Ranking the Brewers' Middle Infield Prospects By Trade Deadline Availability

Leaving out a name like Tyler Black (who is currently blocked), let’s focus a little more on those further down the prospect rankings. Middle infielders are a fascinating subsection of the Brewers' farm system, with a ton of talent and versatility. In Cooper Pratt, Eric Bitonti, Juan Baez, Daniel Guillarte, Dylan O’Rae, Eric Brown Jr and Filippo Di Turi, they have a lot of strong defensive players with solid hit tools, any of whom could bring in solid value at the deadline. Which trade chips might the Brewers prefer to cash in, in this scenario?

The Power Potential Is Off The Table
Eric Bitonti and Cooper Pratt are not likely to be on the market for the Brewers, in large part because both have so much upside. Bitonti, in particular, is working on getting the strikeout rate under control, but his raw power and athleticism have shown through in the complex leagues. He’s hit seven home runs, 13 doubles and three triples in less than 200 plate appearances. Pratt’s power hasn’t shown up yet in game play, but the swing is geared toward it, and there’s a feeling that he can tap into significantly more as he goes through the levels. Both are strong defensive players on the left side of the infield, and Pratt just entered MLB’’s top 100 prospect list. The real reason for their protection will be because of the dearth of power among the team's other infielders.

For the same reason (although he’s not a middle infielder), the Brewers are very unlikely to part with Brock Wilken at this point. He’s worked through some early struggles in Double-A, and his massive power ceiling for an organization lacking it in their farm system is tough to part with.

Availability - Very Low/Nil

Juan Baez
Báez is a fascinating player, already in Low-A Carolina at age 19. Báez is currently on the IL, but has shown some big improvements so far this season. He has as many walks (12) as he does strikeouts, and has generated high-end exit velocities for his age demographic. That may indicate more power production, if he can elevate with greater regularity. Still young for the level, Báez is hitting .292/.348/.411 with the Mudcats, with 15 extra-base hits on the year. Only one home run so far, but there is projection for more power to come, and to boot, Báez has managed to improve significantly with the leather.

He committed 12 errors in 24 games for the ACL Brewers in 2023, with a throwing arm that struggled to find its mark. However, this season, his range and arm have been much-improved. He may even be an above-average defender on the left side of the infield. He can play second base, shortstop and third base, and at his age, there is a lot of potential. I can’t see the Brewers moving him just yet, given the profile and the developments he’s shown so far. His being injured could be an extra hurdle. Still, in the right deal, he’s not off the table.

Availability - Moderate to Low

Eric Brown Jr
The Brewers' first-round pick in 2022, Brown is an athletic shortstop with great range and a solid arm, to the point that his only flaw defensively is the occasional excessively “showy” play. Otherwise, he’s a no-doubt shortstop, but the athleticism in the field hasn’t translated well to the batter's box. Brown is starting to show signs of recovery from a slow start to the season, hitting .324/.415/.382 in July, but he struggles to hit the ball hard with any regularity. When he squares the ball up, there is punch there, but it doesn’t occur with enough regularity. He can be a menace on the base paths, with strong baserunning instincts and above-average speed, but he’s not likely to ever be a premium base stealer. There is still potential with Brown that someone can translate that athleticism into his bat, but it hasn’t worked out yet for the Brewers.

When it comes to Brown’s value, things are balancing on a knife edge. He’s still at the stage where teams may feel there’s something they can unlock, but if the bat-to-ball and on-base skills take another downturn, that value will take a significant downturn due to his age and injury struggles.

Availability - Moderate to High

Daniel Guilarte
A premium defensive shortstop, Guilarte has had good plate discipline and solid bat-to-ball skills, but these have taken a real downturn in 2024, as he's had a power outage. A strikeout rate of 27.4% as a 20-year-old in Low-A isn’t going to cut the mustard with a slash line of .224/.319/.301 to complement it, and if Guilarte can’t find the bat quickly, he may be at risk of release from the Brewers system in 2025. The defensive ability is not even remotely in question, and he’s a lock to stick at short, but the Brewers will be concerned by the bat. With an influx of new talent coming Stateside from the DSL and ACL later this year and in 2025, Guilarte needs to start showing something. He will be available to those inquiring, but his value may have taken a dip from where it was at the start of 2024.

Availability - High

Dylan O’Rae
Perhaps the most interesting name here, O’Rae has elite plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills. The Brewers have been aggressive, pushing him from ACL ball last summer to Double-A Biloxi early this season. He performed well at High-A, but wasn’t necessarily smashing down the door for a promotion. What he does have is the ability to cover second base or center field, with elite speed that he puts to good use on the base paths and strong coverage of the strike zone to go with good plate discipline.

The aggressive push to Double-A may have looked like the Brewers attempting to increase his value, but I think there’s more here than the metrics say. O’Rae has a walk rate of over 10% in every month so far this year, and although he’s striking out more often in Biloxi, that’s not unexpected for a player making an adjustment to a higher level. He had a 6.5% swinging strike rate in May and June, and that’s likely to translate to the upper minors, eventually,

The really interesting thing for me is that, although O’Rae had 30-grade power when the Brewers drafted him, he’s not a ground-ball slap hitter by any means, and it seems like he’s getting closer to better in-game power production. Watching games, you can see him barreling balls that aren’t quite reaching the fence, but he has a lot of filling out left on his frame. If he can bulk up somewhat over the offseason, there’s a chance that he has double-digit home run pop. That may not sound like much, but his bat-to-ball skills are so good (alongside the defensive strengths and baserunning excellence) that he can be a very valuable player. I think the Brewers are big believers in him. As such, they’re unlikely to cash him in unless absolutely necessary--and thus, not sooner than this offseason.

Availability - Low

These aren't the only blocked players in the minors, but the Brewers have a lot of similar profiles in terms of the strong defense and hit-tool mold, but they may prioritize keeping those with power potential where possible. I believe O'Rae is an exception to that, given the impressiveness of his other tools, but one other name I could maybe add is Brewer Hicklen. The Brewers are stacked in the outfield, with young bodies trying to prove themselves. Although he may be the next man up, it's tough to envisage a path to regular playing time. He's been absolutely mashing at Triple-A, and could be a sweetener for a rebuilding team in the final months of 2024 to get a deal across the line. He was also recently added to the 40-man roster, to avoid an opt-out clause in his contract, with Adam McCalvy reporting that other teams have been taking note of his strong performances for the Nashville Sounds.

What do you think of the middle infielders listed? Do you agree with their availability ratings? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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