Ryan Pollak

How much value will Milwaukee Brewers players have during the 2024 offseason and beyond? Let's continue analyzing the trade value of some of the Brewers' top trade pieces. Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Every player has some sort of value to an organization. If you’re playing at an All-Star level, you are probably very high in value. If you’re a kid breaking through the minor league system and ready for “the bigs,” chances are you are also valuable. However, the value of those said players can vary from one organization to the next. That’s why trades are so hard to predict. Yesterday, we started these rankings of the Top 20 trade pieces within the organization. You may have noticed that salary has made a huge difference in trading these players, even if the contract is lengthy. If you are paid a hefty salary, you better play to that salary; otherwise, the value drops, and so does the likelihood of getting rid of that contract. The 15-11 rankings may contain some surprises, but as a reminder, they are based on age, salaries, statistics, service time, the likelihood of being traded, and durability. Let’s start by saying that although it is shocking, there is still a sliver of a chance of it happening. 15. Brice Turang INF: 1.165 Years, Career Stats: 292 G, .239/.303/.328, 230 H, 53 XBH, 13 HR, 91 RBI, 118 R, 88 BB, 199 SO, 76 SB, Free Agent: 2030 If you read any of my earlier work from last season, you will know how badly Brice Turang made me put my foot in my mouth. After a 2023 season with a .218 batting average and a 61 OPS+, he started showing signs of the prospect we saw in the minor leagues. A .254/.316/.349 line with seven home runs, 57 RBI, and 50 stolen bases (3rd in all of MLB) is one way to make your mark on the roster. We will get to the other in a second. Turang has become a great contact hitter for the top or even bottom of Brewers' lineups. But let’s be honest, his defense brings the most value to an organization. According to FanGraphs, Turang had 22 defensive runs saved along with eight outs above average. It’s almost like a baseball could never get past this guy. It’s no wonder he was rewarded with a Gold Glove for his efforts at second base. He was even voted as the NL Platinum Glove Award, the first Brewer ever to receive that distinction. But why is he even on this list as a top trade piece? Besides being great on the field, Turang is a player with great value in the trade market. He has five years of club control and is still in his pre-arbitration years. However, he will likely get Super Two status, granting him an additional year of arbitration. He will turn 25 later this month and is just getting into his prime years of baseball. All of these factors scream high value for any market. But that’s why the Brewers won’t give him in a trade. With Willy Adames gone, the club could move Turang to the shortstop position. Even if they don’t, the Brewers will need the depth in the infield, and parting ways with one won’t do them any favors. He is so valuable that Matt Arnold would even consider trading him away if he only got an All-Star stud in return. The price has to be right to part ways with the reigning Gold Glove second baseman. He has a cheap contract compared to what he would be paid if he were a free agent. But that’s not for another few years. There is another player, however, who has a cheap contract compared to what his value would be on the open market. Yes, it’s about that time we talk about another fan favorite that could be considered a valuable trade piece. 14. Freddy Peralta RHP: 6.090 Years, Career Stats: 178 G, 129 GS, 3.79 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 754.1 IP, 1 SV, 949 K, 294 BB, Free Agent: 2027 Every time a player gets to about two years of club control left, the Brewers start listening to offers. Well, folks, it’s about that time for Freddy Peralta. Peralta is now considered the club ace in the rotation. While some say his numbers don’t scream that, he’s pitching at a great rate for someone turning 29 in June. Once acquired in the 2015 Adam Lind trade with the Mariners, the Dominican flew through the minor league system before eventually being added to the 40-man roster in 2018. In his debut, he was nothing but impressive, striking out 13 batters in 5.2 innings. His success continued in the rotation but was moved to the bullpen in 2019. Since rejoining the rotation in 2021, he has a 3.45 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and 11.0 strikeouts per nine innings as a starter. He hasn’t had an OPS+ lower than 100 since 2019 and has been the Brewers’ most reliable starter over the last seven seasons. The Brewers were lucky enough to sign him to a five-year, $15.5 million deal before the start of the 2020 season. If it weren’t for this deal, Peralta would now be a free agent. However, this deal came with two club options worth $8 million each. Five seasons have passed, and the Brewers just exercised the first club option, making him the first pitcher to pitch for the Brewers in eight straight seasons since Ben Sheets. If Peralta were on the free agent market, he could easily make eight figures yearly. Because of his cheaper contract, he became an attractive piece in the trade market. However, with only two seasons of club control, he has a value similar to Corbin Burnes, who was traded last season. While the Brewers can start considering the idea, they don’t exactly have a replacement. When they traded Josh Hader, they had Devin Williams. When they traded Burnes, they had Peralta and Brandon Woodruff. Nobody can fill his shoes, making him less expendable and marking him lower. However, they still could trade a starter from the rotation. 13. Aaron Civale RHP: 5.058 Years, Career Stats: 117 G, 117 GS, 4.03 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 636.1 IP, 577 K, 170 BB, Free Agent: 2026 Aaron Civale is new to the team, but that doesn’t exactly mean he’s off the block. Remember when the Brewers traded for Mark Canha in 2023? While he had an option for the 2024 season, they still traded Canha to the Tigers to avoid paying $11.5 million. Drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the third round of the 2016 draft, Civale made his major league debut in 2019. He pitched six shutout innings, striking out six players and earning his first career win. In 10 starts, he finished with a 2.34 ERA and a 3.40 FIP. After a forgettable 2020 season, Civale finished the 2021 season with a 12-5 record and a 3.84 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP in 21 starts. While these aren’t outstanding numbers, he was still productive as a middle-of-the-rotation arm. The Rays must’ve seen value in him as they traded away the #37 prospect in baseball, Kyle Manzardo, for Civale at the 2023 trade deadline. The Brewers acquired Civale in early July, and he found his stuff again. In 14 starts with Milwaukee, he had a 6-3 record. His 3.53 ERA and 1.22 WHIP were very serviceable, but his FIP was creeping up towards 5.00, which is concerning. He’s expected to receive around $8 million in arbitration this season, his final year before becoming a free agent. According to Spotrac, Civale’s projected market value is around $16 million a year. While he’s expected to make less, that doesn’t mean he’d get much back in a trade. Civale is expendable, as many up-and-coming prospects could take his spot in the rotation. Remember that the Brewers traded for him due to the lack of reliable rotation options. The team could cut his salary by trading the veteran right-hander, making him a likely candidate on the market. 12. Garrett Mitchell OF: 2.040 Years, Career Stats: 116 G, .264/.343/.463, 85 H, 23 XBH, 13 HR, 37 RBI, 52 R, 38 BB, 125 SO, 20 SB, Free Agent: 2029 Garrett Mitchell was once one of the top outfield prospects within the Brewers farm system, along with Sal Frelick and Jackson Chourio. The former first-round pick from the University of California - Los Angeles, has the tools to be a great outfielder and bat in the lineup. Unfortunately, that is when he is healthy. Mitchell debuted in late August 2022 as a defensive substitution. In his first 28 games with the Brewers, he had a .311 batting average and an .832 OPS, hitting two home runs and nine RBI. He also swiped eight bases in eight opportunities. In 2023, Mitchell was off to a similar start until he injured his shoulder while sliding into a base, resulting in a five-month stint on the injured list. Hoping to start anew in 2024, he was off to a hot start, hitting a .319/.385/.426 line in spring training. However, he suffered a fractured left index finger before the season started, landing him on the injured list. Upon returning in July, he looked like the prospect the Brewers drafted in 2020. But now the Brewers have a similar log jam entering 2025. Mitchell will have to fight for at-bats, with Chourio, Frelick, Christian Yelich, and Blake Perkins trying to find opportunities. Sure, the club opened up the idea of moving Frelick to the infield, and Yelich could be a regular DH. However, Mitchell could benefit from reaching his full potential by playing full-time in the outfield instead of playing a platoon role. Barring getting optioned down to the minors, which he still has all three of, Mitchell will have four more seasons of club control. Injuries may have dipped his value, but teams could use a hitter like him in the lineup. He will make around the minimum this season and turn 27 next September, making him a solid, affordable option for left-handed-hitting outfield-needy teams on the trade market. 11. Logan Henderson RHP: 2024 Minor League Stats: 19 G, 19 GS, 3.32 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 81.1 IP, 104 K, 15 BB, Free Agent: TBD Remember when I said a few prospects are trying to compete for a spot in the starting rotation? Though I haven’t mentioned him yet, Logan Henderson is another player who will be throwing his hat in the ring. The Brewers drafted Henderson in the fourth round of the 2021 MLB draft. He led his Junior College draft class in strikeouts (169) and was even the Junior College World Series MVP. According to MLB Pipeline, Henderson’s success comes from his changeup, which looks more like a fastball that drops suddenly as it crosses the plate. The only issue is his lack of speed on his fastball, as well as the lack of a strong third pitch. Whether he will be a back-of-the-rotation pitcher or a steady relief arm is a toss-up. But since joining the Brewers organization, the club has used him as a starter. A 3.11 ERA with 233 strikeouts in 44 starts across three minor league seasons is nothing to sneeze at. But he took off in the 2024 season. Henderson started his 2024 season in the Arizona Complex League. By the end of the year, he was starting for the Nashville Sounds in Triple-A. With a 4.94 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 2.3 walks per nine innings rating, he could benefit from more time in Triple-A. However, Henderson is Rule 5 eligible, meaning he could be taken in the Rule 5 draft should the Brewers not add him to the 40-man roster. While that doesn’t seem like an issue, the Brewers could burn one of his minor-league options. At the same time, teams are better off trading for the soon-to-be 23-year-old rather than drafting him. If picked up in the Rule 5 draft, he will have to remain on the team’s MLB roster for the duration of the season; otherwise, the Brewers would have the option to take him back. Whether it’s on the trade block, spring training, or regular season, I’m sure we will hear the name Logan Henderson much more often than we think. He isn’t going to be a major ticket in a trade package, but he would likely bring in a solid veteran player on an expiring contract should they go that way. What do you think of our picks? Where would you place these guys on our list? What players do you think will be traded? What other players should be on this list? Let us know. View full article

The Milwaukee Brewers will likely make a trade or two during the 2024 off-season. Which trade pieces are likely on the market? Let's rank the club's top 20 candidates. Image courtesy of © Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images Whether you are a small market team trying to compete on a budget or the richest franchise trying to buy that championship ring, there will always be wheeling and dealing in the trade market. The Milwaukee Brewers are one of those teams who seem to strike a deal every year. Last season, the club did a combination of selling off their top players in the organization and trading away prospects for MLB-ready talent. Corbin Burnes was arguably the biggest trade chip heading into the 2024 offseason. The Brewers got a haul for him in DL Hall, Joey Ortiz, and a compensatory pick, whereas the Orioles got a Cy Young caliber pitcher for at least one season. Even the lowest trade pieces have gotten a great return for the team. Just look at the Brewers 20th-round draft pick in 2023, LHP Justin Chambers. It’s okay if you don’t remember him, but he was traded to the Dodgers for LHP Bryan Hudson. Almost every player has some sort of value in the trade market. With the Brewers in this tough position to cut payroll and stay competitive, there’s a chance the Brewers will be trying to “buy and sell” this offseason. But which players have the most value? Come along with me as we look at the Top 20 trade pieces within the Brewers organization. We’ll break this up into four articles, so be sure to return tomorrow. It is also worth noting that a player's value will be based on the amount of club control, their statistics throughout baseball, and their availability/durability. With that said, let’s get into it. 20. Aaron Ashby LHP: 2.088 Years, Career Stats: 54 G, 25 GS, 4.20 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 167.1 IP, 2 SV, 198 K, 69 BB, Free Agent: 2030 This is an example of when signing a cheaper long-term contract doesn’t work out. In 2023, Ashby signed a five-year, $20.5 million contract with two club options that could have made it a seven-year, $42 million deal. It’s still early in the deal, as we are entering its third year, but he hasn’t performed well in the last couple of years. You can mainly blame his shoulder injury, which kept him out of the 2023 season. Upon his return, he was allowed to earn a spot in the rotation. However, in three appearances in spring training, he allowed nine runs in 8.1 innings pitched. Ashby was sent down to Nashville, where his struggles continued. He had a few spot starts in early April and June but spent most of his 2024 with Triple-A. When he was taken out of the Nashville rotation, things started to figure things out. After recording six straight scoreless relief outings, Ashby was recalled to the Brewers. It’s fair to say he didn’t disappoint the fanbase, dropping his once 6.23 ERA to a much respectful 2.86. The southpaw is set to make $3.45 million for the 2025 season, which doesn’t sound too bad for the payroll. Ashby is under club control until the 2028 season, and his salary is expected to increase every season. He could be an interesting trade piece, as teams could use him as a long relief pitcher or the back half of the rotation. If a team is intrigued by what they saw in his second-half numbers, a few teams might be willing to participate in a prospect package should the Brewers try to buy a player. It’s interesting to see how Ashby will be used during the 2025 season. 19. Elvis Peguero RHP: 2.072 Years, Career Stats: 127 G, 4.08 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 132.1 IP, 3 SV, 113 K, 61 BB, Free Agent: 2029 Elvis Peguero, one of many pitchers just thrown in the Hunter Renfroe trade, has become a decent piece of the Brewers bullpen. While he has had moments of struggle, it seems the pitcher’s lab has managed to develop another decent option. Since joining the team in 2023, Peguero has a 3.20 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP, and a 3.92 FIP. While he hasn’t saved many games, he has recorded 32 holds, meaning he can keep a lead in save situations before being taken out. Because he has less than three years of service, he is still in pre-arbitration so that he will be paid around $800,000 this upcoming season. What keeps him low on this list is the lack of minor-league options he has left. Where he has been effective in his two seasons with the club, the Brewers have used minor league options in both seasons. Add that, and the Angels will be optioning him down in 2022, so Peguero is out of minor-league options. Peguero’s value is like an MLB-ready throw-in player in a trade package. Think of Joel Payamps’ value in the Sean Murphy trade the Brewers were involved in. He can still be great for any bullpen, but he’s no Josh Hader value. 18. Craig Yoho RHP: 2024 Minor League Stats: 48 G, 0.94 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 57.2 IP, 10 SV, 101 K, 23 BB, Free Agent: TBD If you haven’t heard of Craig Yoho, it might be a great time to learn this name. Based on his first year (yes, first) in the minors, there is a chance he can make his debut as soon as next season. The Brewers drafted the former Houston Cougar and Indiana Hoosier in the eighth round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He missed a ton of baseball in college due to a knee injury and recovered from Tommy John surgery, so he was arguably one of the best minor league pitchers in 2024. Starting his season with the High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, he ended the season with Triple-A Nashville. In just 14 games with the Sounds, Yoho finished three, allowing just two earned runs in 14.1 innings. He has a 70-grade changeup and a 60-grade slider troubling minor-league hitters. Across the three minor league teams, Yoho was averaging 15.8 strikeouts per nine innings. He won’t start games, but he certainly can finish them. If not that, he can fill a set-up role Payamps has with the Brewers. So why is he this low on this list? This is all based on one season of success in the minors. Are we likely to see this type of production two years in a row? If he was a sought-after draft prospect in 2023, maybe teams have seen enough. However, injuries dropped his stock, so he has much to make up for, not to mention that he was called up to Double-A after 16 games and Triple-A after 18. If that wasn’t enough, Yoho could be called up in 2025 and take over a role in the bullpen, making other veterans and more expensive contracts more expendable. I doubt the club would immediately put him as the closer, but I’m sure there’s another clutch role he can play. This brings us to the next player on the list. 17. Joel Payamps RHP: 4.027 Years, Career Stats: 219 G, 1 GS, 3.04 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 242.2 IP, 9 SV, 220 K, 71 BB, Free Agent: 2027 Another player who seemed like a nothing player in a bigger deal, Payamps, made a name for himself with the Brewers during the 2023 season. In that first season, he recorded season-bests in ERA (2.55), WHIP (1.05), FIP (3.48), holds (27), and strikeouts (77). With Williams out for the first half of the season, Payamps was relied upon to help close out games. He did that, recording a 1.88 ERA in the ninth inning last year. However, he did have a rocky first half of the season. In the first 40 games of 2024, he allowed six home runs, 11 walks, and 17 earned runs. Like Peguero, Payamps doesn’t have a minor league option, so whatever team has him must bear the burden of paying him, hoping he doesn’t digress or have an off-season. He holds more value than he did with the Athletics, thanks to his production in Milwaukee. With two years of club control and a projected $2.8 million salary from arbitration, he could still be a reliable arm for those who need to save some late-inning runs. His value only grows with the quality of his work in late innings. If he can continue to be productive, he will be worth the investment. 16. Carlos Rodriguez RHP: 0.015 Years, Career Stats: 3 G, 3 GS, 7.30 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, 12.1 IP, 9 K, 3 BB, Free Agent: 2031+ When the starting rotation was going through the injury plague last season, the two-time Brewers Minor League Pitcher of the Year, Carlos Rodriguez, made their major league debut. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite what the fanbase had hoped for. It’s hard to base a career on a sample size of starts. Judging by his minor league stats over the last few years, he deserves a second chance in the major leagues. He may need some more time with the Sounds. In his 26 games with Nashville, Rodriguez has a 9-9 record with a 4.56 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP, and 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings. He isn’t exactly a flame thrower relying on his off-speed pitches to get batters out. But he’s just going to need more experience. Where he gets that experience is the real question. The Brewers already have a ton of options for their rotation. Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff, and Tobias Myers will likely take three of the five spots. Aaron Civale has a good chance to claim the fourth spot. It’s basically down to a battle for the final spot. Hall and Ashby also have a chance at the rotation, along with prospects Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson. It’s fair to say Rodriguez is expendable and might find a better chance at the rotation elsewhere. His service time has just begun since he’s just made his debut. However, teams love controllable MLB-ready talent. He may have used one of his minor league options, but he still has two more and six years of club control. He’s still young (23), so there is still time to develop the right-hander. What do you think of our first five entries? Do you see any of these players being traded at some point this off-season? What kind of value do you see coming back with these players? Let us know in the comments. View full article

What the Milwaukee Brewers pulled off in 2024 was memorable, yet very difficult to achieve. Could they replicate that offseason magic this winter? Here's a scenario that could do just that. Image courtesy of © Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images It's hard to predict what is going to happen this offseason for the Milwaukee Brewers. Obviously, their guiding objective will be to defend their back-to-back division titles, but they might have to drop their payroll by non-tendering inessential pieces and trading expensive pieces. The Brewers did it last offseason, dealing Corbin Burnes while adding Rhys Hoskins, so why not do it again? When I gave this a try last week, I pitched the idea of the Brewers trading Devin Williams and signing a player like Gleyber Torres, even knowing it’s antithetical to everything they do defensively. While Torres would provide an infusion of power in the lineup, it still can be an expensive investment that doesn’t exactly help out on all aspects of the game. I took the criticism and I’m going to do it again. This time, to keep things interesting, we are going to choose a different player to sign from free agency and trade away a different player. So, what ways can the Brewers cut payroll this time? Let’s look at a free agent who had an impact on and off the field. Updated Payroll There is an interesting update to the Brewers' payroll. With the subtractions of Colin Rea, Wade Miley, Frankie Montas, and Gary Sánchez, as well as the declined options of Devin Williams and Eric Haase, the Brewers have managed to drop around $5 million from my initial projected salary. These projections come from FanGraphs, adding all the players’ salaries with the already paid buyouts and the projected arbitration and pre-arbitration numbers. What’s more interesting is the Brewers placing both Jake Bauers and Bryse Wilson on waivers. According to Brewers beat writer Adam McCalvy, the two of them were outrighted from the 40 man roster and will become free agents. Bauers was projected to make $2.3 million in arbitration, whereas Wilson was projected $1.5 million With these numbers, the salary currently sits at around $120 million. This is still $4 million more than the 2024 payroll. There is still a chance for the Brewers non-tender players in arbitration or trade those who will take up payroll. But for now, this is the number we are going to rely on at this time. Now back to the potential signing. Brewers Sign INF Jose Iglesias (Calculated Market Value Per Spotrac: one year, $1.7 million) While the Brewers may have a future infield with the likes of Cooper Pratt, Eric Bitonti, Mike Boeve and Brock Wilken, they still need a year or so in the minors before they get the call to the big leagues. In other words, they might need a temporary solution to fill the hole at shortstop or third base as a stopgap. In theory, they cpuld use players like Andruw Monasterio, Tyler Black and Oliver Dunn to take over on the left side of the field. These three candidates have had their encouraging moments, but on the whole, none has made a strong case for increased big-league playing time. Remember, a few years ago, the Brewers entered a season with the likes of Luis Urías, Jace Peterson and Mike Brosseau as candidates at third base. The results weren’t what the organization hoped for, leading to moves at deadlines to grab players like Josh Donaldson and Eduardo Escobar. So, why not add a veteran player who can be more reliable, while the others develop? Enter José Iglesias. The 34-year-old veteran doesn’t exactly have power, but he was a very reliable bat for the Mets last season. Iglesias posted a .337/.381/.448 line, good for a sparkling 137 OPS+. He was more of a utility player early on, but took over for Jeff McNeil when he went down with a broken wrist. During his tenure at second base, Iglesias went on a 22-game hitting streak that will (technically) still be active entering the 2025 season, since postseason games neither count toward nor officially disrupt such streaks. In that made dash to the finish line for the surging Mets, he went 34-for-86 and scored 13 runs. Throughout his career, Iglesias has a .299 batting average with two outs and runners in scoring position. In any situation with RISP, he’s hitting a career .309/.355/.436 with a 123 tOPS+. He only stole six bases in eight attempts, but that could be very different if he joined the Brewers. According to Baseball Savant, the Cuban emigré had a 28.2 feet per second sprint speed in 2024. In comparison, Christian Yelich, who stole 21 bases before going down for the rest of the season, was at 28.5. As for his fielding ability, across third base, shortstop, and second base this season, Iglesias recorded 2 Outs Above Average, according to Statcast. It's his glove that has kept him in the big leagues this long; his flashy play and reputation as a glove whiz was the first thing that put him on the map. If you haven’t heard about him from his hitting or fielding abilities, you may have heard about him through his hit song “OMG” which he released under the performance name Candelita. That song debuted at number one on Billboard’s Latin Digital Song Sales and eventually became the anthem of the 2024 Mets. This is also why you saw Mets players holding an OMG sign in the dugout. Iglesias could be a great temporary solution for the infield. If they want to aim higher for a starting job, the Crew can also utilize him as the extra infielder off the bench and replace Monasterio in that role. Regardless, he would be a great acquisition. He will be entering his age-35 season, so he is likely to regress from this season’s numbers. After having a season and building a fun relationship with the fanbase in New York, there might be a premium to lure him a small-market destination, but one could think of it as a premium paid for the extra energy he brings. Prediction: Iglesias signs a one-year, $5-million deal with a mutual option for 2026 (with a buyout that could act as a deferral of part of the salary) Brewers trade Aaron Civale (2025 Projected Salary: $8 million) If you come to the game and start hearing Black Betty by Ram Jam play on the speakers, then you will know Aaron Civale is going to start. In his short time with the club, he did make an impact. In 14 starts with the club, Civale recorded a 6-3 record with a 3.53 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. As a Brewer, he struggled with the walks, averaging three per nine innings. Despite that, the former Ray rebounded from an unsuccessful Tampa stopover and looked much more like the version of himself who had posted marvelous numbers in the first half of 2023, with the Guardians. Civale is entering his final year of arbitration eligibility and team control, and is expected to make similar pay to ace Freddy Peralta. Entering his age-30 season, he would be the second-oldest pitcher in the rotation, behind Brandon Woodruff, who is expected to make his return in 2025. With his expected salary, the organization might consider parting ways with their trade deadline acquisition. While Colin Rea may no longer be a part of the rotation, we can expect Peralta, Woodruff, and Tobias Myers will be there. DL Hall and Aaron Ashby are going to compete for a spot in the rotation. Carlos Rodriguez is already on the 40-man, waiting to make an impact. Jacob Misiorowski is close to making his MLB debut. To top it all off, prospects Chad Patrick and Logan Henderson are Rule 5 Draft-eligible and will need to be added on the 40-man roster in order to stay with the organization. While the club could trade away a veteran like Civale, there is plenty of veteran leadership in Woody and Peralta. He’s probably not going to net a bunch of prospects or an impact player for another segment of the roster, like trading a Devin Williams could, but it will still help in cutting the payroll. For the price tag he has, Civale could be a decent back-of-the-rotation option for those not looking to spend a ton of money in free agency. The Brewers, who have to count each dollar, might do better by scooping up a cheap alternative and trading Civale to increase their organizational depth and flexibility. Money Saved: About $5 million If the Brewers are able to land Iglesias at the price predicted, the Brewers would only be in charge of $3 million for the 2025 season, paying the rest of the contract on a potential buyout. This would net them around $5 million, if they paired it with a Civale trade. This would put the payroll around the same as the 2024 season. In a couple of weeks, Adames will officially decline his qualifying offer, and we'll see which other players (if any) the Brewers non-tender. Even if what happens becomes reality, we can’t rule out other trades to cut payroll, like Williams. We don’t know how low the 2025 payroll will go. Maybe we're worrying for nothing, and it will actually rise. We are going to have to wait and see. But don’t expect the club to add too many players from the free agent market. Who would you like to see join the Brewers? Do you think Jose Iglesias is a good fit for the Crew? Will Aaron Civale get traded at some point this offseason? Let us know in the comments. View full article

After clearing revocable waivers, the journeyman-turned-mid-rotation starter is back to being a journeyman. He will become a free agent. Image courtesy of © Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images On Saturday, the Brewers placed right-handed pitcher Colin Rea on waivers allowing the 29 other teams to claim and assume responsibility for his $5.5-million 2025 option. According to Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors, Rea cleared waivers prior to the 4 P.M. CT option deadline on Monday. The organization placed Rea on waivers in an attempt to save $1 million. If a team would've claimed him off waivers, that organization would've covered the entire $5.5 million. The Brewers had to make the final decision on his club option, instead, and will pay a $1-million buyout, making the pitcher an unrestricted free agent. The transaction saves the team $4.5 million that can be used elsewhere in the organization if they please. Rea was an integral part of the organization during the 2024 season. He collected the most wins as a starting pitcher, ending the season with a 12-6 record, a 4.29 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and 135 strikeouts. While he remained in the rotation until mid-September, he faltered badly down the stretch, and became a non-factor when the team built its pitching plan for the Wild Card Series early last month. Barring a trade or any transaction, the Brewers will now have to rely on the talents of Freddy Peralta, Tobias Myers, Aaron Civale, Aaron Ashby, DL Hall and other potential prospects to fill out the rotation. View full article

Those are all solid options as well. I can see the guys you listed as potential starters. But I mentioned these other guys to show that there are options on the 40 man roster already that can fill the void. Misiorowski isn't on the 40 man just yet, but is the top prospect that's getting the most noise atm.

The Brewers shocked their fanbase by placing reliable starter Colin Rea on waivers Saturday. What does that mean for the 2025 starting rotation? Image courtesy of © Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Well, this is an odd turn of events. This weekend, the Brewers had to make a decision on seven players who had 2025 options in their contracts. While some of them were pretty easy (like buying out the likes of Wade Miley and Gary Sánchez), almost no one was anticipating the Brewers placing Colin Rea on waivers. We knew there was a chance the club would have to shed some contracts to lower payroll. However, Rea's $5.5-million club option seemed reasonably cheap. Whichever team elects to claim him will cover Rea's contract. If he goes unclaimed, the Brewers will likely decline his club option and only pay $1 million. If they had any other intention, surely, they would not have made this move. So, what does that leave the Crew in the starting rotation, now that Rea, Miley and presumably Frankie Montas are all gone? Let’s take a look. The Locks: Freddy Peralta, Tobias Myers It would’ve been insane if the Brewers didn’t accept Fastball Freddy’s $8-million club option for the 2025 season. The current ace has struck out 410 batters over his last two seasons. Peralta has been a regular starter since his All-Star-caliber season in 2021, so he’s going to hold down the top spot in the rotation. Joining him is Myers, who was a nice surprise for the rotation when injuries plagued the team. The 2024 rookie, who’s probably going to get a down-ballot Rookie of the Year vote or two, put up impressive numbers and ended the season with a 3.00 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and a 140 ERA+. His best performance was in June, where he allowed only five runs across five starts, including one start where he worked through eight innings allowing only one hit. Since Myers wasn’t called up until mid-April, the Brewers have six years of club control with the 26-year-old. There’s a good chance they've struck gold with another pitcher for years to come. The Likely Return: Brandon Woodruff Woodruff, who missed all of 2024 with a right shoulder anterior capsule tear, is probably itching to get back on the field and help this rotation. He's expected to make a full recovery by the start of the 2025 season, but this type of injury hasn’t boded well for the future performances of previous hurlers. (See Johan Santana, for example, who had the same surgery in September 2010.) He may not be the same pitcher he was prior to this injury, but hopefully, Woodruff can still play a decent role in the rotation. It’s risky, but he'll be considered a starter come spring training. The Brewers have some work to do in the rotation. It might not exactly be the three-headed monster they had in prior seasons, but it could be very effective this upcoming season. Much will depend on how well they're supported by the rest of this group. The Expendables: Aaron Civale, DL Hall Civale would be a lock for the rotation if it weren’t for his projected salary for next season. He joined the team in a trade with the Rays on Jul. 3, with Milwaukee hoping to bolster their rotation. In return, the Brewers gave up infielder Gregory Barrios. In his 14 starts with the Brewers, Civale pitched a modest 74 innings, with a 3.53 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. The last time he was touching those numbers was during his time with the Guardians organization. Civale is entering his last year of arbitration. According to FanGraphs, he is projected to make around $8 million. In most cases, that salary isn’t too bad, given the upside he showed and his track record. If the Brewers are planning on cutting payroll, though, he might be a casualty via the trade market. It feels as though waiving Rea was their way of creating space to keep Civale, but we won't know that for sure until a few weeks from now, when teams have to decide whether or not to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players. Speaking of upside, DL Hall has been an interesting option for the rotation. The organization has viewed him as a starter from the moment they got him from the Orioles in the Corbin Burnes trade. Due to injuries, however, Hall didn’t have a fair chance at securing a spot in the rotation in 2024, and unfortunately, he didn't make the most of the chances he did have. In his seven starts in 2024, Hall had a 5.81 ERA with a 1.84 WHIP. He did perform better in the second half, at least, including a start in which he went seven innings and allowed four hits in 24 batters faced. There’s still a lot to work on, and he can take the length of spring training to figure it out. But, if he starts to struggle, there might be a few young units on the way to take a spot in the rotation for themselves. The Prospects: Robert Gasser, Carlos F. Rodriguez, Jacob Misiorowski We have already seen a sample of what Robert Gasser can do. In five starts last season, he had a 2-0 record, allowing eight earned runs in 28 innings. While he wasn’t a strikeout guy (5.1 K/9), he wasn’t a walk guy, either, as he only walked one batter all season. He might well step right into the middle of the rotation, once he returns from Tommy John surgery. Because he had that operation in late June, though, even an optimistic timeline only brings him back for the second half. It's very possible he won't return to big-league action until 2026. We saw a little bit of Rodriguez, too. He was called up to make a few starts for the Brewers in June. In that sample size, he allowed three home runs in three starts. With an opponent batting average of .365 and an ERA of 7.30, the Brewers had no choice but to send one of their top prospects back to Triple-A Nashville. The two-time Brewers Minor League Pitcher of the Year is looking to bounce back and reenter the big leagues as an arm in the rotation. But there might be one more prospect who could be an option, too, with a bit more upside. Jacob Misiorowski, MLB Pipeline's No. 80 overall prospect, is just about ready to make his major-league debut. With Biloxi last season, he struck out 105 batters in 79 2/3 innings. His 3.50 ERA and 1.28 WHIP helped him earn a promotion to Nashville. Interestingly, though, the Sounds used him as a relief arm in 12 of his 14 appearances. Granted, it was justified, as the organization was trying not to overwork the pitcher, but it almost sounds like they could consider him a bullpen arm in the long run. Even MLB Pipeline suggests this could be the move, due to his walk issues. Misiorowski could have the same route as Josh Hader did. Hader, too, was thought to have been a potential starter, before becoming one of baseball’s top closers. It's something to monitor, but he can still be a back-half rotation piece in 2025, while he seeks a new level of command. The Spot Starters: Bryse Wilson, Aaron Ashby If, for some reason, the rotation begins to struggle or the injury bug comes back with another fierce bite, the Brewers have a couple long relief arms who can step up. We saw Wilson do it often this last season, as he started nine games. In those appearances, he had a 4.75 ERA with a 1.44 WHIP. (These statistics don’t include the times he came from the bullpen after an opener.) Wilson is one of the eight players who are arbitration-eligible, and he might be a non-tender candidate. He is projected to make around $1.5 million for 2025, if they want to keep him. He doesn’t have any more minor-league options, so they couldn’t send him down to the minors without him clearing waivers. That puts him in a tenuous situation. Ashby is another potential spot starter for the team. According to Brewers beat writer Curt Hogg, it just might be a real possibility. Ashby is a really nice relief arm. His 1.37 ERA in 12 relief outings from last season is impressive evidence. But he has a very sketchy past when it comes to starting, and that includes the times before he had surgery on his shoulder in 2023. Yet, despite an extremely rocky first couple of outings, Ashby has a career 4.90 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP in 25 starts. You know what, that doesn’t sound too bad. Yes, the Brewers have time to develop Ashby into a great starter, as he is signed through the 2027 season. However, they might’ve found a place for him in high-leverage middle relief. Neither Wilson nor Ashby should be part of the first draft of the rotation, but they're each plausible fallback plans. Free Agency The offseason is just beginning, so there are plenty of arms to look at from the crop of free agents. Obviously, though, don’t expect players like Corbin Burnes, Max Fried or Gerrit Cole to be options for the Brewers. If the Brewers were going to take a flier on a free agent, it would likely be a pitcher looking to prove their worth. For example, leftry Matthew Boyd showed promise in his few starts with the Guardians after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Now he’s looking to get a full season in and return to the postseason. Another example is Mike Soroka, a former Braves All-Star and runner up for Rookie of the Year thereafter plagued by injuries. He struggled in the oxygen-deprived baseball atmosphere that was the White Sox last year, but maybe a change of scenery can get him back on track. If they are looking for a real veteran pitcher, maybe the Crew bring back Miley on a cheap deal. While it would be an even bigger bet on turning a player's career around than signing Soroka would be, Patrick Corbin might have some appeal. He really hasn’t been the same All-Star pitcher he was back when the Nationals won the World Series, but he did deliver reliable innings for Washington over the ensuing half-decade. It’s going to be a diamond-in-the-rough type of search. The Brewers made Julio Teherán look good a few years ago so they could do it again. Despite letting a reliable arm go by waiving Rea, the Brewers have 10 incumbent pitchers who can battle for the starting rotation. The names might not be flashy, but the club has taken a chance on these guys, and it has worked well enough to win two straight division titles. Whether they are rejected misfits, or prospects and players who came up through the farm system. It looks like (for the time being) the Brewers can make do with the starting rotation options they have. Who would you like to see in the starting rotation next season? Should the Brewers go after a player in free agency? Could there be a trade or transaction that can better the rotation? Let us know. View full article

The Brewers remained competitive after cutting payroll last season. Could they replicate it again like their sign Rhys Hoskins, trade Corbin Burnes scenario? Last winter, the Brewers had a very interesting and somewhat confusing offseason. The front office made it clear the team was planning to compete, yet there weren’t any signs of showing it. Trading away Mark Canha, letting Carlos Santana walk, and packaging Adrian Houser and Tyrone Taylor for a pitcher recovering from Tommy John surgery doesn’t sound like moves a team with playoff aspirations would make. But just when January came around, the Brewers made a big splash by signing the top free agent first baseman, Rhys Hoskins, to a two-year deal in what looked like the offseason-defining move. But then, about a week later, the club flipped their ace pitcher Corbin Burnes for the return of Joey Ortiz, DL Hall, and a compensatory first-round pick who eventually became first baseman from Tennessee, Blake Burke. Fast-forward to today, the club won the NL Central and was just as competitive while shedding around $10 million from its 2023 payroll. With the Brewers moving away from Bally Sports and now having their games aired on MLB.tv, there’s a chance the Brewers will have to do it again and cut payroll while planning to make another playoff run. The Brewers might have to replicate their duo transactions of signing Hoskins and trading Burnes to save money. Join me in this series of trying to replicate this double move with the 2025 crop of free agents. Payroll Preview Before we look into what the Brewers could do to cut salary, why don’t we look at what the payroll could look like without making a signing or trade? We already know Willy Adames and Joe Ross will be off the payroll. But there is still good money that’ll need to be paid elsewhere. According to Adam McCalvy, eight players have options in their contract. Hoskins has opted into his $18 million salary, while the Brewers will likely opt into the club options of Freddy Peralta, Colin Rea, Devin Williams and Eric Haase. Wade Miley has already been bought out of his $12 million contract for 2025 for the $1.5 million buyout. Barring a trade before a potential deadline, the club will probably elect to pay the buyouts of Gary Sanchez and Frankie Montas. Next, the club has eight arbitration eligible players looking to get a nice raise. For now, we will assume all players will be tendered and the salaries will be the same as the FanGraphs projections. Finally, there are pre-arbitration contracts that will have a pay near the league minimum. While we can’t assume each player will be paid $760,000, we can look at the projected salaries of those contracts according to FanGraphs which currently sit at $11.4 million. When we put all those numbers together, the Brewers would have a projected salary of around $127 million. This is around $11 million more than the projected 2024 payroll. Even though FanGraphs projected roster payroll is currently at $99.36 million, it doesn’t account for the players that will opt into their contracts. So, with this being known, the Brewers won’t go out and buy another player without cutting their salary from other avenues. But let's look at the potential signing first before cutting salary. SIGNING: Brewers Sign 2B/SS Gleyber Torres (Calculated Market Value Per Spotrac: three-year, $21 million) I know what you are all thinking, why do the Brewers need another middle infielder? Joey Ortiz and Brice Turang are great middle infielders. The club has Tyler Black waiting for his time to get called up. Cooper Pratt is going to be the club's future. So why get another one? It may seem easy to slide a player like Ortiz over to shortstop and find someone to take over at third. But even the options at third are quite slim in-house. If they go this route, the next man up would probably be Andruw Monasterio. Nothing against the utility infielder, but it is definitely a far cry from Adames with the bat. As for potential prospects, the aforementioned Black is still trying to figure out his role in the organization and could slide in at the hot corner. 2023 first-round pick Brock Wilken could also see some opportunities at the major league level. However, with a .199/.312/.363 line in 108 games with the Biloxi Shuckers last season, he may need time in Triple-A Nashville before the club adds him to the 40-man roster. The free agent market isn’t great either. Alex Bregman is just as if not more expensive than Adames. Yoan Moncada is an option, but he has only played 104 games in the last two seasons. Eugenio Suarez could've been a great option that could've provided a little bit of pop in the lineup. The Diamondbacks, however, exercised his $15 million option preventing him from joining free agency. Gleyber Torres could play second base and allow Turang to play his natural shortstop position. In seven seasons with the Yankees he has a .265/.334/.441 line with a 113 wRC+. The Venezuelan two-time All-Star had a rough start to his 2024 season, posting a .230 batting average with eight home runs and 35 RBI in his first 93 games of the season. However, his second half of the season should net him a better paycheck in 2025, as he hit .290 with a .780 OPS in his last 61 games. Torres is a career .251/.332/.398 hitter with two outs and runners in scoring position. In high leverage situations, he had a .338 batting average on balls in play with 27 RBI with a 102 OPS+. While he doesn’t exactly fit the hole that was left behind, he would be a decent replacement in the lineup. The same cannot be said for his defense. According to FanGraphs, he had a negative OAA (outs above average) as well as -11 defensive runs saved in 2024. For an organization that had prided itself on defense over the last few years, signing a bat like Torres could become a defensive liability. He had positive defensive numbers back in 2022, but it’s still not the same glove as Adames provided. There has been a potential buzz of moving outfielder Sal Frelick into the infield so maybe Milwaukee could use Torres’s talents as a part-time DH. In his final year of arbitration, Torres received a $14.2 million contract. He may not be worth that type of pay this offseason, but he is still arguably the best second baseman on the free agent market. He will likely look for a better pay than the projection made by Spotrac. Prediction: Gleyber Torres signs a two year, $26 million with an opt out after 2025 (4 million buyout) and a mutual option for 2027 ($16 million, 3 million buyout) TRADE: Brewers trade Devin William (2025 Salary: $10.5 million) If there was a talking point to end the Brewers 2024 season, it was Devin Williams who came into the ninth with a 2-0 lead attempting to punch the Crew's ticket to the NLDS. Unfortunately, he allowed four runs including a three-run home run by pending free agent Pete Alonso. From then on, people were wondering if this may be the last time we see the Airbender as a Brewer. In six seasons with the Brewers, Williams picked up 97 saves, a 1.83 ERA, and a 1.02 WHIP. His efforts resulted in him winning the 2020 Rookie of the Year as well as two Trevor Hoffman Reliever of the Year awards (2020 and 2023). Last offseason, the Brewers signed Williams to a deal hours after the club had exchanged arbitration numbers. The deal was for one year, $7.5 million and a club option for 2025 worth $10.5 million with a $250,000 opt out. If the Brewers were planning to keep Williams, they would likely take the buyout and negotiate a one year contract in his final year of arbitration in hopes to get a lower salary. But we all knew what happened to Josh Hader and Corbin Burnes in their final years of arbitration. This could be no different. We’ve already seen what a Brewers team would look like without Williams. For the first half of the season, he was nursing stress fractures in his back. During that time, the Brewers went (75-56) as Trevor Megill slid into the closer's role. By the end of the season, the Brewers bullpen had a 3.11 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. Even if you take away Williams numbers, the rest of the bullpen would still have the second best ERA in baseball (3.16) along with the third-best WHIP (1.16). The Brewers can fill the void of Williams with pitchers like Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe, Bryan Hudson, and even Nick Mears if the “pitching lab go brrr.” If the Brewers elect to trade Williams, don’t expect a huge package. It’s not like Milwaukee can get a Samuel Basallo from the Orioles, an Aidan Miller from the Phillies, or a Dalton Rushing from the Dodgers (although I wouldn’t say no if they offered it). If anything, you should expect a trade package less that what the Brewers got for Burnes. At the time, the deal didn’t seem like much, but look what Joey Ortiz has become for the Crew. Conclusion In this scenario, the signing of Gleyber Torres and a Devin Williams trade is a wash salary wise. While that is a bad thing for a team that is trying to at minimum hover around the $116 million salary from 2024, there’s an argument made that it makes the team better. Williams, while a renowned relief pitcher around the league, doesn’t exactly hurt the bullpen as much as it may seem. Adding Torres, on the other hand, gives the Brewers a young veteran upgrade to a lineup that needed some sort of help after Adames elects free agency. There are other avenues of saving money such as non-tendering the likes of Hoby Milner or Bryse Wilson, signing players to backloaded extensions (William Contreras), or making other trades like the Devin Williams one listed above. Regardless, expect another busy offseason with trades and interesting “diamond in the rough” type signings this winter. What do you think of this potential scenario? What players would you like to see sign with the Brewers? Which Brewers could be on the move this offseason? Let us know in the comments. View full article

Without Christian Yelich, the Brewers stepped up this August recording the best monthly record of the season. Who is the rightful winner of the Brewer Fanatic Hitter of the Month Award? Coming off a July where there club performed at a sub 500 win loss record, the Brewers are now with the Phillies for the second seed in the playoffs after winning 19 of the 28 games this month. While the Brewers lost Christian Yelich for the season, the supporting cast around him have stepped up hitting a .255/.343/.444 line with 39 home runs and 147 RBI. This marks the best monthly stat line of the 2024 season. Who are the brightest stars of the month of August? Let’s look back at the top performances for second to last month of the regular season. Honorable Mentions With the Garrett Mitchell and Blake Perkins both healthy, the duo might have less opportunities and plate appearances. While Perkins did go down with a calf strain early in the month, he still put up a .326/.400/.391 slash line in 55 plate appearances. Meanwhile, Mitchell was healthy for the month hitting a .253 batting average with an .803 OPS. In fact, this production can match Sal Frelick's numbers who might've made this list had it not been for a 1-for-25 stretch. Another player taking advantage of limited playing time is Gary Sanchez who had a 150 OPS+ in 17 games in the month of August. Now let’s get on with list. These three are interchangeable as any one of these could’ve taken the title. We had to be nitpicky. 3: Willy Adames – 118 PA, .288/.373/.606, 30 H, 13 XBH, 10 HR, 24 RBI, 24 R, 14 BB, 37 K Behold our glorious home run king. Well, there’s still another month but Adames has broken away from the pack. He’s getting on base, he’s barreling up balls at 11.7%, and he’s taking walks. Why does this seem familiar? That’s right, this is 2021 Adames. When he joined the club, he was hitting below the Mendoza line. But as a Brewer, he hit 20 home runs and drove in 58 RBI while hitting a .285 with a 137 OPS+. He was so good in those four months, he even garnered MVP votes. Not saying he will this year, but he’s putting up career numbers on a contract year. Might be bad for the Brewers extension chances but I digress. So why only third? The strikeouts. I know he’s always had a thing with strikeouts but over the last couple of months he’s struck out almost a third of the time. In comparison, Eugenio Suárez, who led the American League in strikeouts, has a lower K rate in the last two months (24.1%). Based off his 22.1% K rate, we know Adames can strikeout less. If he keeps hitting these strikeouts won’t really matter. But like I said, we are very nitpicky this month. 2: Jackson Chourio – 121 PA, .321/.372/.554, 36 H, 14 XBH, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 18 R, 6 BB, 21 K Like last month, Chourio is putting up the numbers that a former #2 prospect in baseball should be. His .926 OPS and his 155 wRC+ for the speaks volumes. He may be only 20 but he is playing like a seasoned veteran out there. He has been absolutely clutch this season. Even with the rough start, he’s hitting a .350/.381/.500 slash line in high leverage situations. Partner that with a .870 OPS with RISP and you got a reliable bat on your hands. The one concern is walk/strikeout ratio. It went back down to where it his early season woes (0.29 in August). The strikeouts percent went up to 17.4% while his walk percentage went down to 5.0%. He’s still seeing the ball really well for this short amount of time in the league. He’s just three home runs shy of a 20/20 season. There’s still plenty of time to do it. There’s even enough time to show the league this is the best rookie with the name Jackson in the National League. Even if he doesn’t get the Rookie of the Year, it’s fair to say the Brewers fan base is proud of this Venezuelan rookie. That and the fact they have 7-9 more seasons of him. Also enjoy that piece of the scoreboard. *WINNER* Hitter of the Month: William Contreras – 123 PA, .295/.398/.648, 31 H, 18 XBH, 9 HR, 23 RBI, 22 R, 17 BB, 27 K This is your daily reminder to thank the Atlanta Braves for including the Brewers in the Sean Murphy trade and giving us William Contreras for magic beans. You could probably do the same thing for the A’s when they gave us Joel Payamps but I’m going to let Jason Wang tell you about it in the Pitcher of the Month story. Contreras has his All Star form once again as his August statistics are absolutely disgusting. A 1.046 OPS, and a 183 wRC+ is great for any player in the league let alone the catchers in the league. He continues to rake the ball and be a consistent hitter in an injured lineup. He has kept a consistent strikeout rate (around 20%) he has a high walk rate (10.5%), and he has hit the ball hard (92.7 average exit velocity). The one concern I had about him was his ground ball rate and the fact he led the National League in grounded into double plays. His ground ball percentage went down this month, his fly ball rate went up, and he’s only grounded into 3 double plays. He has improved in every aspect of his game this month and is on pace to have career best stats in home runs, RBI, runs and even batting average. The Brewers roster as a whole has shown no signs of slowing down despite the Yelich news. With the Magic Number set at 16, this club will need this hot bats ready now and for what lies ahead in October Who do you think deserved to be the hitter of the month? Would you change anything with our list? Who do you think will be September’s Hitter of the Month? Let us know in the comments. View full article

With Christian Yelich potentially done for the season, what left-handed hitters could the Brewers target by the Tuesday trade deadline? Image courtesy of © Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports It looks like the Brewers will be short of their former MVP for a good chunk of time. Upon the reports that Christian Yelich will be trying to rest and go through rehab to avoid major back surgery, the Brewers will have to find a way to fill the void left behind. While replacing a talent like Yelich is nearly impossible, it doesn’t seem like the Crew will lay down trying. Along with their starting pitching woes, the Brewers are looking to add a left-handed bat, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The club already has Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, Brice Turang, and Jake Bauers on their 26-man roster, with Tyler Black waiting in Nashville. Add switch-hitting Blake Perkins, and you have seven potential options. With three catchers on the roster, it’s got to be a matter of time before one of Eric Hasse or Gary Sanchez gets traded or DFAd right? So, who could the Brewers eventually target at the trade deadline that fits the mold? Let’s take a look at five realistic options the club can look at. Mike Yastrzemski The Giants are in a deep hole right now financially. After spending money on players such as Jorge Soler, Blake Snell, and Matt Chapman, the club was looking to really compete for a playoff spot by leaping over the luxury tax. Fast forward to today and they are six games below .500, fourth place in the division and 5.5 games back from the third wild card spot. According to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic, the Giants could try to sell some contracts in hopes below that tax line. However, they are around 16-17 million over the line and will take more than trading away Snell’s contract to get back under. So, the Brewers can take advantage of this by adding one of their left-handed hitting outfielders Mike Yastrzemski. Yastrzemski, 33, has been quietly productive for the Giants hitting a .244 batting average with a .754 OPS, a 117 OPS+, and a 115 wRC+ thus far this season. He’s already got an impressive 2.1 WAR this season and has been one of the few bright spots in a struggling organization. He’s not a superstar, but he would be a nice place holder for the season. He’s owed $7.9 million total this season and has another year of club control giving the organization another veteran outfielder should Yelich opt for surgery during the offseason and isn’t available to start the season. The Giants could easily nontender him during the offseason, but why not get some prospects in return now before they eventually let him walk. Potential Trade: Brewers receive OF Mike Yastrzemski from the Giants for RHP Craig Yoho (Org #23 prospect) and a PTBNL or cash Willie Calhoun The Angels are another team that will be selling a ton of players at the deadline. Now Tyler Anderson, Carlos Estevez and Carson Fulmer are all expected to be top names sold at the deadline. But with the Angels selling a ton of prospects at last year’s deadline, they will be listening to offers from controllable talent such as Luis Rengifo and Taylor Ward. If the Brewers are looking for a pure DH bat in lieu of Yelich’s back, then perhaps they could look at the rental of Angels OF/1B Willie Calhoun. In 216 plate appearances, Calhoun is hitting a .255/.319/.388 with four home runs, 17 RBI and a 14.6% strikeout rate. He’s hitting a .262 batting average against right-handed pitchers and while his reverse splits aren’t great, Bauers can giving the Brewers a nice left-handed hitting platoon at the DH spot. Like Yastrzemski, Calhoun has an additional year of club control. Based off his salary from arbitration this season ($817,000) he will have a low contract in 2025. If the Crew are lucky, they could have Calhoun in a package with a pitcher that can also benefit the rotation Potential Trade: Brewers receive DH Willie Calhoun and LHP Tyler Anderson from the Angels for RHP Brett Wichroski, (org #14 prospect) OF Dylan O’Rae (Org #20 prospect) and RHP Ryan Birchard (Org #30 prospect) Brandon Lowe This one is a little bit lofty as will the final name on this list will be. However, in light of recent events that occurred last night, this seems a little more possible. The Rays are currently 52-51, fourth in the AL East, and four games back for that final wild card spot. Like the Brewers, the Ray are a small market team. Even crazier, their payroll isn’t above $100 million. The club already traded Phil Maton to the Mets, cut Harold Ramirez, and even gave the Crew Aaron Civale for a couple of prospects. Just when you thought they were done, they started listening to offers for the likes of Yandi Diaz, Issac Paredes, and Randy Arozarena. As many of you who may have seen once you woke up this morning (or maybe when you went to bed last night) Arozarena has been traded to Seattle. Seems like all limits are off. The Brewers should try to hear out an offer for Brandon Lowe. In 55 games, he’s hitting a .251/.346/.512 line with 12 home runs and 33 RBI. Prior to yesterday’s shutout victory, he had a 128 OPS+ and a 124 wRC+. In Clutch situations, he has a career .848 OPS with two outs and RISP. While it is also a small sample size this season, I’d like to point out his .324 batting average and .937 OPS against left handed pitchers this season in 37 PA. While the Brewers don’t necessarily need a second baseman, Lowe can play the DH or corner outfield. Also an occasional DH for Turang or Willy Adames wouldn’t hurt. Speaking of, Lowe is the perfect replacement for Adames bat in the lineup assuming he leaves the club in free agency this offseason. They can slide Turang over to short and voila there is your middle infield for the next couple of years. Did I forgot to mention Lowe has two club options for the next few years? He’d be owed $10.5 million in 2025 and $11.5 million in 2026. Let’s see if Matt Arnold can work his magic again Potential Trade: Brewers receive 2B Brandon Lowe from the Rays for 3B Eric Bitonti (Org #12 prospect), RHP Bradley Blalock (Org #17 prospect) and a PTBNL or cash. Daulton Varsho The Blue Jays are going to sell. It just seems inevitable. While Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette have seem off limits (for now), Yusei Kikuchi, Chris Bassitt, Yimi Garcia, and Justin Turner are the ones being thrown out there as potential trade candidates. But with the Blue Jays having one of the worst farm systems in baseball right now, I don’t think veteran players on expiring contracts will get a ton back. But where does Daulton Varsho fit in all this? Better yet what happened to Varsho? His strikeout percentage has gone up. His hard hit percentage has gone down. His batting average has dipped too. Maybe a change of scenery could help him. Why Milwaukee though? Well besides the fact he’s from Wisconsin and went to UW-MILWAUKEE, he has hit better against the National League for the past two seasons. He also batting a career .250 against lefties lifetime and has an .836 OPS in high leverage situations. To top it all off, he has two more years of club control after this season. He could become a decent DH bat for the next couple of years. Either that or he’s the next Daniel Vogelbach. But time will tell, and he won’t have to cost a ton. Although some people may consider this trade too much for Varsho. Potential Trade: Brewers receive OF/C Daulton Varsho from the Blue Jays for OF Joey Wiemer Jazz Chisholm Jr. If you want to look at the best-case scenario that the Brewers can look at, look no further than Yelich’s former team in the Miami Marlins. Honestly, I don’t understand the fall from grace that took from the playoff race. After last season where Skip Schumaker took the Marlins into the Wild Card round of the playoffs, you would’ve thought the club would’ve stayed a little bit more competitive. But fast forward to May, the club wasn’t doing so hot resulting in the Luis Arraez trade to the Padres. They are currently in last place in the NL East and well out of the playoff race. We could see a trade involving Josh Bell or Tanner Scott, but the intriguing name on the roster is Jazz Chisholm Jr. who has two more years of arbitration beyond this season. He has been a reliable option for the club this season hitting a .248 batting average with a .308 BABIP, .727 OPS, and a 103 wRC+. His 13 home runs suggest he can have a decent pop in the bat. Chisholm Jr. is only 26 and is entering his prime years as a ball player. He’s going to hear a ton of interest from other teams as he can be a great centerfielder for clubs as well as a decent infielder if the receiving team desires. For the Brewers, Chisholm Jr. becomes a great option for their outfield keeping them competitive this season and beyond. Like the Brandon Lowe situation, he could also be an option at second if and when Adames signs a big contract elsewhere in free agency. With what he can provide for a team, he isn’t going to come cheap as he’s only being paid 2.625 million this season and is projected to make around 5-6 million in 2025. Chisholm Jr is going to be a blockbuster like trade so expect a Christian Yelich 2018 type of trade package for the former MLB The Show cover athlete. Potential Trade: Brewers receive OF/2B Jazz Chisholm Jr from the Marlins in exchange for OF Blake Perkins, INF Tyler Black (Org #3 prospect, MLB’s #33 prospect), RHP Josh Knoth (Org #11 prospect) and INF Mike Boeve (Org #13 prospect) The Brewers are going to do whatever they can on the roster to replace the hole Yelich will leave behind on the roster. Any of these players above could be enough to take Yelich’s spot while he rehabs his back for the final couple months of the 2024 season. Who do you think the Brewers can trade for at the trade deadline? What other players could the club look at to add for the final two months of the season? Do the Brewers even need to add anyone into their lineup? Let us know in the comments. View full article

I would've included him if it wasn't for his current injury. Recent reports say he'll be back in mid August

The once-surprising rookie, Andruw Monasterio, is becoming a forgotten option on the Brewers roster. Should they look to upgrade from the utility role off the bench? Image courtesy of © Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK Like all competing teams in July, the Brewers are looking to solidify their roster for the second half of the season. Sure, we’ve heard our rumors of adding pitching to the rotation and that Milwaukee's hitting is doing pretty well, but it leaves this question no one is really talking about: What are the Brewers doing with Andruw Monasterio? He was the third baseman while Joey Ortiz recovered from his neck injury. However, with three position players hurt in Ortiz, Gary Sanchez, and Oliver Dunn, Monasterio will likely return to a backup “utility” player role and be the only one from the bench who could play any infield position. When he played this season, he hit .203/.292/.281 with one home run and 10 RBI. While it has been a small sample size (89 PA), he hasn’t been very productive. It makes you wonder if the Brewers should look for an upgrade by the deadline. Why don’t you look at some reasons why they should or shouldn’t pursue another utility infielder? Why Should They? The Brewers are contending for a division title. If they want to stay healthy, energized, and ready for a playoff run in 2024, players are going to need time to take time off. That even goes for Willy Adames, who has not missed a game this year. Right now, that player that’s coming off the bench is Monasterio. They have already experimented with Oliver Dunn, who is on the injured list. With a stat line of .221/.282/.316, Dunn hasn’t been doing too badly. The same goes for top prospect Tyler Black, who, in 12 games, has a .235 batting average with a .610 OPS. However, Monasterio’s versatility could give him the edge as Dunn has mainly played third while Black looks more like a future first baseman for the club. Monasterio has played every spot in the infielder (other than shortstop) and was even put in the outfield after pinch-hitting in a game earlier this season. If you want proof, please look at last Saturday when the Nationals used a left-handed opener. While Turang eventually took over for Monasterio at the top of the 6th, it’s still worth noting he would be used in a platoon role. While there is an argument that the club can use left-handed infielders in the lineup, the club already has a decent chunk of left-handed bats, including Jake Bauers, Brice Turang, and four outfielders. Not only that, but the Brewers' splits also show the left-handed bats aren’t having an issue regardless of who’s throwing on the mound. Baseball-Reference shows right-handed bats hit .233 with a .696 OPS. The only statistic worse in platoon splits is how they fair against starting lefties (.230/.316/.379). Of the 11 Brewers right-handed batters on the 40-man roster that faced left-handed pitching, Monasterio statistically has the worst stats (.184/.262/.290). So, if the Brewers want to improve in some areas, perhaps a decent upgrade could be the answer. While there hasn’t been much information on a potential utility player on the trade market, a selling team could sell a player with these traits at the right price. If not that, there will be teams that will waive/release players that the club could pick up. Last year, the club picked up former MVP Josh Donaldson in late August. It is worth noting that the Phillies' recently released utility player, Whit Merrifield, could be one of those names to look at. Why They Don’t Need To Monasterio has been a great story within the organization. Once signed at 17 years old to the Cubs and then traded in two separate trades, Monasterio signed with the Brewers on a minor league contract in 2021. He was added to the 26-man roster in 2023 after Willy Adames went on the concussion injured list and never looked back. He was never a top prospect in the club’s farm system but took advantage of his time in the major league club. With Adames likely to sign elsewhere in the offseason, Turang, Black, Ortiz, and even Cooper Pratt and Brock Wilken look to be a part of the team’s future. It almost feels like this team is going for it all in the 2025 season. While this season has been fun, this isn’t even the peak of this team’s potential. With Ortiz back in the lineup, there are not a ton of plate appearances left for Monasterio. If the brewers believe they have a chance for a deep run in the playoffs this season, there are more pressing needs besides a utility player upgrade. The rotation includes Freddy Peralta, Colin Rea, Aaron Civale, and Tobias Myers, with the potential of DL Hall and maybe Joe Ross coming back at some point this season. Not to mention, Devin Williams will be back in the bullpen at some point this season. If the Brewers want to trade any prospects to compete this season, starting pitching might be the club's route at the deadline. But don’t expect any huge name like Garrett Crochet from the White Sox because that will cost a ton of top prospects to get him. Perhaps Yusei Kikuchi, Tyler Anderson, and maybe even Erick Fedde or Jack Flaherty would be the guys they go for. However, some of those could cost a lot due to the lack of starting pitching for these competing clubs. If Monasterio continues to struggle within the club, there are other options. Sure, we’ve seen Capra, (Owen) Miller, and Dunn, but Black hasn’t had much chance to slide in at third yet. They are still planning him as an option at first, but he’s had third base and center field reps this season. He was even drafted initially as a second baseman. There’s no need to push for an upgrade when not much of an upgrade is needed. Once Sanchez returns, that’s another right-handed bat to worry about taking his plate appearances. Maybe as a backup infielder off the bench, he can find that same magic he had last summer. Who’s Available? So, what if the club is looking to improve their backup infield? Are there any notable options on the market? Truthfully, trading for a utility role-type player can be hard, mainly if they are meant to get regular playing time. Nobody is talking about trading for a utility player. But ideally, if the Brewers are going to pick up a bat, they are going to give it a nice chunk of playing time. While nothing has been said about their trade availability, these are some options the club could consider. Whit Merrifield - Current Team: Free Agent As previously mentioned, the longtime Kansas City Royal Whit Merrifield was released by the Phillies a few weeks ago. In 53 games this season, Merrifield is hitting a .199 batting average with a 63 OPS+ and a 65 wRC+. That is nowhere close to his .272/.318/.382 line last season that got him an all-star appearance. Sure, you can chalk it up to age, but that seems like a big drop-off from last season. He's got experience playing the outfield, second base, third base, and even a couple of games at first. He’s essentially what we would expect from a utility infielder. With a change of scenery and a smaller market, Merrifield could bounce back into the all-star player he once was for the Royals and Blue Jays. The best part about giving him a try is he would cost the Brewers any of their prospects. If it doesn’t work out, the organization could cut him, put him on revocable waivers, and let fate decide his next move. Ildemaro Vargas - Current Team: Washington Nationals While the Nationals are only five games out from the third wild card spot, seven teams are still fighting for the same spot. Their young core is almost ready for a run at the playoffs, but they don’t seem there yet, so expect them to be sellers towards the deadline. Jesse Winker, Dylan Floro, and even Lane Thomas seem like better options to sell off. But why sell a player like Ildemaro Vargas? It took stops from Arizona, Minnesota, Chicago, and Pittsburgh before Vargas found a home in Washington, DC. In 63 games, he’s hitting a .253 batting average with a .656 OPS and an 86 wRC+, making him a nice veteran who is coming off the bench. I don’t expect much power, but judging by his 10% strikeout rate and a .282/.329/,394 slash line against left-handed pitchers, he will find ways to get on base. Vargas is under club control until 2026, so he could be helped beyond this season. However, we will have to give some sort of prospect in return. Not that it may cost a ton, but a player like infielder Jadher Areinamo or Juan Baez could make the trade work. Andy Ibanez - Current Team: Detroit Tigers This is probably the best-case scenario for the Brewers to land a bat of this caliber. Detroit is 12 games out of the division but only six from the final wild-card spot, so they are in a tough spot when it comes to selling. Andy Ibanez solves a ton of problems for the Brewers. Trouble hitting against left-handers? Ibanez is hitting a career .310 batting average and .857 OPS against southpaws. Need someone to come in clutch? How about a career .287/.345/.440 line with a 116 wRC+? Ibanez is the best answer to come off the bench. We hear the Jack Flaherty talks and even Tarik Skubal talks if you want to get crazy, so it almost sounds like they will start selling. The Tigers already have a great farm system with prospects, some of which may be ready to come up. With Colt Keith already in the Bigs, Jace Jung coming up soon, and the Tigers selecting Bryce Rainer with the 11th overall pick in the 2024 draft, they might have a hard time playing Ibanez even with three more seasons of club control and his ability to play everywhere on the infield and more. With that in mind, the club might seek a decent offer. I’m not saying Cooper Pratt will be a name tossed out, but don’t be surprised if the conversation of a deal starts with Eric Bitonti or Mike Boeve. Currently, Baseball Trade Values see that as a slight overpay, but that’s what it may take for the club to give up Ibanez at this rate. If the Brewers are going to make a move, it has to be done within the next two weeks. The Brewers will look for upgrades in the rotation, but would they add a bat to fix a minor inconvenience? One great price could be enough to make a change. What do you think of the Monasterio situation? Should the Brewers look for a better option? What other players would you like to see wearing Brewers' colors? Let us know in the comments. View full article

Thank you for your comment and feedback. I respect the opinion of Jared Koenig. Everyone has a right to their opinion and I'm glad you expressed it here. However, let me explain why I decided to go with Hudson over Koenig for the month of June. First, these stats you see in the article are based off of the splits of the Month of June per Baseball Reference. While Koenig has more appearances for the month over Hudson 12 to 8, they only are separated by 1 2/3 innings pitched. In those innings, Koenig does get those opportunities to pick up the pieces by not allowing inherited runs (only 4 of 22 have scored). However, Hudson role is more like a set up man, where he comes in and starts the inning. In fact, he only came in two separate times in the middle of an inning in June and he didn't allow a single inherited runner to score. Whereas Koenig did allow one inherited run against the Padres that same month. And you said it, Koenig's last 15 games looked better than Hudson's (though I think some games from July slipped into the data). But that's just it the last 15 games includes time in May and even Hudson's case July. In a way, the stats are kinda skewed. I believe what Koenig has done this season has been incredibly impressive. His speed in sinker has increased and everything. Once he's back he'll continue to be efficient. He is arguably better than Hudson all around. But statistically, from specifically the month of June, Hudson has performed better in high leverage situations (per Baseball Reference) and beats out Koenig this month. Inherited runners and all.

The halfway point to the season has come and gone. What pitchers truly outshined the rest in the month of June? We are officially halfway through the season. While the injuries have piled up, the pitching has continued to thrive. In fact, while the club may have a 16-11 record in June, it statistically had the best pitching numbers this month. The stats can be misleading as they have used the opener strategy four times this month. Bryse Wilson and Colin Rea had solid outings from the pen. But a combined 2.38 ERA and 1.04 WHIP amongst those bullpen arms, including the openers from Jared Koenig and Hoby Milner, is something. Once again, the starting rotation lost another pitcher for a year, Robert Gasser, resulting in the additions of pitchers such as Elieser Hernandez and Dallas Keuchel. While the numbers don’t look incredible, one starter outshone the rest. That said, it’s time to crown the Pitcher of the Month. Here are the top-performing pitchers for June 2024. Honorable Mention: Enoli Paredes It seems as though the minors translated well for the right-handed pitcher. Although he only recorded four strikeouts in June, Paredes has held it down quite nicely, recording a 1.59 ERA in 11.1 innings. His 1.24 WHIP could use some work, as he just misses out on the top four spots for the month. 4: Trevor Megill – June Stats: 12 G, 0.73 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 9 SV, 12.1 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 12 K As I said in May, the Brewers needed a pitcher to finish out games with Devin Williams on the shelf. Do you think the search has come to an end with Trevor Megill? Once the lights go out, fireflies come out like an Uncle Howdy/Bray Wyatt entrance, and Metallica’s “The Four Horsemen” plays loudly, you know the game is ending. He's gone a perfect nine for nine in save opportunities this month and hasn’t allowed a run in his last seven outings. Teams were hitting a .146/.234/.171 line against Megill last month. That’s right, a .405 OPS. His one earned run he allowed came against the Reds against a Jeimer Candelario double, but even that appearance led to a save. It is still concerning that his hard-hit percentages (43.9%) and fly ball percentage (36.4%) are higher than average. On the season, he has garnered a 35% chase rate and a 33.8% whiff rate. It makes you wonder what they could do with him once Williams returns. With 17 saves on the season, the club can keep Megill in the closer role, at least for now, while they ease Williams into reps in the bullpen. We’ll have to see as soon as The Airbender comes back. But for now, the bullpen remains in good hands. 3: Jared Koenig - June Stats: 12 G, 3 GS, 0.66 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 13.2 IP, 6 H, 5 BB, 17 K The pitching lab has another successful arm with Jared Koenig. The former Oakland Athletic didn’t make the team this season, even after a non-roster invite. The Brewers gave Koenig a chance as J.B. Bukauskas was added to the 60-day injured list. The 30-year-old southpaw has become one of the most reliable pitchers out of the pen. He has been used as an opener in three separate games, and each of those starts resulted in zero runs. He is striking out 8.5 per nine innings this season (11.2 in June), resulting in a 7-1 record. What is more incredible is his improved speed in his pitches. We’ve seen his sinker creeping up to around 96-97 MPH when, at the start of the year, he was regularly touching 94. Like Megill, his only run from this month came from the Cincinnati Reds, thanks to an Elly De La Cruz home run. But has continued to be effective in many situations this season. He was recently put on the 15-day injured list for left forearm tendinitis. We are not sure how long the recovery will take. We must see how scans will be on his elbow in the coming days. He has been the second most reliable lefty out of the pen. Of course, that distinction belongs to our April and May Pitcher of the Month. Speaking of which... 2: June Reliever of the Month - Bryan Hudson – June Stats: 8 G, 0.00 ERA, 0.25 WHIP, 12.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 14 K Stop me if you heard this one: Bryan Hudson is great. In 29 games this season, he has only allowed four runs, with three on solo home runs. This month, he hasn’t even given up a run, let alone a home run. On the year, he has struck out 51 batters over eight walks. That means he strikes out around six batters per walk. Hudson hasn’t allowed a walk in 11 innings. Meanwhile, he hasn’t allowed a run (nor a home run) since May 30th. Hudson currently has a 0.82 ERA and a 0.61 WHIP. He doesn’t have a high whiff rate, but his sweeper, with a 38.4% whiff percentage, looks to be his putaway pitch. He has been finding ways to strike out batters, even with a slow-moving fastball. He has the potential to be an All-Star, but the fact that he’s not a starter or a closer might lower his chances. However, he can keep his success up for the latter half of the season. In Saturday’s game, Pay Murphy pulled him after one inning, hoping he doesn’t overwork the pitcher. With the southpaw going 44 innings this year already, they might want to ease up on him so as not to fatigue him. Who knows if the Brewers will add an arm at the deadline, either for the pen or the rotation? But as of now, we have a great late-inning guy to go to in high-leverage situations. Hudson is undoubtedly our Reliever of June, but who dethroned him for this month’s Pitcher of the Month? It’s time we give credit to another rookie who has to start games on a high note. *WINNER* June Starter of the Month - Tobias Myers – June Stats: 5 G, 5 GS, 1.44 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 31.1 IP, 20 H, 8 BB, 24 K I get it, I get it. How can a pitcher who hasn’t given up a single run all month get beat out by Tobias Myers? He did have to be responsible for holding a team to fewer runs in more innings pitched. This month, the rookie had a 4-0 record and four quality starts (going 6+ innings with three or fewer runs allowed). If that wasn’t good enough, two of the five starts he made didn’t allow a single run. At the start of June, Myers had a 5.40 ERA with a 1.46 WHIP. This has since dropped to a 3.26 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. With the injury losses of DL Hall, Jakob Junis, and Robert Gasser in the rotation, one player needed to step up and take on a role in the rotation. Myers did that perfectly. He may not be the guy that gets a ton of strikeouts, but he can at least get a decent bit of groundballs for a strong defense in the infield. He’s kept the batters down to a .185/.248/.259 line with a .125 opponent batting average in high-leverage situations. If he can continue to be serviceable for the next couple of months while the team gets healthy, Myers will be a key cog in the playoff push down the stretch. Do you agree with our choice for Pitcher of the Month? Will Tobias Myers keep it up for the second half of the season? What other pitchers have shined in June? Let us know down below. View full article

While the Brewers have injury problems in the rotation, could they consider an offensive upgrade in their starting lineup over the next month, too? Image courtesy of © Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports For the last few weeks, this site has talked about the potential impact the Brewers can make on the trade deadline this summer. Whether we have looked at specific trade partners or what players make the most sense for the Brewers, it seems the fanbase has come to one obvious conclusion: The Brewers should add starting pitching. With nine pitchers on the injured list and not many signs of them coming back to full health, it seems logical to add a starting pitcher to a rotation that has relied on a combination of Colin Rea, relief pitching, and promising prospects to support Freddy Peralta. But nobody has said a word about the potential of adding a different bat, and honestly, that’s fair. So, should the Brewers consider adding a bat to an already hot-hitting lineup? Let’s take a deep dive into why the club should trade for an upgrade in the starting nine and the players they should be looking at. Why Add a Bat? So, this team has a former MVP; arguably the best catcher in the league; a 25-year-old rookie third baseman; and a former first-round pick at second. Each of these players have a batting average above .270 and an OPS+ above 100. In fact, the club is fourth in team OPS, sixth in team batting average, eighth in team wRC+, and third in team batting average on balls in play. So, why should the club worry about adding hitting? With every good hitter in this organization, there are just as many questionable bats on the 26-man roster. Not every player on this team is willing and able to play every game, like Willy Adames or William Contreras. Players need days off, and it might be good to have better depth available when that need becomes urgent down the stretch. The club uses a rotational DH, but it can be argued that role would go to either Gary Sánchez or Jake Bauers. If that concerns you, that’s understandable. Each of them is running an OPS+ south of average, and their aggregate OBP is right around .300. Those are two of the four players with at least 40 games played this year who have struggled that way. The other two are Oliver Dunn and Jackson Chourio. Chourio is coming back around (.294/.351/.471 in June), and Dunn’s role has been diminished. Speaking of the bench, Andruw Monasterio is still on this roster. He has five hits in 42 plate appearances. While he rarely is seen in the starting lineup, he still gets occasional chances, and has struggled to deliver when they've come. The Crew can only be so patient before they consider moving on. The only other player who nominally remains on the bench (though that hasn’t really been his role) is Blake Perkins. You can find, somewhere on this site, more detail on the fact that Perkins has become more than an extra role player. When Garrett Mitchell comes back, the Crew will have to find a way to juggle these outfielders. That might mean more games with Sal Frelick at third base, or removing one of Frelick, Perkins, Mitchell, or Chourio from the lineup on any given day. However, bench depth isn’t the only concern the club has. It’s the runners in scoring position. It may not seem like it, but the Brewers have the eighth-best batting average in these types of situations. They lead the way in total bases with runners in scoring position. That said, they also have a 22.6% strikeout percentage in these situations, which is 10th out of the 12 teams that are currently in playoff spots. According to teamrankings.com, the Brewers have allowed 7.15 men left on base per game (27th out of 30th). Even worse, they have the highest runners left in scoring position per game (3.89). While it could be chalked up to aggressive swings, it could be because they rank 24th in clutch rating according to Fangraphs (-0.56). By now, the sabermetric orthodoxy is pretty well-established. Getting runners on base is good, and putting more runners on base in the first place will lead to more left on base by the end of the game. Clutch performance varies widely and unpredictably, even within seasons, and it's more of a focal point for fans than a sustainable skill for players or teams. Even so, it's in those moments--the conversion or squandering of those opportunities--that games are won and lost. The Brewers have been able to squeak by with what they have, but the strikeout percentages of Bauers (33.7%), Perkins (27%), Sánchez (26%), and Chourio (26%) seem alarming at this point in the season. When you compound all this with their RISP stats and clutch, the club might consider adding a batter. What Will It Cost? In Jake McKibbin’s story on trading for a controllable starting pitcher, he made it clear that trading for talent would require giving talent away. While that may be true, the price of these players can vary based on the value of their contract, how many years of club control remain, and what position they play. For example, look at the trade the Brewers made with the Mets last trade deadline. What the Brewers got was a then-34-year-old outfielder/DH who was hitting .243/.343/.381 with six home runs and 29 RBIs at the time of the trade. Canha was slated to make $13.25 million for the 2023 season and a club option for the following season. In the deal, the Mets agreed to pay down much of that money, leaving the Brewers responsible only for the 2024 option. What did they give up? A former 2018 fifth-round pick, in righty Justin Jarvis. As of today, Jarvis has yet to make it to the big leagues. So, what’s it going to be like this year? Before you get excited about the club adding a Justin Verlander for an Adam Seminaris, this year is going to be a little different. Just looking at the state of all MLB rosters, pitching is going to be a serious need at the deadline. We already know the Brewers are dealing with a ton of injuries in the rotation, with Brandon Woodruff, Wade Miley and potentially Robert Gasser for the entire season. But the Crew aren’t the only team with these issues. The Atlanta Braves lost their ace, Spencer Strider. The Orioles lost John Means and Kyle Bradish to Tommy John surgery. Despite Shane Bieber having the same surgery, the Guardians lead the AL Central. That’s only scratching the surface for the number of injuries around the league. There will be bidding wars, and pitchers will be sold at almost ridiculous prices. As for the position players, there isn’t a ton of talk on ones who could be on the move. Nine teams are separated by 4 games in the NL Wild Card standings. Teams like the Cardinals, the Reds, the Giants, or the Mets might put the brakes on any plans to sell players if they continue to hang around the race. The American League is a little more spread out, so we can get an idea of what players could be on the move. The range of types of prospects that can go in a trade will be wide. If a team tries to trade for a big fish like Pete Alonso, expect a top-100 prospect to be involved, along with a lower-tier prospect or two. However, if someone like Joey Gallo gets traded, it might only cost a lottery ticket, like the Canha trade did. Here are the players who could be on the Brewers radar. Hear Me Out…Brewers Add a Regular DH in J.D. Martinez I know there was another batter on the New York Mets the Brewers fan base would love on their team. But if the Brewers are protective of their top prospects like Tyler Black or Jacob Misiorowski, then J.D Martinez would be the next best pick. Everyone will probability be quick to point out his 26% strikeout rate on the season. However, he was one of the Boras clients who signed late in the offseason. In fact, Martinez signed with the Mets on Mar. 23, one week out from Opening Day. He didn’t play a game until Apr. 26, but has a .290/.359/.511 slash line in 209 plate appearances. Even with a late start, he is hitting at a high level. If the Brewers want someone who is clutch in the DH spot, look no further than Martinez. He boasts a .298 career batting average and .927 OPS with runners in scoring position. According to Baseball Reference, he’s hitting .325 in high-leverage situations--exactly what the Brewers could use in tight, late-game situations. Potential Trade: Brewers Acquire J.D. Martinez for RHP Bradley Blalock Because Martinez is an aging veteran, there is a decent chance the Brewers won’t have to give up any of their top prospects. However, they will have to give up an MLB-ready talent. As other pitchers start getting healthy on the roster, the Brewers would probably see less and less of the likes of Bradley Blalock. While Blalock had Tommy John surgery back in 2022, he has bounced back in control and speed. We have already seen what Blalock can do in the big leagues, as he pitched a clean inning against the Padres in his big-league debut. But like all teams, the New York Mets might need some pitching. It’s all going to depend on how the team performs in the next few weeks. Could a Yandy Díaz Trade Spell the End for Jake Bauers? I feel like for the last few years, we’ve heard the potential for the Brewers to make a trade for a first baseman. When that is the case, we look at a player like Yandy Díaz. Let’s be honest, this was not a name I expected to talk about as an available target, after a 2023 campaign wherein Díaz won the American League batting title. Then there were rumors swirling the Rays would consider selling their more expensive contracts to drop payroll. This explains the selling of Tyler Glasnow. Not long ago, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported teams were targeting Tampa's expensive contracts once again. With the club 13 games behind the Yankees for the division and four games back in the Wild Card race, clubs could be thinking about buying these guys for more of a bargain. Díaz, who remains under club control through 2026, has been having a down year, hitting .271/.331/.384 with six home runs and 36 RBIs in 77 games. Honestly, that’s a pretty good down year. While he may be another right-handed batsman, he could make a great platoon with Bauers and a solid complement to Rhys Hoskins. While Hoskins is normally hitting better against lefties, his recent slump has dropped his batting average to .171 versus southpaws this season. Díaz is currently hitting .303/.337/.408 when facing a lefty. His reverse splits aren’t too bad, either: .261/.330/.376. I haven’t even mentioned his 14.8% career strikeout rate, his 11.8% whiff rate, or his 92.5 MPH average exit velocity. If you're not sold on this yet, how about his .304 batting average with two outs and runners in scoring position? His .403 OBP with RISP this season jumps out, as well. Diaz isn’t going to win any races, but he’ll certainly get on base when you need him to. An acquisition like this could put an end to Bauers’s tenure with the Brewers. He’s already relegated to a bench role. But what else would this cost the Brewers? Potential Trade: Brewers Acquire 1B Yandy Díaz for OF Blake Perkins, 1B/C Wes Clarke, and RHP Patricio Aquino As stated earlier, Díaz is under club control through the 2026 season. This gives a little bit of time and the ability to sell off one of their top first basemen in their system, in Wes Clarke. I know there is a lot of Brewer faithful (including myself) who see a lot in Clarke. We even saw what he can do in Spring Training, where he launched four home runs and had a 1.024 OPS in 30 plate appearances. But if the Rays give up their starting first baseman, they might need someone to hold it down other than Isaac Paredes, since top prospect Xavier Issac is still in High-A. With Mitchell close to a return, there will be quite a logjam in the outfield. Perkins has been more than serviceable for the club, but he was splitting the outfield with Chourio and Frelick. We thought Frelick could’ve been seeing time at third base, but Joey Ortiz is hitting at a high enough level to garner All-Star considerations. Once Mitchell returns, someone will be squeezed, so it might be time to sell Perkins while he is hot. If they ask for a third player, then they can throw in a pitching prospect like Patricio Aquino, who had a decent 2023 season with the Carolina Mudcats. With so much club control left, the Rays don’t have to force a trade. But if they plan on cutting salaries, then Díaz’s $8 million this season and $10 million the next might be too much for them. Justin Turner Could Be the Clutch Bat the Brewers Need Alright, here we go again with Justin Turner joining the Brewers. This is another time where this move just makes too much sense for the Crew. The Brewers need another good bat in the lineup? Do they need an upgrade at the first base or DH spot? Does the team need a clutch hitter who excels in high-leverage situations? All this fits the bill for Turner. He is 39, but the numbers are still there. With a .340 OBP and a 105 OPS+, he is continuing to find ways on base. He has a .293/.362/.366 line in high-leverage situations this season, with his best stats coming as the game gets closer. He has a .273 batting average with two outs and a runner in scoring position. He’s not going to be the same Turner who wore a Dodger Jersey stats-wise, but he would be a great role player for this young and potentially playoff-driven team. Potential Trade: Brewers Acquire Justin Turner for RHP Bishop Letson If you want a trade closest to the Mark Canha trade, then this is the one. The Blue Jays are currently 15.5 back in the division and 6.5 in the wild card. They are more than likely going to sellers. With a $13 million contract tied to Turner, teams might not want to take on the remainder of that contract. With the Jays being ranked 24th in the preseason MLB Pipeline’s Farm System Rankings, the club could sell players for any prospects. While their best trading chips are Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Chris Bassitt, and Bo Bichette, Turner could still be an option. With pitchers at a premium right now (at least at the major-league level), the Blue Jays could take in a young pitching prospect in Bishop Letson. The Brewers' 11th-round pick in 2023 is only 19, and is currently with the Mudcats in the rotation. He still is a lottery ticket for any team, but the Brewers saw great potential for a back of the rotation type guy. Other Options: Possibly the greatest option the organization could hope for is the big All-Stars, in Pete Alonso or Alex Bregman. But the NL Wild Card is very tight, and the Astros are currently riding high and creeping closer to a playoff spot. Josh Bell wouldn’t be a bad option, though his clutch stats are a little suspect. His clutch numbers this season hover close to what Bauers already has. The only difference is Bell gets more opportunities, and that he strikes out at a lower clip. That, and Bell has a .246 batting average vs Bauers's .217. Perhaps, if the Tigers are considering selling, maybe a quick reunion with Canha is possible as an option at first. If they hang up, maybe a deal can be worked for Gio Urshela. A final and potential option could be one Brent Rooker, in the A’s organization. While he does have a 140 OPS+, he also has a 36% strikeout rate and leads the American League in punchouts. If you can get over that level of wind generation, he has three more seasons of club control and a ton of suitors who would want him. The Brewers can put in an offer, but it will be an expensive one. Do you think the Brewers need another bat? Should they focus more on their pitching needs? What players would you like to see in a Brewers Jersey? Let us know in the comments. View full article