It seems like the wrong time for the Milwaukee Brewers to shake things up. They’ve won 11 in a row and have captured the best record in baseball. Why mess with the magic?
It also seems unnecessary. The Brewers have been doing what they’re doing with the guys they have. Things can also change quickly – a few ill-timed slumps, an injury to a key bat. Although it feels counterintuitive, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal thinks the Brewers should be eyeing the trade market after sweeping the Dodgers in the season series over the weekend.
Milwaukee Brewers Have Starters to Spare – Should They Swap One?
Specifically, Rosenthal advocates that Milwaukee unload one of their many starting pitchers in exchange for offensive thump.
“They can do some things with that pitching,” Rosenthal said. “And, because they swept the Dodgers, go 6-0 against the Dodgers, and because their owner, Mark Attanasio, lives in LA and I’m sure was loving every minute of it, I am intrigued to see how he reacts here. Whether he as an owner says, ‘You know what, let’s spend some money, let’s go for it, let’s do some things.”
He has a point. Seemingly invulnerable to pitcher injuries, the Brewers’ latest five-man rotation has sparkled: Freddy Peralta, Jacob Misiorowski, Brandon Woodruff, Quinn Priester, and Jose Quintana. They have rookies Logan Henderson (1.71 ERA, four outings) and Chad Patrick in the minors (3.52 ERA, 19 outings). Sophomore Tobias Myers is there as well. Offseason trade pickup Nestor Cortes continues working his way back from injury.
If there’s ever a thing as having too much starting pitching, the Brewers are there.
They’ve demonstrated that they can go toe to toe against the best in MLB – the perennial World Series favorites no less. With a shot to do something big, now could be the time to get aggressive and step on the gas rather than grow complacent or leave the roster vulnerable to position player injuries. They have made it work so far, but that might not continue forever.
Homerun Swing Unlikely
To his credit, Rosenthal observes that Milwaukee doesn’t have a habit for splashing. “That’s not the Brewers way, we all know that. That’s kind of why they’re the Brewers,” he concedes. “But I would imagine Attanasio is rather excited by what he’s seeing.”
It’s also worth noting that Milwaukee isn’t entirely out of the woods as far as injuries or regression is concerned. For one thing, Cortes could suffer a setback during his rehab assignment, which begins Wednesday. Everyone is hoping for the best, but who knows if Woodruff can stay healthy? So far Priester has shown no signs of turning into a pumpkin, but his 6.23 career ERA before this season isn’t exactly a reliable track record.
With those concerns in mind, the Brewers can probably look to unload at most two starters, the second being one of their demoted young pitchers and only for the right return.
Jose Quintana, whose contract expires after the season, is the clearest candidate. Through 14 starts, the veteran lefty is 7-3 with a 3.49 ERA. While his plus performance might be painful to give up, it also increases his trade value.
By himself, without prospects added to the package, his main market will be fellow contenders, unwilling to send back star position players unless they have a glaring excess. With his expiring contract, Quintana is also just a two-month rental. The bat the Brewers got back for him would likely fall somewhere in the range of a B or C grade – mostly a depth piece. They might be able to get more by sending out Henderson, for example, along with another prospect. That of course would entail a greater sacrifice.
If the Brewers do decide to unload from their surplus of pitchers, it’s unlikely to net a huge return unless they ditch a conservative approach. As Rosenthal notes, the front office doesn’t operate that way; whether the currency is payroll or prospects, more often than not the pocketbook stays closed.
And in case any non-Brewers fans were wondering: trading Peralta is off the table. Playoff teams don’t trade their aces.
Instead of making a major splash, Milwaukee should look to add around the edges – a platoon bat here, some bullpen heat there. The current formula has been working, and that with several crucial pieces missing at all times this season.
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