Milwaukee Brewers should consider trading for Juan Soto

The Milwaukee Brewers sure could use another bat in their lineup. One of the best hitters in the game appears to be available via the trade market.

Reports are out that the Washington Nationals are willing to trade superstar outfielder Juan Soto.

This comes after Soto rejected the Nationals’ latest contract extension offer.

Milwaukee Brewers baseball operations president David Stearns should be offering up as many prospects as it takes to land Soto. Heck, throw in the Famous Racing Sausages if that is what it takes to get the budding superstar.

It is going to take a major trade package to get the Nationals to part with Soto. The Milwaukee Brewers might have the players to pull off acquiring a bat that could lead to the franchise’s first World Series title.

Soto is a generational talent and a player of his talent is rarely on the trade market.

Soto is a two-time Silver Slugger with a career .968 OPS. His batting average is down this season as he is hitting under .250 but he still has an on-base percentage over .400.

He is already a 3.4 wins above replacement (WAR) player this season and is a career 21 WAR player. Soto is a 151 wRC+ hitter this season. The Milwaukee Brewers’ current wRC+ leader is Mike Brosseau with a 133.

Soto would immediately become the Brewers’ best hitter by a country mile. He comes with two years of team control. Plus, he is 23 so he still has not reached his prime.

Soto will cost a significant amount of prospects but if it means a World Series, make the deal.

There is no way the Milwaukee Brewers can offer Soto a $500 million deal that he is probably seeking once he hits free agency. The Brewers can probably afford the two years it would cost to pay him through his last two arbitration years.

David Stearns can start a trade package off with Brandon Woodruff and Aaron Ashby. Stearns can then give the Nationals a choice among the Brewers’ top-5 prospects in Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, Joey Wiemer, Garrett Mitchell, and Brice Turang.

A deal like this would deplete the Brewers’ farm system and a bit of the rotation. That does not mean the deal should not be done before the trade deadline.

First, the Milwaukee Brewers would still have Corbin Burnes, Eric Lauer, and if healthy, Freddy Peralta or Adrian Houser to pitch in the playoffs. That is still a pretty good rotation to compete for a World Series.

Second, farm systems can always be replenished. The Brewers can turn around and trade Soto in 2024 much like they did with Zack Greinke.

Speaking of Greinke, this trade would have the same type of franchise-altering impact as when the Brewers acquired him in 2011. A deal like this would be on the scale of when the Brew Crew acquired CC Sabathia in 2008.

The Brewers have a lineup with just four hitters with a wRC+ under the league average. That means the Brewers have a lineup of hitters who are not exactly weak. They add Soto and suddenly the Crew has a dangerous lineup.

The road to the World Series for the National League has gone through Milwaukee the last four seasons. For once it would be nice if the Brewers were not the team getting beaten by the team on its way to the World Series. Acquiring Juan Soto is one way to make sure it is the Brewers who break through.