Pirates' playoff path just cleared further after Brewers' bizarre roster sacrifice

The Brewers are typically one of the quieter teams in the offseason. Like the Pirates, their diminutive payroll and position as a small market team are factors that typically limit how much they can spend in free agency. However, that hasn't stopped Milwaukee from making some big trades.

Usually, these trades make them marginally better in a non-obvious way, even if the players they get in return aren't nearly as recognizable. The Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams trades were two moves that swapped marquee pitching talent for less recognizable players with more club control. They made a similar move this winter by sending Freddy Peralta to the Mets, but their most recent deal with Boston may finally be give the Pirates a leg up in the NL Central.

In a massive deal involving a total of six players, Milwaukee sent Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Seigler, and a Competitive Balance Round B draft pick. This guts their options at third base and will force them to go back to the drawing board when it comes to aligning their infield.

Durbin received the lion's share of starts in the hot corner for Milwaukee last season, spending 126 total games at the position while Seigler was an occasional backup. Monasterio has been a depth piece for the past few years and primarily filled in for an injured Joey Ortiz at shortstop in 2025 but was primarily a third baseman for the Brewers in 2023 and 2024.

In exchange, the Brewers received Kyle Harrison, Shane Drohan, and David Hamilton from the Red Sox. Hamilton is currently slotted in at the top of the depth chart for third base but that will likely change, especially since he has played just a single game at third base throughout his entire professional and college career.

The Brewers traded away nearly all of their third base depth to the Red Sox in exchange for three unproven players

Other than Hamilton, the Brewers can fall back to using Jett Williams or Joey Ortiz to play third base but both players are natural shortstops. Ortiz primarily played third base in 2024 but like Hamilton, Williams hasn't played a single game of third base since being drafted.

The other parts of the return package present further questions. The Brewers already have more starting pitching talent than they can use, so why add two more young players in Harrison and Drohan? Both arms have a long way to go in terms of development, especially Drohan who has yet to make his debut despite being drafted in 2020. Even if they're ready to contribute now, Milwaukee can't waste roster space on carrying arms that aren't being utilized to their full potential.

The Pirates haven't had the most exciting offseason either, making small improvements to the roster but hardly ones that look like they'll truly move the needle. Funnily enough, they too are looking for an upgrade at third base which may force them to compete with the Brewers in more ways than one.

Milwaukee has lorded over the NL Central over the past few years, winning the division four times in five years. They've had no problems making the playoffs consistently whereas Pittsburgh hasn't made it back since 2015.

However, this could be a rare opportunity for the Pirates to make up some ground in the division, especially if they make another impactful move to close the gap even more. They aren't exactly World Series contenders but the road to the top is long and begins with a single step.