With the Winter Meetings likely headed for the scrap heap, this week’s GM Meetings suddenly matter a whole lot more than they usually do. MLB is bracing for a lockout on the night of December 1 while the league and the MLB Players’ Association work toward a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, and that changes the whole rhythm of the offseason. Once the stoppage begins, teams won’t be able to sign free agents, work out trades or alter rosters for the 2027 season.
That’s why clubs are trying to get as much done as possible in November. The usual December run-up is getting compressed, and the Winter Meetings, set for December 7-9, are expected to be canceled because they would land just one week after the work stoppage begins.
So now the question is whether the GM Meetings, which technically began yesterday in Las Vegas, become the new pressure point. They usually don’t produce the same volume of deals as the Winter Meetings, mainly because they arrive much earlier on the calendar. But with the offseason speeding up and the Winter Meetings likely gone, there’s a real belief that this week could carry unusual weight.
For the Brewers, that matters. Milwaukee has made a habit of using the Winter Meetings as the setup phase for trades, then finishing the job shortly after. That pattern has shown up in each of the four offseasons since MLB’s last lockout wiped out the 2021 Winter Meetings.
Last year, the Brewers dealt Nick Mears and Isaac Collins to the Kansas City Royals on December 14. In 2024, they sent Devin Williams to the New York Yankees for Caleb Durbin and Nestor Cortes on December 13.
A year earlier, they acquired right-hander Taylor Clarke from the Royals soon after the Winter Meetings and then made the Tyrone Taylor and Adrian Houser for Coleman Crow trade with the New York Mets the following week. Back in 2022, the William Contreras three-team blockbuster came together on December 12, five days after the Winter Meetings ended.
That track record makes it easy to see why the GM Meetings could become the Brewers’ new launch point this year. Matt Arnold and his front office have several decisions to sort through before the lockout arrives, and one of the biggest names in the mix is Trevor Megill.
The impending free agent closer is the most likely trade candidate being discussed, and Milwaukee is reportedly looking to continue its recent run of moving All-Star pitchers. The catch is timing: the Brewers need to see how the reliever market develops before they pull the trigger.
A possible Yankees pursuit of Megill, for instance, depends on David Bednar’s qualifying offer and what he decides to do next.
Milwaukee also has a qualifying offer situation of its own to monitor, with Jake Bauers weighing whether to accept the one-year, $23.15 million deal. If he accepts, Andrew Vaughn could become a more prominent name in trade conversations over the next few weeks, since he is set to be a free agent after the season.
One player who does not appear to be on the block is William Contreras. Even though the All-Star catcher is entering his final year of team control, the Brewers are reportedly not interested in moving the World Series MVP this offseason. It’s a familiar stance for Milwaukee, which took the same approach with Willy Adames in 2024 before he left for the San Francisco Giants in free agency.
With the Winter Meetings likely disappearing from the calendar, the GM Meetings carry more significance than usual. And if the Brewers stick to their recent playbook, it would not be a surprise if Megill is the first name to move in the wake of this week’s front office gathering.
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Pat Murphy Added Another Brewers Milestone To His Championship Legacy
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The award also fits the grit that has defined his season from the start. Murphy played through pain in 2026 before hip replacement surgery, and he received the latest recognition while recovering in a Milwaukee hospital bed. For a manager who has already helped deliver the franchises biggest accomplishments, the next chapter is now about what comes after a milestone no one in the modern award era had managed to stack up like this. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Murphys Latest Honor Says Everything About This Brewers Era
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Murphy had delayed hip replacement surgery until after the season so he could stay with the team, and he also dealt with back surgery earlier in the year. Even with all of that, his latest Manager of the Year win underscores how central he has been to Milwaukees rise, with the personal toll of the job now sitting right alongside the hardware. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Murphy Just Put The Brewers In Rare Baseball Company
Pat Murphy keeps stacking up milestones in Milwaukee, and the latest one only adds to the sense that the Brewers have spent the last few seasons operating in a different lane. After guiding the club to a franchise-record 103 wins and its first World Series title in 2026, Murphy was named National League Manager of the Year for the third straight season, a run of recognition that speaks to both the consistency of the team and the standard he has set.
The vote was hardly close, either, with Murphy collecting all 30 ballots and 20 first-place votes. The only wrinkle in the celebration is where he was when the honor came in, because Murphy was recovering from hip surgery as the announcement was made, a reminder that even in a season defined by dominance, there was still one more challenge for the Brewers' manager to work through. [Read more 🡒]