With the MLB trade deadline being just shy of three weeks away, it’s fair for fans to be curious about what to expect from the Milwaukee Brewers this year. The team is in a very interesting spot as they could easily win the N.L. Central but likely don’t have the firepower to make a deep playoff run. The results of the next two-plus weeks may dictate which direction the front office goes.
Milwaukee Brewers general manager Matt Arnold has until 6 PM EST on August 1st to decide what moves would make the most sense for this franchise. In recent years, previous general manager David Stearns bit around the edges. He tried to upgrade the team with smaller moves that didn’t require a lot of assets. As we all saw, those moves weren’t enough to move the needle and the team bowed out of the playoffs early or didn’t make the playoffs at all.
While this is Arnold’s first season in full control, it’ll be interesting to see what approach he takes. Sure, the club is competitive in a division that is struggling and with a team that has battled injuries. The resolve of the team has been impressive, but the future is bright with the young talent in the farm system. There have been many seasons where the fans wanted the front office to “go for it”. Is this one of those seasons? I think the vast majority of fans would say no.
Questions about the Milwaukee Brewers Starting Pitching

When healthy, the Milwaukee Brewers have one of the best rotations in baseball. Unfortunately, the caveat of health has to be added as that has been an issue over the years. Between a hurt Brandon Woodruff and inconsistent stretches from Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta, it’s hard to gauge what the rotation with look like come September.
Could the rotation get hot once Woodruff returns and carry the team? We’ve seen it for stretches in the past. The problem is, they would indeed have to carry the team. The offense, albeit riddled with injuries as well, has been awful at times. If it weren’t for a hot stretch before the All-Star break, this team would be looking at last in the league in runs scored. As it stands now, they will settle for 13th out of 15 teams.
What About the Milwaukee Brewers Offense?

The offense is struggling this much even with Christian Yelich looking like his old self. If he regresses even a little bit, the offense stands no chance. Multiple regulars are flirting with the Mendoza line, as a team they are in the bottom half for home runs and the team average is only ahead of the Royals, Yankees, Tigers, and Athletics.
I’m not saying this to rag on the players either, merely to show where the team is ahead of what could be an important deadline for the future of the team. Does Arnold try to make a statement with a team lacking offensive firepower and a worn-down bullpen, or does he stand pat?
What are we most likely to see happen by August 1st?

My prediction is we see virtually nothing happen. Like I’ve said a handful of times, this roster is in an awkward spot. They have a handful of big league trade chips but I don’t expect Matt Arnold to be a seller at the deadline. I also don’t expect him to be much of a buyer. There are too many question marks to feel good about giving up prospects for a team with a lot of holes.
The most likely outcome is a couple of low-risk bullpen arms are added with the hope that the offense improves with health and the young talent on the team improves. A call-up of Sal Frelick could help as well. Sadly, the ceiling on this offense is capped a bit. The roster doesn’t have many proven MLB producers and the talent they do have isn’t protected well enough in the lineup.
Adding one big bat or a couple smaller ones doesn’t change the upside of the offense much either as that would likely only make them an average offense at best. Arnold knows the future is bright with this team as the farm system is loaded with potential and the young MLB players have shown promise. Opening the cupboards for a rental wouldn’t make sense long term and doesn’t even do much short term.
Prediction:
Brewers trade low-end prospects for a few relievers and add a hitter that can play first base and needs a change of scenery if they don’t give Keston Hiura one final shot.
For more Milwaukee Brewers content
Follow me on Twitter at DrewEsports and us at WiSportsHeroics. To check out more of our content and to stay up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here.