Milwaukee Brewers: 4 potential trade chips for a big star
By Kenny Jilek
Travis Shaw
We all know about Travis Shaw‘s struggles for the big league Milwaukee Brewers. However, after being sent down to Triple-A San Antonio he has seemed to get his swing back. Obviously, Triple-A is not even close to the level of competition as the major leagues. We’ve seen guys rake at that level and then flounder in the MLB like Tyler Saladino this year.
It is encouraging to see Shaw doing well there, though. With the San Antonio Missions, he has already matched his home run total with the Brewers this year of six. He’s seeing the ball better down there as evidenced by his .432 on-base percentage and he’s hitting for more power.
Even with his recent successes in San Antonio, it is difficult seeing him playing a big role for the Milwaukee Brewers down the stretch. With Mike Moustakas having an All-Star year, Keston Hiura absolutely crushing major league pitching, and Eric Thames having a solid year there isn’t really anywhere for him to play consistently. This is why he could be an easy trade candidate.
Even with his struggles this year, he has shown that he can be a great third baseman. He had an OPS of over .800 and hit over 30 home runs in 2017 and 2018 for the Brewers and was a finalist for the Gold Glove award last season. He can play great defense and can be a great power bat.
Proven talent is not something easy to come by in the MLB. While he is 29 years old, which is not ideal for a rebuilding team, he is not too old and could provide veteran leadership for a team looking for mentors for their young players.