the sport, even as the conversation around him has shifted from what he once was to whether another club could ever realistically pry him away from Anaheim.
Boston is still looking around the Angels orbit, too, with Zach Neto now on its radar and Washington shortstop CJ Abrams also drawing interest. But Trout looks like a long shot at best this season, thanks to his no-trade clause and the Angels reluctance to move him, which leaves the Red Sox chasing talent while the most eye-catching possibility stays mostly theoretical. [Read more 🡒]