Brewers Linked to Former Guardians, Padres Catcher in Free Agency

There are few holes on the Milwaukee Brewers' roster after taking home the 2026 World Series, even with Jake Bauers no longer in the organization.

Bauers will call the Boston Red Sox home for the next four seasons and yet the Brewers are still in a phenomenal place. Milwaukee's front office has built this roster with young, cost-controlled talent and the vast majority of the key cogs for the organization are under team control for years to come. Plus, the Brewers have the No. 1 overall prospect in the game in Jesus Made and one of the best overall farm systems ready to fill in as veterans leave the organization. All in all, the Brewers are in a great spot. But they should still look around at the open market and see if there are ways they could cheaply add.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand shared a column in which he linked one player to each team. For Milwaukee, he dropped an intriguing name: Austin Hedges.

Should Milwaukee Make A Move?

Sep 4, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges (27) stands on the field in the fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Either Jefferson Quero or Bo Naylor could serve as [William Contreras’] backup, but both have Minor League options remaining and can be sent down. Adding a veteran backup to replace [Gary Sanchez] (or bringing back Sanchez) would give Milwaukee more depth behind the plate — especially if a Contreras trade becomes reality."

The idea of a veteran backup, like Hedges, only makes sense if the Brewers don't view Naylor or Quero as capable of being a high-impact backup to kick off the 2027 campaign. Naylor was acquired ahead of the 2026 trade deadline and Quero is an elite prospect for the organization who made his big league debut in 2026. The Brewers were granted a fourth option year for Quero, which could be positive in the long run for keeping him in the organization.

Feinsand mentioned the possibility of a trade involving William Contreras. It's important to note that at this moment, that doesn't appear to be likely at all. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that he "isn't going anywhere" and that has been the overwhelming sentiment around Contreras this offseason so far. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that the Brewers would "love" to give Contreras an extension and The Athletic's Jiim Bowden reported that Milwaukee will try to extend the All-Star backstop this winter.

So, if the idea of Hedges to Milwaukee hinges specifically on the idea of a trade with Contreras, that isn't likely. That isn't to completely shut down the idea of a move, though. That depends on Naylor and Quero. If the Brewers view either as an impactful backup who can replace Sanchez, then there's no reason to sign Hedges. If they don't, then a move makes sense.

Hedges is a solid player. He's a 12-year big league veteran, who has spent time with the San Diego Padres, Guardians, Pittsburgh Pirates and Texas Rangers throughout his career. The vast majority of his playing career has come with the Padres and Guardians. He spent the first five-plus seasons of his career in San Diego and then bounced around a bit, including two stints in Cleveland. Over the last three seasons, Hedges was in Cleveland and he's coming off a season in which he slashed .247/.325/.377 with six home runs and 25 RBIs in 78 games played.

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