Milwaukee Brewers: Where could Ryan Braun be dealt to?
What is the best trade fit for Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun?
One of the bigger names in trade market before the trade deadline is Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun. Braun was an All-Star last year and is entering the first year of a five-year, $105 million extension with the club. The 32 year old was an All-Star last season and is hitting .351/.424/.583 with nine homers and 30 RBI.
Braun has been battling injuries of late but when healthy is a valuable piece. He could be that difference making bat for a club to get them over the hump and into the post-season.
In his Sunday notes column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe talked about seven different trade destinations for the former MVP;
2. Ryan Braun, OF, Brewers — “He’s the hot name out there,” said one National League scout. Braun is having an outstanding year, seemingly all the way back from PED disgrace and the subsequent reduction of his numbers. Which team could benefit from the righthanded, middle-of-the-order bat? The scout thought the Astros, Cardinals, Red Sox, Phillies, Mets, Giants, and White Sox were good fits. Braun is in the first year of a five-year, $105 million extension.
All of those teams could use a bat the caliber of Braun in their lineup. Braun would help any team, but does he fit all of them? Let’s take a look at those seven teams and see what fit could be best for both Braun and the club.
Next: Another last place team
Houston Astros
Houston finds themselves tied for last place in the AL West. Their outfield production outside of George Springer has been a disaster. The outfielder the Astros got from the Brewers last year, Carlos Gomez, is injured and was ineffective when he was playing. Colby Rasmus has eight homers, but is hitting below .230. Jake Marisnick and Preston Tucker are hitting below .200.
Milwaukee GM David Stephens certainly knows the Astros system inside and out, but would the Astros be better off selling some assets and recouping some prospects that they lost in the trades for Gomez and Ken Giles.
It’s not the outfield’s fault that Dallas Keuchel isn’t pitching like his Cy Young award self from last year and that no one in the rotation has an ERA under 4.00.
I can’t see the Astros making this type of move. If anything, they’d probably sell a player or two instead of buying one, let along a high-priced one at that.
Next: An inconsistent offense
St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals have been one of the best offenses in the game this year, although a tad bit inconsistent. In the outfield, Steven Piscotty is hitting over .320 and has been one of their top prospects who is now getting his shot. Matt Holiday is hitting just .246 and is in the last year of his deal.
They could put Holiday at first, but Matt Adams is starting to get it going. They could acquire Braun and have Holliday come off the bench, but I can’t see the Cardinals doing that to a player who has been so important to them for years.
The Cardinals trouble spot has been center with Randal Grichuk, but Braun isn’t an option there.
Would the Brewers trade their best player to a division rival? That’s a big question too. It would be hard to appease the fan base in this kind of situation. You are trading your best player in a rebuilding mode, but when you trade him to a divisional rival, it makes it that much harder of a pill to swallow for the fan base.
Next: The resurgent Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Sox already have the best offense in the game. Adding Braun to it would be a scary proposition for the rest of the American League. Braun could play pepper with the Green Monster and put up all sorts of crazy numbers at Fenway Park.
The Sox weak spot offensively has been in left field. The combination of Brock Holt/Chris Young/Rusney Castillo/Blake Swihart hasn’t provided that much, although it hasn’t hurt the Red Sox too much.
The Sox have a war chest of prospects in order to get a deal done with the Brewers. Whatever spot the Brewers could want, the Sox can provide them with a prospect.
The question is, would the Sox be better off using those prospects to get a starter to help their rotation? Eduardo Rodriguez comes back this week and the Sox will demote Clay Buchholz to the bullpen, and maybe that’s the answer, but if it’s not, the Sox may need to go out and get another arm.
In left field, they could bring up top prospect Andrew Benintendi to play the position like the New York Mets did with Michael Conforto last season, just a year after drafting him.
The Sox could look to add a left fielder, but maybe they don’t want to pay the price for it, although Braun would fit well.
Next: A surprising contender
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies have been the surprise team in the game over the first two months, thanks to their young pitching staff and bullpen that’s been able to get it done.
The Phillies corner outfield production leaves a lot to be desired. Peter Bourjos is excellent defensively, but is hitting just .204. Tyler Goeddel has started to play more after being a rule V pick this year, but can he really be counted on? They could use a big bat to help take some pressure off Maikel Franco, since Ryan Howard has been awful this year.
The Phillies have a ton of money coming off the books over the next two seasons and with a improved farm system after trades over the past couple of years, plus the number one pick this year, the future is bright in Philadelphia. Would they want to sacrifice some of that promising future to get a bat like Braun to help them now?
The Phillies can take on the money, but I’m not sure they would want to spend the prospect collateral to get Braun? I’m not sure if that is something they want to do.
Next: Another midseason boost
New York Mets
The Mets made the World Series last season on the strength of their starting pitching and an offense that was boosted in the second half with the acquisition of Yoenis Cespedes, and the return of Travis d’Arnaud and David Wright from injury. Both of those players are injured again, and the Mets sit a game behind an improved Washington Nationals team.
The Mets offense this season has been too reliant on the home run. The Mets lead the majors in homers with 71, but are hitting just .231 as a team, which is only better than the Padres and Reds.
Wright has been injured of late, d’Arnaud is injured again and the team is without Lucas Duda for the foreseeable future. They could use a bat.
Braun is a hard fit though. Cesepedes best position is left, but has been playing center because of Michael Conforto. I can’t see the Mets dealing Conforto, and it would be hard to make him a bench player.
The Mets almost dealt Zack Wheeler and Wilmer Flores for Carlos Gomez last year at the deadline, and perhaps the Brewers would be interested in those players again, but the Mets may need corner infield help, instead of corner outfield.
Next: An even number year
San Francisco Giants
The Giants find themselves again at the top of the NL West. It is an even number year, so maybe we should just give them the title now (Just kidding, kinda)
Anyway, offensively a spot they could use an upgrade in is left field. Angel Pagan is great when healthy, but the thing is that he is never consistently healthy. Adding Braun to an attack with Hunter Pence, Buster Posey, Brandon Belt etc would make them very dangerous.
The Giants have around $40 million coming off the books after this season, including Pagan, so they could absorb Braun’s extension after this season.
Like the Red Sox, would the Giants be better off adding an arm? Their bullpen has had some injury issues. Matt Cain and Jake Peavy at the back end of the rotation have combined for two wins all year and Cain is on the DL again.
Braun could help them, but would the Giants be better off getting a less costly outfielder and then using other assets to get an arm or two may be the way that they end up going.
Next: Sliding down the standing
Chicago White Sox
The White Sox are right there in the NL Central, and with three quality starters, a bullpen that’s improved (this past weekend not withstanding) and an improved defensive club should continue to be.
The Sox have improved offensively as well, thanks to the off-season acquisitions of Todd Frazier and Brett Lawrie.
Braun could certainly help them. Braun could DH for the club and replace Avasail Garcia. Braun could help provide some production in the middle with Frazier and Jose Abreu.
The thing is the Sox are already a right-handed dominant offense. Adam Eaton is their only true left handed hitting starter. The Sox could use more production at short, where Jimmy Rollins hasn’t done much.
Chicago appears to be trying to improve their rotation, and there may be their focus instead of adding a big bat. They could promote prospect Tim Anderson to play short at some point and could go after a cheaper left-handed bat to help balance their lineup.
Next: The perseverance of Rich Hill
Braun could help any squad he ends up on. In the end, out of these seven clubs, I think he ends up on the Boston Red Sox. I think the Sox will attempt to bludgeon their way through the playoffs and hoping the bullpen can lock things down at the end, and Braun will add to this approach.