Snoebird

Yeah, there are players who can impact those around them, and I think the Brewers see that in the Ebel brothers. It's the Brice Turang effect: Dad played in the majors, knows how to carry himself and how much work to put in to succeed, and becomes a team leader organically.

Given Chris Hook's success with fixing pitchers, we should consider that he's been asked to review videotape of struggling starters, such as Freddy Peralta, and weigh in on the possibility of acquiring one or two such pitchers.

Joe Ryan is far from a certainty to being traded. The new face of Twins ownership, Tom Pohlad, is trying to establish credibility with the fan base after last year's massive deadline selloff, and his team has gotten on a mini roll. The Twins' first two series after the break, at Wrigley Field and four at Cleveland, likely will have a significant bearing on Ryan's trade status.

I meant to say holes plugged WITHOUT a trade. Any trades would be for pitching.

Here's another potential wrinkle: Eddys Leonard is promoted from Nashville when rosters expand in September. The left side tandem is Leonard-Ortiz with Frelick backing up third base and the outfield. Lineup holes plugged with a trade, and Murphy has more weapons.

This likely comes down to, "Do we trade for someone like Jo Adell, or do we promote the kid we've already rewarded with a long-term contract to plug one hole in our lineup while keeping Frelick as a player capable of giving us more than we're getting at third base, which could save us from making a trade at that position?" Sal would become even more of a fan favorite if he pulled off a midseason move like that.

Lara's defensive chops are every bit as good as Frelick's. He also would strike a balance at the plate as a switch hitter. If Lara doesn't make a great first impression, it might trigger Matt Arnold to try to acquire a veteran right fielder. Sal rarely is hitting the ball out of the infield these days, and that can't go on indefinitely.

My idea would get Bauers out of the outfield. Sal's throws from right aren't that strong. Plus, he has a history of versatility -- football and hockey -- and he's certainly not afraid to get dirty or hurt. He appears to have peaked as a hitter, so versatility would keep him in the majors.

There would be an upside for Sal at third. If he proves capable at the hot corner, he could shove Ortiz back to short and form a better defensive left side than if Pratt stayed there. In the second half of a pennant race, you play your best players.

I see this as the Brewers entering an experimental period before the trade deadline. They're trying to reduce the number of holes in their lineup. I could envision Frelick being worked out at third base, Hamilton reduced to pinch running and pinch hitting, and Bauers/Vaughn DH-ing, along with Yelich, when they're not playing first base. If Sal isn't a fit as Ortiz's backup at third, Jett Williams could get called up and Sal traded when Lockridge returns. I foresee any trades they make focusing on pitching, the team's cornerstone.

Mathews had a lot of chest bruises for his efforts. It's hard to envision a muscle-bound slugger achieving the Brewers' high defensive standards at third base. We are currently in a stage of accepting that Cooper Pratt doesn't have the range or tools to rival Joey Ortiz at short (who does?) while at the same time marveling over Joey's acrobatic defense at third. What would a left side tandem of Pratt and Fischer look like? The likelihood of a Pratt-Made tandem would seem to leave Fischer at first base. Fischer fashions himself as a Bryce Harper knockoff, so we shall see.

When everybody on the team is trying to be a slugger, you lose the essence of what made the Brewers a dangerous team -- and you become vulnerable to long spells of flailing with runners in scoring position. I'd like to see this team get back to chasing OBP instead of OPS.

Craig Counsell is holding the Cubs' offense back, the way he did to the Brewers' attack for so many years, by stressing slugging over getting on base. Remember all those tense, draining 2-1 and 3-1 Brewer victories that required peak performances of pitching and defense? The Cubs have the defense but lack the pitching to overcome a lack of run support. Their aging lineup can't sustain much of anything, and Counsell is even trying to force Nico Hoerner to become more of a pull hitter. Spray charts come in handy against the Cubs because full swings with runners on base typically allow fielders to be in the right position to catch the ball.

To take the pressure off Pratt at the plate, I could foresee the Brewers trading for Isaac Paredes as a third-base patch -- if Bunty Hamilton doesn't raise his profile at the plate to the extent the Brewers would like. Yelich's recent power outage would also support the need for an additional slugger in the lineup.

How well can he bunt?