Milwaukee is likely to make some minor moves as they’ve done in recent years
The MLB trade deadline is a tad earlier this year, set for Tuesday, July 30 at 5 p.m. CT, just under two weeks from now. The Brewers are likely to be one of several teams looking to add a final piece or two for their playoff push.
However, there will almost certainly be more buyers than sellers thanks to the recently expanded playoffs and the large number of teams that can be considered “in contention,” as 22 teams are within six games of a wild card spot as of the All-Star break. Unlike previous years, the Brewers are more likely to look for pitching help than offensive help at the deadline. Let’s take a look at some players the Brewers may look to acquire, as well as a few who could be on their way out.
Potential Acquisitions
Aces
- Garrett Crochet, LHP, Chicago White Sox
- Tarik Skubal, LHP, Detroit Tigers
These guys are the least likely to end up in a Brewers uniform. The Tigers aren’t likely to move Skubal unless they get the perfect offer, and Crochet — who still has team control through 2026 — will cost more than the Brewers are probably willing to offer. Getting either of these guys would represent a splash of CC Sabathia proportions.
The Best of the Rest
- Tyler Anderson, LHP, Los Angeles Angels
- Chris Bassitt, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays
- Zach Eflin, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
- Nathan Eovaldi, RHP, Texas Rangers
- Jack Flaherty, RHP, Detroit Tigers
- Erick Fedde, RHP, Chicago White Sox
- Austin Gomber, LHP, Colorado Rockies
- Yusei Kikuchi, LHP, Toronto Blue Jays
- Cal Quantrill, RHP, Colorado Rockies
- José Soriano, RHP, Los Angeles Angels
If the Brewers are going to add some more depth to their rotation — as they did with the addition of Aaron Civale a few weeks ago — they’ll likely do it from this list. Personally, I’m in favor of adding a lefty, as Milwaukee’s top lefty options, including Wade Miley, Robert Gasser, and DL Hall, have all missed significant time this season, with both Miley and Gasser out for the season. Considering how good of a season Anderson is having (2.97 ERA over 118 innings), he may be out of Milwaukee’s price range, and I’m not a fan of adding a guy who has fluctuated from good to meh throughout his career.
Instead, I’d like to see the Brewers go for one of the middle rotation guys here, such as Gomber, Kikuchi, or Soriano (though Soriano still has several years of team control, meaning his price will be higher than the others). If the front office is willing to splurge a bit, Bassitt is my favorite here, with Eflin, Eovaldi, and Quantrill also being strong options for the right price.
Relief Pitchers
- Matt Moore, LHP, Los Angeles Angels
- Trevor Richards, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays
I’m not certain that Milwaukee will look to add to the bullpen, as Devin Williams is set to return in late July/early August. Still, the ‘pen showed some signs of weakness prior to the All-Star break, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see the front office look to add a middle-relief option to bridge the gap. Matt Moore is a great lefty option, as he’s been successful in recent years (1.95 ERA in 2022, 2.56 ERA in 2023) and he’s struggled in 2024 (4.91 ERA), likely driving his price down. He can also be stretched as an opener/starter if necessary, though he hasn’t made an official start since 2021 with the Phillies.
Richards is a former Brewer who joined Milwaukee in the Willy Adames trade and was sent to the Blue Jays in the Rowdy Tellez trade back in 2021. He’s a solid middle relief option, with a 3.62 ERA and 48 strikeouts across 49 2⁄3 innings this season.
Potential Departures
Now for the interesting part: Who is the front office willing to part with?
MLB
- Willy Adames, SS
- Sal Frelick, OF
- Garrett Mitchell, OF
- Blake Perkins, OF
I would be shocked if the Brewers go the route they did with Josh Hader in 2022 by trading away a star player while still in contention, so I think Adames isn’t likely a trade chip. Still, he’s certainly a name other teams are willing to listen in on, particularly if it gives them the upper hand in signing him to a deal this offseason.
Between Frelick, Mitchell, and Perkins, the question is if Milwaukee is willing to give away an MLB-ready outfielder despite their depth, as an injury or two can take out that depth quickly. All three have solid value both offensively and defensively and future team control, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the front office was willing to part with one of them in exchange for pitching depth down the stretch.
Minors
- Eric Brown Jr., Double-A, SS (No. 10 prospect)
- Mike Boeve, Double-A, 3B/2B (No. 13 prospect)
- Jadher Areinamo, High-A, 2B/3B (No. 21 prospect)
- Juan Baez, Low-A, SS/3B (No. 22 prospect)
- Wes Clarke, Triple-A, 1B/C (No. 24 prospect)
- Isaac Collins, Triple-A OF
- Alexander Cornielle, High-A, RHP
- Brewer Hicklen, Triple-A, OF
- Owen Miller, Triple-A, Utility
- Carlos D. Rodriguez, Double-A, OF
Despite being the highest ranked prospect on this list, Brown Jr. is certainly not the best name available. He’s had a rough start to his pro career after being taken in the first round in 2022, hitting just .233/.333/.332 with 11 homers, 58 RBIs, and 72 steals in 162 minor league games. He’s also been hampered by injuries.
Boeve, a second-round pick in 2023, is one of the most pure hitters in the Brewers organization, though he’s currently shelved with an injury. Still, he’s hit .326/.401/.463 with eight homers, 58 RBIs, and 34 runs in 94 minor league games across two seasons.
Areinamo has gotten better in each of his four minor league seasons, hitting .319/.367/.465 with a career-high seven homers, 53 RBIs, and 27 steals with High-A Wisconsin in 77 games this season. Expect him to move up on the prospects list when the midseason update comes out later this summer, making him a promising trade chip if Milwaukee wishes to deal him at the deadline.
Baez, still only 19, is already in his third season in the Brewers system, hitting .306/.352/.437 with eight homers, 93 RBIs, and 43 steals in 158 games. He’s currently on a rehab assignment with the ACL Brewers, but he hit .292/.348/.411 in 43 games with Carolina prior to his injury.
Clarke had a strong spring training with the big-league squad, and he’s continued to display strong power in the regular season with Triple-A Nashville. A former 10th-round pick, he’s hitting .236/.328/.432 with 10 homers, 39 RBIs, 25 runs, and three steals in 59 games after socking 26 homers in 118 games at Double-A last season.
Collins was a ninth-round pick by the Rockies in 2019 and, soon-to-be 27, he seems to have figured things out with Nashville this season. He’s hitting .281/.394/.502 for a career-high .896 OPS with 10 homers, 54 RBIs, 53 runs, and 17 steals in 79 games this season.
The lone pitcher on this list, Cornielle is enjoying a career year in his second season with High-A Wisconsin at age 22, pitching to a 2.78 ERA with 59 strikeouts across 14 appearances (13 starts). Opponents are also hitting just .197 against him this year, with 47 hits allowed in 68 innings.
Hicklen, 28, was added to the 40-man roster during the All-Star break. He’s displayed a ton of pop with Nashville this season, hitting .270/.383/.571 with 19 homers, 55 RBIs, 55 runs, and 26 steals. While he’s probably older than most players rebuilding teams are looking to acquire, he could be a low-risk option as a backup outfielder for a contender, or as depth for Milwaukee if they opt to trade one of the major league outfielders listed above.
Miller, 27, has had an up-and-down career, but he’s looked better as of late. Going 10-for-19 in July while sporting a .526/.571/.632 line. Like Hicklen, he isn’t likely to garner much of a return, but the Brewers could look to move him in a deal like the Luis Urias trade last season, which netted Milwaukee’s No. 17 prospect, right-hander Bradley Blalock.
Rodriguez, 23, is another guy that could join Milwaukee’s top 30 prospects at the re-rank later this summer. He’s hitting .301/.382/.373 in his second season at Double-A, though he doesn’t have a lot of power (11 homers in 427 minor league plate appearances). He still gets on base at a solid clip and provides a lot of speed, averaging double-digit steals over his six minor league seasons.