The Milwaukee Brewers are predicted to win the National League Central Division according to Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA projections. By all accounts, they have also improved their roster since the end of last season. Despite low-spending in free agency, Jesse Winker and William Contreras bring a great deal more offensive production to their respective positions than the players they are replacing (outfield/DH and catcher). Additionally, new additions at second base and third base may prove to be upgrades from last year as well. Most importantly, the Brewers are rolling into 2023 with a healthy starting rotation. Despite these positives, one baseball writer thinks Milwaukee will be out of contention by the trade deadline.
One Writer Predicts that the Brewers will Trade Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff This Year
This may be no surprise to fans. Mainstream media organizations and national pundits consistently predict the Brewers to finish second or worse in the division. In a recent article posted on Bleacher Report, writer Brandon Scott predicted where some of MLB’s best players will finish the 2023 season, and it was not with their current teams. He included Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff on his list because:
“Given the strength of the St. Louis Cardinals and NL overall, it’s entirely possible the Brewers realize around the deadline that it’s time for a hard reset.”
Brandon Woodruff to the Toronto Blue Jays
The benefit for the Blue Jays trading for Woodruff is clear: he would immediately become the ace of that staff:
“Toronto could still use another starter, though, and Brandon Woodruff would immediately figure into the top three of the Blue Jays’ rotation with Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman. If they get a bounce-back year from José Berríos and Chris Bassitt as well, you’re talking about a legitimate threat to win the AL East and maybe threaten the Astros for the pennant.”
Including this season, Woodruff has two more years of club control remaining. One would have to imagine that trading Woodruff in season would garner the biggest return for the Brewers.
Corbin Burnes to the Los Angeles Dodgers
Ugh, the Dodgers. How disgusting would it be to see Corbin Burnes in Dodger Blue after Los Angeles was responsible for knocking the Brewers out of the playoffs in 2018 and 2020! That being said, Burnes would be highly coveted by the star-stacked Dodgers franchise:
“They boast an impressive five-man rotation with Julio Urías, Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin and Noah Syndergaard. But Kershaw, May, Gonsolin and Syndergaard all have a serious recent injury history that makes things tenuous for them as a group.
“On top of this, Burnes would likely be the best pitcher among them at this point.”
Scott notes that Burnes’ fractured relationship with the Brewers after his arbitration hearing has spelled that end is near for the Brewers and the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner.
Well Allow Me to Retort!
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the Brewers are projected to win the National League Central. Scott himself notes in his article that Milwaukee will probably not make any moves if they are in contention at the trade deadline. That being said, allow me to vocalize these dissenting points:
- After the complete nuclear meltdown that followed the Josh Hader trade while the Brewers were in contention, there is absolutely no way that the front office will look to trade either of their star pitchers during this season.
- While it is true that the ship has sailed on a possible extension for Burnes, there is still a possibility that Woodruff can be extended. He is older and will be more affordable. Of course, it would still require Mark Attansio to open his wallet, but hey, we’re trying to be optimistic here.
- This same article has the Los Angeles Dodgers acquiring Los Angeles Angles phenom Shohei Ohtani. I know that the Dodgers have pulled off some wizardry at the deadline before, but I cannot see a world in which they have the assets to trade for BOTH Burnes and Ohtani in the same season.
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FAQs
How to Watch the Milwaukee Brewers Without Cable?
DirectTV Stream will give local viewers access to watch the Brewers, regardless of the channel they are playing on, Bally Sports Wisconsin, ESPN, Fox, Fox Sports 1, and TBS. fuboTV will also give viewers access to all Brewers games, except those on TBS.
Out-of-market fans can use MLB.TV to enjoy Brewers baseball from afar.
When Did the Brewers Come to Milwaukee?
The Brewers were founded in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots as part of the American League (AL). After one season, the team relocated to Milwaukee. The Brewers joined the National League (NL) in 1998.
How Did the Brewers Get Their Name?
The Brewers’ name dates back to the early 1900s, originally held by a professional franchise that relocated to become the St. Louis Browns. It honors the beer-brewing industry in and around Milwaukee.
Will the Brewers Win the 2023 World Series?
Sportsbooks have the Brewers at 4000-1 to win the World Series. This is the 14th-best odds among MLB teams. It’s not impossible with players like Christian Yelich, but the odds aren’t in their favor.
