The Milwaukee Brewers may already have the front-end arm they need in Jacob Misiorowski, but if they want to take a real swing at the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tarik Skubal has entered the conversation.
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer placed Milwaukee among the top five landing spots for the Detroit Tigers ace, a pitcher who has put together a 2.70 ERA and 3.0 bWAR in 15 starts this season. Skubal, a back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner, would give the Brewers a second elite starter to pair with Misiorowski.
“Skubal and Misiorowski would form a basically unbeatable 1-2 punch, and that may be what Milwaukee needs to get past those pesky Dodgers,” Rymer wrote.
He added, “It's not as if they're going to homer their way-their 98 long balls rank last in MLB-to the World Series, so simply not allowing runs is the next-best strategy.”
That idea fits the shape of Milwaukee’s roster. The Brewers were swept by the Dodgers in last year’s NLCS, and the thought of lining up Misiorowski and Skubal for the first two games of a postseason series is the kind of matchup that could change that script.
Milwaukee, though, won’t be alone if the Tigers make Skubal available. On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that several teams are expected to open preliminary trade talks with Detroit.
Along with the Brewers, Rosenthal listed the Dodgers, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, and Tampa Bay Rays as clubs expected to inquire about Skubal’s services.
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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 🡒]
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 🡒]
