Article: Brewers Farm System X-Factors: Potential Trade Targets, Part Three – Lottery Tickets

[Harold Hutchison]

The Brewers should not just look at immediate or near-MLB prospects in any deal involving Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Willy Adames, and Eric Lauer, among others. After all, there is always the future to consider, and taking a long view can reap benefits. Take the Adam Lind trade, where the Brewers got three very young prospects, including Freddy Peralta.

Image courtesy of Brock Beauchamp

So, it may not be bad for the Crew to look for that option in the rookie leagues (DSL, ACL, GCL) or even full-season A and A+ leagues. After all, given the harsh hot-stove realities they face, the Brewers should be looking to generate multiple waves of prospects and, ideally, find the prospects that other teams are undervaluing.

These players come with a bigger risk – they won’t quite have the track record of the AAA or AA prospects discussed earlier, and there’s a longer road to MLB. Well, you make the trade and take your chances.

SS Frederick Bencosme and OF Braylin Tavera, Baltimore Orioles
Think of Bencosme as a left-handed Jeff Cirillo with some speed who can play shortstop—a good option off the bench in the worst case. Tavera already has monster OBP skills and could develop into a superb power bat in the outfield, with an ETA down the road, even if the outfield is already crowded in the farm system.

SS Angel Genao and OF Jaison Chourio, Cleveland Guardians
Genao is a switch-hitting middle infielder who looks to develop some decent power down the road. Given how the Brewers love versatility, Genao looks like a natural fit for the Crew if they keep the front office band together. If the other guy sounds familiar, he’s Jackson’s younger brother. Jaison has incredible OBP skills and is a switch-hitter, so a family reunion could pay off big for the Crew.

RHPs Miguel Ullola and Jose Fleury, Houston Astros
If the Brewers want to create the Peralta Poach of a decade ago, the Astros could be a potential partner to do that with a pair of pitchers. Ullola has a fastball that hitters struggle with, much like Peralta. Fleury posted a 15:1 K/BB ratio in his early stops. Either pitcher would be a massive boost to a late 2020s Brewers rotation or bullpen.

2B Adrian Palencia and RHPs Walter Urena and Nixon Encarnacion, Los Angeles Angels
Palencia is a switch-hitting middle infielder with some pop, a lot of speed, and excellent OBP skills, and they could be a Keith Ginter with speed for the Brewers bench down the road. Urena and Encarnacion would-be candidates to replicate Peralta as rookie-league steals.

SS Ryan Reckley and C Patrick Bailey, San Francisco Giants
A pair of switch-hitters, Reckley and Bailey, both have flashed excellent OBP skills. Bailey is a 3TO bat at catcher with the superb defense who’s had injury issues, meaning he may need time at DH or first base to minimize trips to the disabled list. Reckley has OBP skills, speed, and pop but suffered cracked vertebrae, which ended his season after 11 games.

SS Carlos Colmenarez and 1B Xavier Isaac, Tampa Bay Rays
The Crew could have a couple of intriguing options for lottery tickets from the Rays. Colmenarez is a superb defender with OBP skills, some speed, and the ability to rack up doubles – much like Craig Counsell. Isaac is a slightly taller Prince Fielder, but his coachability and left-handed bat could bode well as the Brewers' primary 1B in the late 2020s and early 2030s.

SS Tucker Toman, RHP Dahian Santos, and UT Adrin Pinto, Toronto Blue Jays
If Brewers fans like Robert Moore, they could also like Tucker Toman, a similar switch-hitter who plays the middle infield. Toman could easily slot in at third, second, short, or be a utility guy. Pinto is only 5’6” tall, but he has a ton of speed, OBP skills, and the fearlessness that could remind Brewers fans of Fernando Vina. Santos has a dynamic slider that could make him a dominant closer like the “Nasty Boys” types the Reds put together in 1990.

Overview
This list is far from exhaustive, but the Brewers could secure several prospects for the long term in any trade that involves Burnes, Woodruff, or other players. There are risks – injuries and inability to adjust; we’re familiar with all of that from other prospects who looked good at first. But the rewards from some of these prospects could be huge.

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[wntrtxn21]

It looks like clancy is assuming the Brewers are going to just give up on 2023 and beyond. I don't believe the Brewers can take the huge risk of far away propsects for their biggest trade chip in many years and still remain competitive. They are very thin in starting pitching, especially with Ashby out and re-signing Woodruff very questionable.  Giving Burnes away and receiving no MLB ready pitching makes this year's team and 2024 considerably worse. 

 

 

[Harold Hutchison]

3 hours ago, wntrtxn21 said:

It looks like clancy is assuming the Brewers are going to just give up on 2023 and beyond. I don't believe the Brewers can take the huge risk of far away propsects for their biggest trade chip in many years and still remain competitive. They are very thin in starting pitching, especially with Ashby out and re-signing Woodruff very questionable.  Giving Burnes away and receiving no MLB ready pitching makes this year's team and 2024 considerably worse. 

 

 

No, not assuming that, but if there is a package coming... maybe get a couple of near MLB-ready prospects or low-service time MLB players, but also get a younger player or two.