The weekend’s Red Sox-Nationals swap didn’t just give baseball its first real midseason blockbuster. It may have also cracked open the trade market for the kind of deal the Brewers have been circling for CJ Abrams.
Boston and Washington pulled off a strange one-for-one exchange of former top prospects Connelly Early and Curtis Mead, a move built around major-league talent and made between two contending clubs. It was unusual enough on its own, but the ripple effect matters too: if that’s the price range now, Milwaukee has a real path to making a run at Abrams.
And the Brewers have been linked to him plenty. Abrams, an All-Star shortstop, is in the middle of his best season at the plate with 27 homers, 17 steals and a 153 wRC+. He’s also just 25 and still has 2.5 years of team control left, which is exactly why any trade for him would come with a massive asking price.
That kind of move isn’t usually Milwaukee’s style. But this year feels different.
The Brewers have a clear shot at another first-round bye, and their core looks ready to take a swing at the Los Angeles Dodgers right now. Landing Abrams would not certainly put them on more even footing with the two-time reigning champs, but it would be a major statement.
The Red Sox-Nationals deal offers a useful clue about how Washington may be thinking. Abrams is the better player than Mead, even if Mead comes with two extra years of control.
Early, meanwhile, is a talented arm but is currently dealing with a concerning bout of elbow inflammation. In other words, the Nationals found a buy-low opportunity because of the injury and because Boston had such a glaring imbalance between pitching and hitting talent.
Abrams’ trade value has other pressure points too. His defense has been rough, with -11 Outs Above Average this season and -57 for his career at short.
That matters, especially because the Brewers have Jesús Made and Cooper Pratt lined up to handle the left side of the infield in the near future, with Brice Turang already locked in at second base. If Milwaukee goes after Abrams, it would likely be with the idea of moving him to first base or a corner outfield spot down the line.
That shift would make him less valuable than he is at shortstop, and that could create a gap between what the Brewers think he’s worth and what the Nationals want in return. There’s also the fact that Washington is only one game out of a Wild Card spot, so this isn’t a clean seller’s market.
Still, the fit is there if both sides are willing to get creative. Early’s return suggests controllable pitching is high on Washington’s list, and Milwaukee has options. The Brewers could build around a high-upside, MLB-ready arm like Robert Gasser or Brandon Sproat, or they could pair a less-heralded pitcher such as Coleman Crow, Tyson Hardin or Bishop Letson with a top prospect elsewhere.
They also have another advantage: the ability to help Washington replace Abrams in the long term. The Nationals already have last year’s first overall pick, Eli Willits, moving through the minors, but he’s only 18 and in High-A. Milwaukee could offer Luis Peña, Jett Williams and/or Andrew Fischer as a player who could eventually line up next to Willits in the majors.
This still wouldn’t be a simple one-for-one trade. Abrams is a true superstar, and a deal for him would require a huge package.
A return built around multiple current or former top-100 prospects looks like the minimum to even start the conversation. But the Brewers have the kind of talent Washington would want, even without touching the young stars they’d prefer to keep around Abrams.
In Other News...
Brewers Face Another Unsettling Roster Turn As Outfield Concern Grows
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Brewers Just Made Detroits Ace Dilemma Feel A Lot More Real
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That is why names like Tarik Skubal, Robbie Ray and Kevin Gausman keep surfacing in the conversation, with Detroit serving as the clearest example of how such a deal could be structured. If the Brewers decide the big swing is too steep, they still have lower-cost rental options to consider, but the broader question is whether this turns into a deadline push with real ambition or a quieter move that keeps the long-term plan intact. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Linked To A Deadline Ace Fans Never Expected
Tarik Skubal has become one of the most intriguing names on the trade board as the deadline approaches, and the Brewers have been pulled into the conversation in a way few would have predicted. The buzz comes from The Athletics Jim Bowden, whose analysis pointed to the Detroit left-hander as a fit for Milwaukee, a club that could use another front-line arm to pair with Jacob Misiorowski and deepen a rotation that already has some real upside.
Skubals appeal is obvious: he has pitched well when healthy, and his contract situation makes him the kind of player contenders can dream on if they are willing to pay the price. He also comes with a medical history worth watching, having returned in six weeks after a procedure to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow, and that only adds another layer to a deadline chase that feels more speculative than certain right now. [Read more 🡒]