The 2022 season has not been easy for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Injuries have made their presence felt as the Brewers are now missing two of their top three starters from last year. Josh Hader has needed to miss time due to family emergencies. Center field has been a disaster offensively. There was a point where four pitchers made their major league debuts in a five game span.
Three trade targets for Milwaukee Brewers
Yet, despite those issues, the Brewers entered Monday tied with the Cardinals for first in the NL Central. An eight game losing streak, and losing nine out of ten games, may have taken them from the driver’s seat, but they are still right there. It may just be a matter of getting the right pieces to make a run.
The Milwaukee Brewers still have plenty of time to seize control of the NL Central. Let’s look at three trade targets that could help.
Josh Bell
Rowdy Tellez is a folk hero for the Milwaukee Brewers and he has been a solid player this season. He has hit ten homers and 15 doubles thus far, making him one of the better power hitters on the team.
However, for all of the power that the Brewers have, they still have very specific issues on offense. The Brewers are 12th in the National League with a .309 on base percentage and 13th with a .233 batting average. All of the homers they hit do not matter if they do not have anyone on base.
Josh Bell would help in that regards. Not only is he a powerful bat in his own right, but he has gotten on base at an impressive clip. Bell had put together a strong .294/.378/.476 batting line in his 290 plate appearances entering Monday, hitting 11 homers and ten doubles. He would clearly be a major upgrade to the lineup.
Acquiring Bell would not necessarily force Tellez out of a role. He could still see time as the Brewers designated hitter considering that Andrew McCutchen has largely disappointed. McCutchen could potentially see time in the outfield to make room for Tellez, especially considering that Milwaukee has a hole there.
Speaking of…