The Brewers’ biggest trade deadline question may not be the rotation, even with Brandon Woodruff’s latest injury hanging over the club. According to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy, Milwaukee’s bullpen is the area that needs the most attention.
McCalvy pointed to the Brewers’ current relief core as solid but short on depth. “The Brewers have three reliable relievers at the moment in closer Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby.
But they can’t pitch every day, so manager Pat Murphy needs more dependable options for leverage spots,” wrote McCalvy. “The Brewers must decide whether they can count on those internal options, or whether to seek outside help.”
With that in mind, there are three relievers who could be in Milwaukee’s orbit over the next month leading up to the trade deadline.
Aroldis Chapman stands out as the most obvious name. He has been a top-five reliever in baseball since the start of last season, and if the Red Sox are thinking clearly, they’d move the 38-year-old while his value is still high. Chapman is also under team control through the end of next season, provided he stays healthy and gets to 14 more innings.
There are reasons for caution, though. Chapman is dealing with a hamstring issue right now, and since mid-June he has allowed plenty of hard contact. That could make the Brewers think twice before parting with premium prospects.
Pete Fairbanks offers a different kind of fit. The Marlins would be following a familiar frustrating script for Milwaukee by dealing away a useful arm while still in the playoff chase.
Still, Fairbanks is not Josh Hader, and that’s part of the point: he would give the Brewers another dependable right-hander, with the possibility of serving as yet another ninth-inning option. For Miami, it would be a chance to take the responsible small-market route and collect prospect talent for the future.
Antonio Senzatela is the wild card. Any deal for a Rockies pitcher carries risk, but he has been much better away from Coors Field this season.
His 3.00 ERA could climb, and his 8-0 record suggests he has been getting the job done in key spots. If Milwaukee went that route, the Brewers might even have to worry about Senzatela threatening Aaron Ashby’s lead in the league in wins.
That last part is only half a joke.
In Other News...
Caleb Durbin Is Suddenly Forcing Brewers Fans To Rethink Everything
Caleb Durbin looked like a rough fit early in the season, the kind of player who could get lost in the shuffle after a trade and leave a front office hoping the rest of the deal carries the load. Through May 23, his bat was buried deep enough in the numbers that it was fair to wonder whether the Brewers had seen the best of him already, especially with third base still a spot where production matters and patience can run thin.
Since June 10, though, Durbin has started to look like a completely different player. He has piled up seven home runs in that stretch and paired the surge at the plate with strong work at third base, turning what once looked like a frustrating early return into one of the more interesting developments on the roster. The bigger question now is whether this is a hot streak or the moment he finally settles in as the player Milwaukee thought it was getting. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Suddenly Face A Bigger Infield Decision Than Anyone Expected
David Hamiltons exit against the Cardinals turned what looked like a routine infield shuffle into a more complicated roster question for Milwaukee. Pat Murphy said the left hamstring tightness could take some time to heal, leaving the Brewers to sort out how they want to cover the spot while Hamilton is out and the rest of the infield keeps moving around.
One name already in the mix is Jett Williams, the clubs No. 5 prospect, who has yet to make his major league debut but has been productive at Triple-A this season. The Brewers have also been using Joey Ortiz at third base with Cooper Pratt at shortstop, so any move would have to fit into a lineup card that is already changing shape as they wait on Hamiltons recovery. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Suddenly Look Linked To A Proven Late-Inning Difference Maker
With the trade deadline approaching, Milwaukees bullpen situation has started to draw more attention, and the search for late-inning help has naturally pushed the Brewers toward the relief market. Boston left-hander Aroldis Chapman has emerged as a name to watch because he has been effective this season, pairing a 2.36 ERA with a high strikeout rate while working in a late-game role for the Red Sox.
For a Brewers club dealing with multiple bullpen injuries, that kind of track record makes obvious sense on paper. Chapman has also piled up 18 saves in 26.2 innings, which only adds to the appeal if Milwaukee decides it needs another arm it can trust in the final innings, though how aggressive the front office wants to be still leaves plenty of room for the deadline to shape the answer. [Read more 🡒]