Passan:
Few teams have as good an understanding of who they are and where they exist in their contention cycle as the Brewers. Two years ago, they got filleted for trading closer Josh Hader while in first place in the NL Central. Well, the main pitching prospect in the deal, Robert Gasser, has been Milwaukee's best pitcher since debuting May 10. And outfielder Esteury Ruiz, who arrived in the deal, was later flipped in a deal for William Contreras, who should start at catcher for the NL All-Star team. Gasser reporting soreness in his elbow after his last start doesn't exactly buttress the idea that the Brewers should go for it, but with a top-end starting pitcher joining Freddy Peralta in a playoff rotation, Milwaukee would cement itself as an even greater threat to Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Garrett Crochet certainly fits and is what they hope DL Hall -- whom they got in a deal for Corbin Burnes, the sort of ace they really could use now -- can be: a lefty with obscene stuff who can head a rotation. Same goes for Jesus Luzardo. Milwaukee has the system to land one of them.