Milwaukee Brewers roundtable: Who are their trade targets?
3. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being very unlikely and 10 being very likely, what are the chances the Brewers swing a trade before the deadline?
Brian Sampson: 10. There is still a month and a half remaining between now and the July 31 trade deadline and David Stearns already has a history of being active. Especially with the Brewers in a suddenly tight race with division rival Chicago Cubs, the general manager will be looking to make anything happen in order to avoid a collapse like last season.
Now, the chances of a trade happening to acquire a star player or even an above-average one are slim. However, they’ll certainly be doing their due diligence and trying to acquire an under-the-radar player who can make them better this season and beyond.
#Brewers GM David Stearns told me the key to acquiring Miller was his "positional versatility and infield experience." Said he would go to AAA and be ready when needed. I'm guessing that will be quite soon.
— Tom (@Haudricourt) June 10, 2018
Mitch Reichert: I’d say it’s about a 6.5 that David Stearns and Co. try and swing a trade before the July 31 deadline. Last year, they tried to swing an early trade for Jose Quintana, but got beat out by the Cubs. The White Sox got a haul in return for him, which I am guessing will lead more teams to try and ship out some of their premium players earlier in order to get more or better prospects in their returns.
Depending on who the player is, I don’t see any reason why Stearns wouldn’t make a trade prior to the deadline, assuming that he’s not making a trade just for the sake of making a trade (which he has never done). Even if they don’t make a deal prior to the deadline, I have a good feeling that the Brewers will make a big splash to push for the postseason.
Mike Wendlandt: It depends on your scale of trade. In getting a blockbuster deal done, I give the Brewers a 4. They have plenty of assets to move, but Stearns has said already he isn’t going to mortgage the future for the present like they did back in 2008 and 2011. He wants to keep his Minor League system stacked. That’s why I think it’s less likely that they make the big move for someone like Archer or Cole Hamels.
For a smaller trade, it’s got to be an 8 or 9. Stearns is always looking to boost to his major league bench and with the struggles of Hernan Perez and Eric Sogard, he could be on the phone to get a utility player to come over in a small deal. And bullpen help is always something to desire, just think of the Anthony Swarzak trade last year. I won’t be surprised in the slightest if the Brewers make a move for another sixth or seventh inning guy like Joakim Soria.