Earlier this offseason, the Milwaukee Brewers made the huge decision to give infield prospect Cooper Pratt a massive contract extension ahead of his big league debut. After the deal was finalized, the Brewers added him to their 40-man roster. In the corresponding move, they designated outfielder Steward Berroa for assignment.
Berroa initially came over to Milwaukee last season from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a trade that sent cash back to Los Angeles. He was 0 for 5 in two games with the Brewers last season.
After being designated for assignment, Berroa was traded again, this time going from the Brewers to the Philadelphia Phillies in a deal that sends cash back to Milwaukee.
“The Phillies have acquired outfielder Steward Berroa from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for cash considerations and optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. To make room for Berroa on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Yoniel Curet was designated for assignment,” the Phillies wrote in a team post to X on Wednesday.
This kind of move seems small, but it was the next step toward getting Pratt to the big leagues, which is a very anticipated debut following the contract extension.
Brewers needed to move Steward Berroa to clear room for Cooper Pratt
Milwaukee Brewers infielder Cooper Pratt fields a ground ball during spring training workouts Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | Dave Kallmann / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
With Pratt joining the 40-man roster, somebody had to go. Berroa didn’t have a future as an impact player for the Brewers, so the team was able to freely cut ties with him without sweating about it. But this opens up the possibility for Pratt to be in the big leagues in the near future.
Pratt is struggling a bit in the minor leagues right now. He’s slashing .217/.250/.217 with five hits in five games this year. He’s always going to be a glove-first infielder, but he needs to hit a bit better in the minor leagues before the Brewers could justify bringing him up to Milwaukee. If he could post an OPS of around .750 for a few weeks, the Brewers would likely be able to bring him up and allow him to transition into the big league infield.
Following the Berroa trade, all eyes are going to be on Pratt. Now that he’s on the 40-man roster, he could be in Milwaukee as soon as he gets hot at the plate.