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  • Milwaukee Brewers Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

    The latest Milwaukee Brewers free agent and trade rumors, along with notes and tidbits about the team.
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    Matthew Lenz
    While rumors of Kelley Jansen being in the market have been swirling since the offseason, it may have been assumed he was off the market considering the Red Sox unexpected success in 2024. Instead, Jim Bowden of The Athletic wrote that rival executives believe "...there could be 'buyer-to-buyer' type trade this year..."
    While the price tag is hefty in both salary and player capital, the former elite reliever has done exceptional this year sporting a 2.30/2.13 ERA/FIP with a 19.1-percent K-BB and locking down 15/16 save opportunities. He would be an expensive but great addition for any team who needs bullpen help. While relievers are volatile creatures, it's an added bonus that an acquiring team would only be tied to him for this season.
    Cover photo credit: © Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
    Brock Beauchamp
    Cody Stavenhagen, The Athletic's Detroit Tigers beat writer, recent wrote a piece examining the possibility of Jack Flaherty being a trade candidate before the trade deadline.
    With each passing day, it feels more likely the Tigers will sell (and it's being speculated they could consider moving cost-controlled assets like young starter Tarik Skubel). They're currently fourth in the American League Central division, 15 games behind the Cleveland Guardians. They're also 6.5 games out of third Wild Card spot, behind four other teams.
    Flaherty has turned out to be a fantastic offseason pickup for Detroit. Signed to a one-year, $14 million deal, he has started 14 games this season, pitching to a 2.92 ERA with a 2.69 FIP. His groundball rate is the highest since his rookie season in 2017 and he's striking out 11.66 batters per nine innings.
    The complicating factor for the Tigers is that Flaherty can be given a Qualifying Offer this offseason. Projected to be a little over $20 million in 2025, if Flaherty continues pitching as he has, the QO becomes a no-brainer for Detroit. That means the Tigers would have to be confident their trade return exceeds the value they will receive from a 35-ish overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.
    Brock Beauchamp
    Most years, not a lot happens in June trade-wise but this June has been particularly slow, with almost no note-worthy trades happening between teams.
    That's primarily due to two reasons:
    The new postseason format, as many predicted, is keeping more teams in the postseason race than ever before. The ridiculous amount of parity in the leagues, particularly the National League. As of this writing, only three American League teams and just two National League teams are clear sellers: Oakland, the White Sox, and the Angels in the AL, while Colorado and Miami are the only clear sellers in the NL.
    In the American League, 12 of the 15 teams are in a postseason position or within 7.5 games of the third Wild Card spot. In the National League, 13 of the 15 teams are in a postseason position or within just 3.0 games of the third Wild Card spot.
    As we head into July, it's likely we will see more stratification amongst the contenders and some teams will drop out of the race and eventually trade expiring contracts but it's hard to imagine many high-profile names moving in the first half of July. We could also see savvy teams like the Rays, currently 4.0 games out of the third Wild Card, take advantage of the seller's market and intentionally bow out of the race. On the other hand, some GMs/PoBOs should be concerned about their jobs, such as Jed Hoyer and the Cubs, and they may try to avoid making the obvious long-term decision of selling assets to improve in later seasons.
    Time will tell how this all plays out but don't expect much to happen in the coming days or even weeks.
    Brock Beauchamp
    Two weeks ago, the Mets looked like they were on a path to being clear sellers at the trade deadline; several games under .500 and well back of the Wild Card, most expected David Stearns to sell. A small warm-streak later, they're still under .500 but now only two games out of the third Wild Card spot in the National League.
    Why should a Brewers fan care? Well, because the Mets have starting pitching, and a lot of it. Mike Puma of the New York Post tweeted that it's possible the Mets may look to move starters while also trying to contend. They have several starters coming back from injury or in the minors (see below) but also have several starters on expiring or short-term contracts: Luis Severino (3.52 ERA, free agent after the season), Jose Quintana (4.58 ERA, free agent after the season), and Sean Manaea (4.16 ERA, $13.5 million option for 2025) are three options the Metropolitans could use as bait to beef up their middle-of-the-pack offense.
      
    Brock Beauchamp
    Don't shoot the messenger. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote today that the Brewers should consider trading Willy Adames for starting pitching help. While the mere mention of this is likely to bring back Josh Hader nightmares to many Brewers fans, what he argues makes some sense on a baseball level.
    With the promotion and start of Carlos F Rodriguez the other night, the Brewers have used 12 starting pitchers and we're not particularly close to the midpoint of the 2024 season. Adames, a clubhouse and fan favorite, is set to become a free agent after the season and the Brewers have capable middle infielders already rostered in Joey Ortiz and Brice Turang.
    Sure to be a controversial move, it would be dealing from a team strength to fill a team weakness. With Adames due a Qualifying Offer after the season and the relative strength of the Brewers farm system, I'd prefer to deal from the farm to acquire pitching but the idea of moving on from Adames isn't ridiculous, either.
    Brock Beauchamp
    Recently, there has been speculation amongst multiple insiders that the 31-35 Arizona Diamondbacks may look to move contracts if they continue to fall out of the National League West race.
    The most interesting decision the Diamondbacks will have to make is about starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery, who was a list-minute signing amongst the Boras Four this past offseason. Montgomery, looking for a long-term deal over the winter, was forced to settle for a one-year contract with a player option for 2025.
    What the Diamondbacks might find most unsettling about this arrangement is that Montgomery, now 31, has been very bad this season. After a successful 2023 split between the Cardinals and the championship-winning Texas Rangers, Montgomery posted a 3.20 ERA. That number has ballooned to a whopping 6.80 ERA in nine starts this season. His fastball velocity has dipped and he's sagging in almost every possible category compared to his 2023 effort.
    Montgomery's 2024 salary is $25 million. He has multiple vesting options alongside his player option for 2025: at ten starts in 2024 he vests $20 million in 2025; at 18 starts in 2024 he vests $22.5 million in 2025; at 23 starts he vests $25 million in 2025.
    It's easy to see a situation where this scares a non-competitive Diamondbacks team. It also could present an opportunity for the Brewers to buy low on a player at a position of dire need for them in 2024.
    Brock Beauchamp
    Jon Heyman has reported that former Tiger pitcher and left-handed starter Matthew Boyd is showcasing for teams as he attempts to return from Tommy John surgery. 
    Boyd, 33 years old, went down with arm issues last season and is expected to return later in the 2024 season. Heyman pointed out that Boyd was throwing 92-93 mph, which is right in line with his career numbers. While Boyd is sure to draw attention from several teams, no contender rotation is in as dire straights as the Brewers, who are last in baseball in innings pitched by starters.
     
    Brock Beauchamp
    Robert Murray of FanSided wrote a trade rumor roundup this morning and mentioned that the Padres' AJ Preller - one of the most aggressive general managers in baseball - was talking to the White Sox about left-handed starting pitcher Garrett Crochet. Murray then went on to make the argument that the Brewers would be an excellent fit for the 24-year-old starter.
    Crochet's price would be incredibly high. He won't be arbitration-eligible until after this season and is currently pitching to a 116 ERA+ with 12 strikeouts per nine innings. While the Southsiders don't need to trade Crochet, their major league team is the worst in baseball and their farm system is barren, ranked 20th by MLB.com before the 2024 season.
    Bulldogboy
    White Sox are fielding offers for Luis Robert. He would be huge get imo. Go with Yelich Robert Chourio in outfield. Trade Frelick Weimer and maybe Misiorowski?
    Source: according to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the White Sox are very open for business (despite it being early June) and are open to dealing oft-injured star outfielder Luis Robert Jr.
    Robert, who is signed through 2025 with two team options in 2026 and 2027, is scuffling a little this year (92 OPS+) but was stellar last season, posting a 5.0 rWAR season for the White Sox.
    Brock Beauchamp
    Ken Rosenthal in his recent roundup for The Athletic, mentioned that it's likely the Miami Marlins will be looking to deal pitchers at this trade deadline. They already moved Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres early in the season and with new President of Baseball Operations Peter Bendix tasked with rebuilding a painfully depleted Marlins farm system, it's likely he will use the trade deadline to build out the farm system.
    Three names mentioned are starting pitchers Jesus Luzardo and Braxton Garrett while reliever Tanner Scott is also likely to be dealt. Scott is on an expiring contract this season but starters Luzardo (free agent after 2026 season) and Garrett (free agent after 2028 season) are long-term pieces that would require a hefty prospect price.
    While it's questionable whether the Brewers will be in the reliever market at the trade deadline (though aren't all contenders?), it's not unreasonable to expect them to look to improve the starting rotation down the stretch.
    wiguy94
    According to Robert Murray on his latest Baseball Insiders Podcast episode, the Brewers are quietly scanning mid-tier SP free agent market with Michael Lorenzen and Mike Clevinger being the two names that were mentioned. Murray mentioned this at the 11:20 mark of the embedded video.
    Lorenzen has a career 4.11 ERA and 4.32 FIP. He's coming off an up and down 2023 season where he was having a nice bounce back season in Detroit before being shipped to Philadelphia at the trade deadline where he struggled outside of his first two starts. Clevinger has a career 3.45 ERA and 3.87 FIP. He's coming off a bounce back season in 2023 after a rough 2022. There were some off field question marks regarding a domestic violence accusation that did not end up leading to a suspension.
    With Wade Miley's health to open the year a question, should the Brewers add more SP depth if the price is right?
     
    Brock Beauchamp
    Preface: this is a Bob Nightengale rumor.
    In his latest notes, Nightengale briefly mentions that the Brewers are letting teams know that shortstop Willy Adames is available in trade offers.
    Adames, 28 years old, has one year of team control remaining. Following the Corbin Burnes trade late last week, the Brewers now have a murkier path to contention and three viable shortstops on their roster: Adames, Joey Ortiz, and Brice Turang. Over the weekend, our own Jason Wang wrote up what a trade to the Miami Marlins might look like.
    This offseason had one of the weakest shortstop classes in recent memory. In addition to the Marlins, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been linked to various shortstop rumors over the winter.
    Brock Beauchamp
    With the recent Rhys Hoskins signing, General Manager Matt Arnold has firmly committed the Brewers to contending in 2024, and that's a good thing. The projected payroll is still roughly $20 million lower than it was in 2023 and there is no indication whether the Brewers are lowering payroll amidst television broadcast uncertainty or if they're still in the market to add more players this offseason.
    But the general consensus among the rumor-mongers is that trades of either or both Willy Adames and Corbin Burnes are increasingly unlikely to happen this winter. Every Burnes rumor thus far has stalled out before it gained traction. Willy Adames has been even less connected to specific rumors, only speculation.
    In the case of Adames, if the Brewers were truly in the market to deal him, we'd likely hear significant rumblings about it, as the shortstop free agent class this offseason was the worst we've seen in several years. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, possibly the best shortstop on the market, signed only a two-year deal with the Blue Jays and is a pale comparison to Adames, whose glove guarantees a relatively high floor for the 28 year old.
    Burnes is harder to predict. He has stated he plans to explore free agency after the 2024 season and the pitching market has been slow to develop. High-profile free agents Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery are still available while Dylan Cease and Shane Bieber are being offered in trade. Whether the Brewers are truly interested in trading Burnes or not, the timer might run out on Spring Training before a market materializes for the 2021 Cy Young Award winner.
     
    bensheeps
    Filling the void at 1st base for the power needy Crew, it took until mid-January for a national writer to see Rhys Hoskins as a fit for the Brewers.  While there's been plenty of talk here from posters, I believe this is the first time a writer has mentioned it.
    https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/bellinger-snell-best-landing-spots-for-11-mlb-free-agents
    Brock Beauchamp
    All quiet on the pitcher front.
    Mark Feinsand of MLB.com wrote this excellent write-up about both the reliever and starting pitcher winter markets. While the reliever free agent market seems to have stalled on Josh Hader, Feinsand goes on to point out that the starting pitching market hasn't fared much better with several high-profile free agents still on the market, headlined by Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery.
    In a cascading effect, this has caused the starting pitcher trade market to be equally slow, so much so that one NL executive is quoted saying "I don’t think the trade market will be very hot in the next month". Other executives stated that it's unlikely White Sox starter Dylan Cease will be moved due to his high asking price and there are doubts surrounding Guardians starter Shane Bieber.
    Is this a positive development for the Brewers and does it make a Corbin Burnes trade more or less likely?
    markedman5
    According to Robert Murray of FanSided, the Brewers have expressed interest in free agent Garrett Cooper. 
    Cooper, a right-handed first baseman and corner outfielder, is entering his age-33 season in 2024. Last year he split duties between the Marlins and Padres; he scuffled to a below-league-average OPS with the Marlins before closing out the season with a 102 OPS+ in San Diego over 41 games.
    The Brewers still have yet to be linked to any free agents that expect to sign more than a one-year contract while their estimated $90 million payroll remains well under their 2023 payroll of just over $130 million.
     
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