The Milwaukee Brewers (25-46) remain in the cellar of the MLB and as the trade deadline approaches it's becoming more and more likely they'll be sellers. What players on their roster will bring them value?
When asked if the team was ready to declare a massive rebuilding plan before the trade deadline, general manager Doug Melvin responded, "I don't know if you ever say that. We know internally what we need to do. We're open-minded."
That doesn't provide anybody with much of anything, especially since the public is well aware Milwaukee needs to make drastic moves in order to re-establish their relevancy in the MLB.
The latest trade rumors regarding the Brewers involved closer Francisco Rodriguez, who is guaranteed $13 million through 2016 (he has a $5.5 million salary for 2016 and a $6 million team option for 2017 with a $4 million buyout). The Toronto Blue Jays were said to have expressed interest in the right-hander, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. It's been said the Brewers are open to trading Rodriguez, but they'll need to do more than that to expedite their roster overhaul.
Names such as Ryan Braun, Aramis Ramirez, Gerardo Parra, Kyle Lohse, Matt Garza and Jonathan Broxton will not give Milwaukee a good return in a trade, says Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, because of their contracts as well as some of their poor campaigns in 2015.
Here's a quick look:
Braun, OF - the veteran has had thumb issues this season, which has held him back offensively. Also, his five-year, $105 million extension kicks in next season. With all the previous PED issues, it's hard to believe teams will be jumping a making a deal for him.
Ramirez, 3B - he's owed $14 million this season and has been having a bad year (.217/.252/.399 with 16 runs scored, 8 home runs and 26 RBIs). He was once viewed as a top trade candidate, but that has quickly changed.
Parra, OF - the outfielder could be the most desirable target out of this group. He can play all three outfield positions and he's having a solid year at the plate, but his $6.2 million salary could be a problem in terms of getting a good return.
Lohse, SP - the right-hander is having an uncharacteristically awful season thanks to a 3-9 record with a 6.30 ERA in 15 starts. His $11 million salary for 2015 also doesn't help.
Garza, SP - same goes for this right-hander. He's 4-9 with a 5.48 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) and he's signed through 2017 at $12.5 million per season. Additionally, he has a $13 million vesting option for 2018 and a $5 million team option if the vesting terms are not met.
Broxton, RP - $9 million for a reliever is more than enough money. But one that has a 7.00 ERA in 29 games? This is a sunk cost.
As many believe, Haudricourt says the team will need to trade their more valuable assets to get the ball rolling on a potential rebuild.
"To get any truly decent prospects, the Brewers likely would have to do something painful, such as trade Segura and/or Gomez. Segura is under control for three more seasons, but the Brewers are loaded with shortstops in the organization and Orlando Arcia figures to be the starter as early as next year. Gomez has another year on his contract and probably will be too expensive to keep while rebuilding, and has seen his production wane while battling health issues."
He also mentioned there's no upside to trading catcher Jonathan Lucroy or pitchers Wily Peralta and Jimmy Nelson. That notion could perhaps be disputed.
Lucroy is signed through 2017 for just over $12 million, which would have other clubs interested. Melvin previously said trading Lucroy and Segura would be tough because those positions (catcher and shortstop) are hard to come by, but what use will Lucroy be for the next couple of seasons if the team is rebuilding? He has yet to help the team this year (.231/.275/.306 with 8 runs scored, 1 home run and 12 RBIs) and missed over a month with a broken toe. Exploring a deal to see what kind of return they might get for Lucroy would at least be a smart first step.
As for Peralta and Nelson, they're both cost-controlled young starters, but again, one of them could provide good value in a trade. Peralta is 31-32 with a 3.85 ERA in 79 career games and Nelson is 5-17 with a 4.54 ERA in 32 career games. Neither of them are in a favorable situation to succeed, especially at pivotal points in their careers, so trading one or both of them would at least give the Brewers solid value and send one of these young arms to a team with an environment conducive to winning.
The Brewers have countless trade scenarios to consider before the trade deadline. It's all dependent on how far Melvin is willing to go.
According to Baseball America, the Brewers have the No. 19-ranked farm system. They'll need to improve that if their MLB roster can't get it done.
