Proposed Prospect Package Begins With Luis Pena In Potential Brewers Trade For Tigers' Tarik Skubal

[Steve Drumwright]

 

The price for Tarik Skubal will be high regardless of what team acquires the reigning two-time AL Cy Young Award winner from the Detroit Tigers.

With the Milwaukee Brewers possessing the top farm system in MLB, they are well-positioned to deal for this year's biggest prize on the trade market. The deadline for making trades is Monday at 5 p.m. CT.

But what does that package look like? No better expert to put a proposal together than JJ Cooper of Baseball America. Cooper spent the time identifying packages from six teams, led by the Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Without further adieu, here is what he put together for the Brewers:

• Shortstop Luis Pena
• Third baseman Andrew Fischer
• Outfielder Josiah Ragsdale
• Shortstop Ricki Moneys

Cooper said that Pena's path to the majors with the Brewers might be a little tougher with how their infield is currently constructed and with No. 1 prospect Jesus Made soon to join that group. Another top prospect, Cooper Pratt, has taken over as the starting shortstop and Brice Turang is a former Gold Glove second baseman. That leaves third base as Made's likely position, perhaps as soon as Opening Day next year.

Fischer, last year's first-round draft choice, is a corner infielder who leads the minors in home runs with 33 entering play Thursday.

Ragsdale is having a breakout season that has raised his prospect profile at High-A Wisconsin and Double-A Biloxi. Moneys was the Brewers' top international signing in January who is a power-hitting infielder.

What do you think? Is that too much for the Brewers to give up for a chance at the franchise's first World Series championship?

 

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[cragi]

should be in the crazy proposal thread

[adambr2]

I know Skubal is amazing but giving up the #18 prospect in baseball for anyone who won’t be here after October just seems crazy to me. I’d feel the same if we were getting to rent Ohtani for the same price. 

If we are going to give up Pena I’d rather get Mason Miller and at least have our 9th inning solved for the next few years.

If the original proposal replaced Pena with Jett Williams I could probably get there.

I would also like to point out that rampant sports media speculation takes place every time a player like Skubal is available and they are very rarely even close. I don’t think MLB teams or GMs are influenced by it at all.

[wallus]

Respectfully, this is bad.

[BrewLongma34]

Sorry JJ Cooper.   That is unfortunately too rich.   
 

You guys are going to be amazed at how cheap Skubal is going to be based on weeks and weeks of people like Jim Bowden, Steve Phillips , and Cooper spouting out these ridiculous trade packages.  
 

He’s a rental.  A great rental mind you…but still a rental.   2 top 30 prospects (none in the top 5…and a Drohan.   Thats

[adambr2]

I’ll also note in fairness that the package proposal isn’t really crazy far off in value from the CC Sabathia package, but that was 18 years ago and general managers just don’t usually give up that kind of prospect value for a rental anymore, even the best aces. 

[MilwaukeeBeers]

I recall thinking we were gonna get a haul for Burnes and we got what we got for a full year of pitching... 

[adambr2]

3 minutes ago, BrewLongma34 said:

Sorry JJ Cooper.   That is unfortunately too rich.   
 

You guys are going to be amazed at how cheap Skubal is going to be based on weeks and weeks of people like Jim Bowden, Steve Phillips , and Cooper spouting out these ridiculous trade packages.  
 

He’s a rental.  A great rental mind you…but still a rental.   2 top 30 prospects (none in the top 5…and a Drohan.   Thats

I think it’s probably going to be considerably less than they think but probably also more than you think. 

Elite pitching is very valuable, even in the short term. I was surprised how much we got for Freddy and he’s obviously nowhere close to Skubal. 

[wiguy94]

10 minutes ago, MilwaukeeBeers said:

I recall thinking we were gonna get a haul for Burnes and we got what we got for a full year of pitching... 

Burnes was also a lot worse than Skubal when we traded him.

[long ball]

This might be a reasonable proposal. 
 

Obviously Peña is a well regarded prospect across the board. Positional fit and timing of big league readiness possibly make him redundant and/or far enough away from his debut that I could stomach his inclusion. 
 

Fischer is a bit of a boom/bust prospect. Prodigious power, but scary whiff rate. I don’t mind trading him, but I kinda feel like he’s undervalued here. 
 

ragsdale, I could live with selling high on him. He’s having a great season and is possibly positionally redundant if he’s on a similar timeline as Adamczewski. 
 

moneys… I don’t mind in theory trading this type of prospect, I just don’t want to trade away this particular lottery ticket. 
 

overall, this package would hurt. If you subbed out Fischer and added Adams or Burke I think I’d be ok. 

[Dadbauer]

I mean maybe that's the price, but it's not the price we're gonna pay. Hope we can score off him in the NLCS.

[KCBrewerfan34]

Absurd

[Jim French Stepstool]

This would be for Skubal AND Miller, right?

It's hard to pigeonhole Pena because it looks like there's some versatility there. But as an INF he has Made ahead of him on the developmental ladder and Ebel, Ebel & Moneys behind, so I'd be open to the idea of including him in a deal. But really, if you're talking rental then only one of the top two on the above list--and I'd probably rather it be Fischer.

[Jim French Stepstool]

Ragsdale is doing the same impressive work at the plate he's been doing in both levels of A-ball, except now he's doing it in AA AND is starting to show power while maintaining a very impressive OBP. But he's still under the radar enough that I don't believe we'd get full value for him. I'd be as scared as hell to deal him right now.

[nate82]

Greene makes more sense if you are going to give up a Pena plus package.

[Seth Stohs]

1 hour ago, adambr2 said:

I think it’s probably going to be considerably less than they think but probably also more than you think. 

Elite pitching is very valuable, even in the short term. I was surprised how much we got for Freddy and he’s obviously nowhere close to Skubal. 

I agree with this because... if the prospect price is not terribly high, more teams will be involved... in which case those prospect packages will have to get better. 

I would think a guy in the Brewers' 7-10 range of prospect, maybe on the in 11-16 range, another in the 21-30 range, and maybe two more DSL lottery tickets might work?

 

[Bob K]

Wow!  JJ Cooper must be a diehard Tigers fan. If Arnold gave up that much for a Skubal rental, he would be betting his job on a World Series championship. Crazy overpay!

[Matt]

If Pena is the price, and history says it is, then I'm passing. 

[MilwaukeeBeers]

2 hours ago, wiguy94 said:

Burnes was also a lot worse than Skubal when we traded him.

It is the most recent trade of a Cy Young winner in a walk year. I understand Skubal is better I also understand he has less control and is coming off injury/fresh surgery. It is a huge risk and one I am not willing to part with Pena for.