Rangers search for offseason upgrades can't have them fall into this Brewers trap

While the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays battle it out for glory in the World Series, the Texas Rangers sit home plotting their next move. It wasn't that long ago that the Rangers had taken center stage in the Fall Classic, but for fans it feels like ages.

To some, the way for Texas to get back to the top of the mountain is to steal from those who are currently there. The Brewers and Rays have some attractive pieces hitting free agency, but the trade market could be in play with either of these two teams once the dust has settled.

FanSided's MLB insider Robert Murray pegged Brewers catcher William Contreras as a potential trade candidate once the offseason begins, citing Milwaukee's history of trading star players like Corbin Burnes, Josh Hader, Devin Williams, and Freddy Peralta in the final year of their team control.

The Brewers have made it a habit of either extending guys super early, like the deals they doled out to Cooper Pratt and Luis Lara, or, when they can't come to an early agreement, they trade the players a year before free agency to restock their system.

As a plus offensive catcher with a cannon behind the plate, the 28-year-old has already figured to be in high demand, but his incredible postseason performance has raised his stock to the point where it's sky-high. Through Game 1 of the World Series, Contreras is hitting .394/.487/.697 with three homers.

The Rangers were linked to star catcher Ryan Jeffers at the trade deadline, so they could be in this market. Texas did acquire Logan O'Hoppe at the deadline, but the club immediately optioned him to Round Rock and gave him just 18 plate appearances in September once they called him up. How much they trust him moving forward after he posted two straight abysmal seasons is an open question.

Danny Jansen will be back, but the Rangers will likely decline their end of their mutual option with Kyle Higashioka. Adding another catcher could be on the docket, but paying the price to win the bidding war for Jeffers might be outside of the budget. That could make the club a suitor for Contreras if he's put on the block, but that would be a mistake.

There are three reasons why the Rangers should avoid a William Contreras trade with the Brewers

Contreras was one of the stars of the show in Game 1 of the World Series, driving in Milwaukee's second run in the first inning and then throwing out would-be basestealers in back-to-back innings, ending Tampa's streak of perfection on the basepaths.

Gunning down runners caught a lot of attention, and there's no doubt that Contreras can really throw it and also has an above-average pop time. The rest of his defensive abilities leave something to be desired, though. Contreras ranked in the fifth percentile as a pitch framer and the eighth percentile as a pitch blocker in 2026.

The next reason why Texas should avoid trading for Contreras is recent history. The last two of these sorts of deals, Devin Williams to the Yankees and Freddy Peralta to the Mets, had those two clubs regretting their decisions. Granted, Peralta has rebounded tremendously after the Mets traded him to the Rays, but typically speaking, if the Brewers make a player available, it's because they know something.

Contreras's last two regular-season performances have been a step back for him. His wRC+ has dropped from 132 in 2024 to 114 in 2025 to 109 in 2026. At the same time, his fWAR has declined from 5.5 to 3.7, and now to 3.0. Those are still very good numbers, but they are heading in the wrong direction, and most importantly, they might not justify his cost.

Finally, there's the issue of retaining Contreras beyond 2027. If he has another good year, he'll command a pretty penny on the free-agent market. The Rangers will have money coming off the books, with Nathan Eovaldi's contract expiring and Texas holding a $20 million club option for Jacob deGrom. However, if those two starters leave, the Rangers will need to replace them. Starting pitching isn't cheap, so getting comparable or better production will just drive the payroll back up. Unless Ray Davis suddenly feels like spending big again, affording to retain Contreras wouldn't be possible.

If Contreras hits the trade block, it will certainly be intriguing, but ultimately, it'll be an expensive one-year rental that carries too much risk for the Rangers. Unfortunately, they'd be better off passing.

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