The Brewers and Royals just pulled off a quietly intriguing trade that checks boxes for both clubs. Milwaukee is sending outfielder Isaac Collins and right-hander Nick Mears to Kansas City, while lefty reliever Angel Zerpa heads to the Brewers. On the surface, it’s a swap of depth pieces-but dig a little deeper, and there’s more going on here than meets the eye.
Royals Keep Reworking the Outfield
Kansas City made it clear coming into the offseason: upgrading the outfield was a priority. They already signed Lane Thomas, and now they’ve added Collins, a switch-hitter coming off a breakout season in Milwaukee. The 28-year-old was a surprise story in 2025, going from fringe roster candidate in Spring Training to the Brewers’ everyday left fielder.
Collins didn’t just hold his own-he produced. His 122 wRC+ across 130 games made him one of the most productive rookies in the National League, finishing fourth in Rookie of the Year voting, just behind teammate Caleb Durbin. That kind of performance, especially from a player who wasn’t even on the radar a year ago, gives Kansas City a controllable, versatile bat who can handle both corners and switch-hit-something they’ve lacked in recent seasons.
He’s especially useful against right-handed pitching, slashing .280/.390/.415 from the left side. The numbers dip a bit as a righty-.232 average with a .324 OBP-but Collins brings enough plate discipline and contact ability to be a valuable piece in a platoon-heavy outfield. With Thomas likely to handle lefties, Collins can complement him against righties, giving the Royals a more balanced look.
This move also signals that Kansas City isn’t done reshaping the outfield. They’ve been linked to names like Teoscar Hernández, Jake Meyers, Brendan Donovan, and Jarren Duran, and they’ve reportedly shown interest in free agents like Harrison Bader and Austin Hays. Clearly, the front office sees the outfield as a work in progress, and Collins gives them another piece to play with.
Brewers Clear the Logjam, Add a Ground-Ball Machine
From Milwaukee’s perspective, this move helps clear a crowded outfield picture. With Jackson Chourio and Sal Frelick locked into everyday roles, and Christian Yelich still in the mix when he’s not DHing, the Brewers had a surplus of outfielders.
Collins, Blake Perkins, Garrett Mitchell, and Brandon Lockridge were all competing for innings, and the team recently added Akil Baddoo on a split contract. Something had to give.
In return, they get Angel Zerpa, a 26-year-old lefty who’s quietly been one of the more effective ground-ball pitchers in the league. Zerpa logged 60 appearances for the second straight season and posted a 4.18 ERA over 64 2/3 innings.
But ERA doesn’t tell the whole story here. Zerpa’s 63.7% ground ball rate ranked in the 99th percentile last season.
That’s elite territory-and it’s no fluke. He’s always profiled as a contact manager rather than a strikeout artist, and he leaned into that identity even more in 2025.
The advanced metrics back it up. A 3.38 SIERA and 3.50 xFIP suggest his ERA may have been inflated by some bad luck-especially considering his BABIP has hovered over .320 in back-to-back seasons. That number could normalize over time, and if it does, Zerpa could become a real weapon in Milwaukee’s lefty-heavy bullpen.
Right now, the Brewers’ pen already includes Jared Koenig and Aaron Ashby in high-leverage roles, with Rob Zastryzny and DL Hall filling in the middle and long relief spots. Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe are likely to handle most of the save chances, but Zerpa gives them another high-upside option-especially if they decide to move one of their current arms.
Mears Heads to KC Looking for Stability
As for Nick Mears, he’s a bit of a wild card in this deal. The right-hander came to Milwaukee from Colorado in mid-2024 and had an up-and-down run with the Brewers. He showed flashes as a reliable middle reliever in 2025 but faded late in the year, giving up five earned runs in five September outings before missing time with back tightness.
He did pitch 1 1/3 scoreless innings in the NLDS, but wasn’t on the NLCS roster. That tells you where he stood in the bullpen pecking order.
For Kansas City, he’s a depth arm with some upside-hard-throwing, with experience in leverage spots. If he can stay healthy and find some consistency, he could stick in a middle relief role.
Final Thoughts
This trade isn’t going to dominate headlines, but it’s the kind of move that can quietly shape a season. The Royals get a productive, switch-hitting outfielder who fits their roster needs and gives them flexibility. The Brewers, in turn, clear outfield space for their young core and add a ground-ball specialist who could thrive in their pitching infrastructure.
It’s a classic baseball trade-needs for needs, strengths for strengths. And both clubs walk away a little better positioned for 2026.