Brewers trade Collins, Mears to Royals for Zerpa: report
Angel Zerpa of the Kansas City Royals pitches against the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 27, 2025. (Photo by Daniel Bartel/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Brewers traded outfielder Isaac Collins and pitcher Nick Mears to the Kansas City Royals for pitcher Angel Zerpa, according to a Saturday report from ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Who is Angel Zerpa?
What we know:
Zerpa, a 26-year-old lefty from Venezuela, made his MLB debut in 2021. He's spent all five big-league seasons with the Royals.
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Last season, Zerpa pitched to a 4.18 ERA over 69 appearances – almost entirely in relief. He allowed a .271 opponent batting average, posted a 1.38 WHIP, and tallied a career-best 58 strikeouts. He holds a 3.97 ERA over his career.
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Isaac Collins, Nick Mears
What we know:
In 2025, after a brief stint in the majors the year before, the 28-year-old Collins emerged as a fixture in the outfield for a Milwaukee team that won a franchise-record 97 games. He garnered National League Rookie of the Year consideration.
The switch hitter finished the season with a .779 OPS over 130 games during the regular season. He struggled in the postseason, though, failing to record a hit in nine at-bats over six games.
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Mears, 29, pitched 63 games out of the Brewers' bullpen in 2025. He finished the campaign with a 3.49 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and .213 opponent batting average to go with 46 strikeouts versus 13 walks. He was solid through the postseason, pitching four shutout innings over five games – allowing just one hit, one walk and striking out six.
The right-hander also appeared in 13 games for Milwaukee in 2024, after the club acquired him in a trade with Colorado.
The Source: FOX6 News referenced Passan's report. Statistics and player information is from MLB.com.