MILWAUKEE — Having few glaring holes on a roster that was coming off a franchise record for wins put the Brewers in position to make moves on the edges precisely like the one they pulled off on Saturday, when they acquired left-handed reliever Angel Zerpa from the Royals in exchange for reliever Nick Mears and utility man Isaac Collins, a source told MLB.com.
The clubs haven’t confirmed the transaction.
The versatile switch-hitting Collins is coming off a fourth-place finish in NL Rookie of the Year Award balloting and Mears has had stretches of high-leverage work when healthy over the last year and a half. But in Zerpa, 26, the Brewers acquired a lefty who has been durable to the tune of 129 appearances over the past two seasons who has held left-handed batters to a .624 OPS over the course of his career.
In 2025, Zerpa posted a 4.18 ERA in a career-high 69 appearances, including a pair of starts. He set career highs for innings (64 2/3), strikeouts (58) and holds (14) while working with a heavy fastball that ranked in Statcast’s 99th percentile for ground ball percentage and 84th percentile for velocity. His primary fastball, a two-seam sinker, averaged 96.6 mph last season.
For his career, he has a 3.97 ERA in 148 games.
Just as critical as the improvement he offers a bullpen which has been used liberally in Milwaukee in recent seasons, Zerpa is currently arbitration-eligible for the first time and unsigned for 2026. He’s controllable through the 2028 season and also has a Minor League option remaining.
In Collins, 28, the Brewers are parting with an organizational success story. Originally acquired from the Rockies in the Minor League phase of the 2022 Rule 5 Draft, and mostly an infielder before last season, he made the move to left field and hit .263 with nine homers, 54 RBIs and 16 stolen bases for the Brewers in 2025 while manning left field when injuries thinned Milwaukee’s other options.
But outfield is a position of strength now that everyone is healthy, and the Brewers fielded interest in players like Collins and center fielders Garrett Mitchell and Blake Perkins during the Winter Meetings.
