The Brewers’ biggest offensive flaw has been staring everyone in the face all year: they just don’t hit enough home runs.
That problem has been part of the conversation since the 2026 season opened, and it hasn’t gone away. Milwaukee didn’t bring in a major power bat for the big league roster, and the result has been an attack that ranks last in baseball with 121 home runs. In a playoff setting, that kind of shortage can become even more glaring, because one swing can decide a short series.
Andrew Fischer has remained the club’s hopeful answer for the future. The Brewers’ No. 5 prospect keeps showing why, and on Wednesday he launched his 39th homer of the season.
He also has 10 RBIs in as many games for the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers. But he’s still down in the minors, which means he’s not the fix for Milwaukee right now.
That’s why Eugenio Suárez suddenly looks like such a natural fit.
After the trade deadline, ways to add talent are limited. Free agency is usually the only path, and even that rarely offers a difference-maker this late in the year. Suárez, though, is now available after Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that both Suárez and outfielder TJ Friedl were placed on outright waivers by the Cincinnati Reds.
"When the Cincinnati Reds signed free agent Eugenio Suárez to a one-year, $15 million contract in early February, they viewed him as a slugger who could help them to a second straight postseason appearance," Rosenthal wrote. "Instead, in the latest indication of a season that has gone awry, the Reds have placed Suárez and outfielder TJ Friedl on outright waivers, according to people briefed on the process."
Suárez is on a one-year, $15 million deal with a mutual option for 2027, and those mutual options are almost never exercised. That makes free agency the likeliest next stop. If another team claims him, it would also take on the remainder of his salary, which gives the Reds a way to trim costs as their season heads nowhere.
For Milwaukee, the appeal is obvious. Suárez has 19 home runs and 57 RBIs in 103 games this season, and he can handle both first and third base. The Brewers would only need to put in a claim and hope no team ahead of them on waivers gets there first.
For a team that needs power badly, he’s the kind of bat that could matter whether he’s in the lineup every day or used in a supporting role. He’s available, and the Brewers should be all over it.
In Other News...
Brewers Fans May Not Like What September Means For Top Prospects
September brings the usual roster squeeze relief, with MLB clubs able to expand from 26 to 28 players for the final month. For Brewers fans, that always sparks the same hope: a chance to see some of the organizations most intriguing young talent in Milwaukee before the season ends. Shortstop Jess Made and corner infielder Andrew Fischer are among the names that get people talking, especially with the Brewers carrying a farm system that has given the front office plenty to think about.
The problem is that a September call-up is not always a true preview of what is coming next. Milwaukee is expected to be cautious with both players, and the more likely path is to keep their development on track rather than push them toward the majors too early. With roster rules also capping teams at 14 pitchers, the Brewers will have some flexibility in how they use the extra spots, but not enough to turn the month into a full-on prospect showcase. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Murphys Toughest Brewers Standard Is Sparking A Fan Debate
Pat Murphy has spent the past two seasons showing that success in Milwaukee is not just about talent, but about earning every inning and every roster spot. The Brewers manager has been praised for guiding a young group to back-to-back Manager of the Year awards, and his way of handling that group has been just as notable as the results. When Murphy has benched or demoted players such as Sal Frelick, Caleb Durbin, and Brandon Sproat, it has been less about punishment than about reinforcing the standards he wants from a team built to play clean, disciplined baseball.
Still, the approach can cut both ways, which is where the fan debate starts to get louder. Murphy has leaned into those tough calls because he believes they sharpen the roster and keep the Brewers competitive, but every move like that also tests how much patience a clubhouse and its supporters have for a manager who is willing to make an example out of even young, promising players. For a team trying to stay sharp over the long haul, the question is whether that edge becomes a strength or a source of friction. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Could Be Pulled Into MLBs Biggest Spending Debate
Milwaukees payroll picture has quietly become part of one of baseballs loudest arguments. At roughly $143.6 million, the Brewers sit below the proposed MLB salary floor of $171.2 million, a number that would matter a whole lot more if owners and players ever turned the current spending debate into an actual cap-and-floor system. For a franchise that has long made a habit of competing without spending like a big-market juggernaut, it is another reminder that its operating model could look very different in a new labor landscape.
The Brewers have built real success around efficiency, not brute-force payroll, and that is exactly why they keep showing up in these conversations. A floor would force Milwaukee to spend more just to stay in compliance, even as the larger fight around salary caps remains far from settled. For now, the club is still playing by the old rules, but the broader debate has a way of putting teams like the Brewers right in the middle of baseballs next big financial test. [Read more 🡒]