The Milwaukee Brewers are in a familiar spot: winning, leading the NL Central, and still staring at the same unfinished business that has followed them through October.
With a six-game cushion over the Chicago Cubs as the second half opens, Milwaukee is in strong position to claim a fourth straight division title. But as the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline approaches, the bigger question is whether this team can finally turn a strong regular season into a National League pennant.
For Hall of Famer CC Sabathia, the answer starts with a move.
“I hope the Brewers make a trade. This would be the time. The last three, four years, they’ve been the best team during the regular season ... but can’t get over the hump in October.”
That frustration is easy to trace. The Brewers were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in last year’s NLCS.
Before that, they were knocked out in back-to-back NL Wild Card series. Their closest brush with a World Series trip came in 2018, when they pushed the Dodgers to seven games before falling short.
This year’s club already has plenty going for it. Jacob Misiorowski has made a strong case as the frontrunner for the NL Cy Young Award, and Milwaukee’s 3.41 team ERA leads all of MLB. Sabathia thinks the Brewers could raise the ceiling even more if they add to both the rotation and the bullpen.
“If you could make a trade for a [Tarik] Skubal, even [Mason] Miller at the backend of your bullpen - that could help you ... I think the only way you can beat the Dodgers is by having a pitching staff [like that].”
Sabathia didn’t stop there. He made his prediction plain.
“The Brewers make a big trade and go out and give the Dodgers a run for their money,” he said. “I think that has to happen.”
Milwaukee will try to keep rolling this weekend against the Los Angeles Angels, with Sunday Leadoff set for 3 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBCSN.
In Other News...
Brewers Finally Have A Better Sense Of Sal Frelicks Return
Sal Frelicks shoulder issue has given the Brewers a little more pause than they would have liked, but the picture is clearer now after the outfielder received a cortisone injection last week. Milwaukee said the soreness is in his right shoulder, and the club has been careful not to push him back too quickly while the team continues to enjoy a strong season.
Frelick has been out since leaving the Brewers first game after the All-Star break against the Marlins, and the wait has stretched long enough to make his absence a real part of the clubs outfield planning. For now, the Brewers are taking the patient route, with his return still projected for early to mid-August and no reason to force the issue before he is ready. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Suddenly Have A New October Threat To Worry About
The Brewers are already being sized up as a serious player in the Tarik Skubal market, and that alone says plenty about how they view the next phase of their roster. Skubal has been one of the most appealing arms on the board, with a 2.70 ERA and 3.0 bWAR in 15 starts this season, and Milwaukees interest fits a front office that has shown it is willing to think big when a difference-maker comes into view.
There will be no shortage of competition, either, with the Dodgers, Yankees, Braves and Rays all expected to check in. For Milwaukee, the appeal goes beyond simply adding another frontline starter. The idea is to build something sturdier for October, potentially pairing Skubal with Jacob Misiorowski and giving the Brewers a kind of one-two punch that could change the way a future matchup with Los Angeles feels. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Suddenly Face A Bigger Lineup Question Than Fans Expected
A rough start to the West Coast trip arrived before the Brewers even took the field, with a long travel delay pushing back their arrival in California and adding another layer of inconvenience to a road swing that already had enough going on. The bigger concern, though, is the shape of the roster in the coming weeks, with Milwaukee still waiting on outfielder Sal Frelick as he works back from a shoulder injury and the club trying to navigate the outfield and bench mix without losing too much flexibility.
Frelick is expected back in early to mid-August, though a rehab assignment still appears likely before he can rejoin the lineup. In the meantime, the Brewers are sorting through the edges of the roster and the lineup card, where every available bat matters and every decision seems to have a ripple effect. The next few weeks should tell whether Milwaukee can hold things together until Frelick returns, or whether the club needs to keep adjusting on the fly. [Read more 🡒]