Atlanta Braves Should Target Brett Phillips

Is there a match in Milwaukee?

Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Brewers have outpaced their own rebuild. Through savvy trades and prospect development, they are proving their ability to keep pace in one of baseball’s toughest divisions. Even with a solid 2017, there are more reinforcements on the way.

One piece the Brewers will need to leapfrog the Cubs and Cardinals is a solidified rotation. This is not to speak ill of Zach Davies, Chase Anderson, or any of their current rotation options. But asking Davies and Anderson to repeat their stellar 2017 seasons is a steep request, and with Jimmy Nelson slated to miss some of 2018 with a shoulder injury, there are more questions than there are answers. Adding Yovani Gallardo and Jhoulys Chacin to the rotation doesn’t do much to quell the fears resonating through Brewers Country.

The Brew Crew could target free agents Jake Arrieta or Yu Darvish, although the certain financial burden makes that unlikely. To put the Brewers’ finances in context, their Opening Day payroll was lower than Tampa Bay’s.

Speaking on Tampa Bay, Milwaukee could also jump into the Chris Archer sweepstakes, as they have the prospect capital to swing a deal. However, as the cost could prove prohibitive, they might investigate pitchers at a slightly lower tier than Archer’s.

Enter Julio Teheran.

Teheran’s 2017 maladies were often specific to SunTrust Park, and his peripherals indicated heaps of bad luck everywhere. ESPN’s Sam Miller provided a fascinating look at some of his struggles for 2017, and how they were often misleading. As Teheran has even-year success generally reserved for the San Francisco Giants, all signs point to a rebound in 2018.

Like Archer, Teheran’s contract is gorgeous – two years, $19.33MM, with a $12MM option for 2020. His contract, when coupled with his potential impact, makes a Teheran-to-Milwaukee deal seem like a logical fit.

When evaluating a possible return, Anthopoulos would certainly keep his eye on improving the Atlanta Braves’ defense, and also cashing on in a surplus of Brewers outfielders. Currently entrenched in Milwaukee’s outfield are Ryan Braun, Keon Broxton, Hernán Pérez, Domingo Santana, and Brett Phillips. A subsequent wave of prospects is set to reach Miller Park soon, with Lewis Brinson, Corey Ray, Monte Harrison, and Trent Grisham (née Clark) set to reach the big in the next few years.

Something’s gotta give in America’s Dairyland. If the Brewers want to solidify their pitching, they could opt to unload one of their young outfielders in a deal.

In particular, Brett Phillips – the man they call Maverick – is an intriguing option.