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Milwaukee Brewers rumors: Help in outfield focused on Ramón Laureano?

By Kevin Henry

Jul 23, 2022; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics center fielder Ramon Laureano (22) leaps in an attempt to catch a double hit by Texas Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe (30) during the first inning at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 23, 2022; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics center fielder Ramon Laureano (22) leaps in an attempt to catch a double hit by Texas Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe (30) during the first inning at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports /
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According to FanSided’s Robert Murray, the Milwaukee Brewers could be looking to the American League West in an effort to strengthen their outfield.

Milwaukee Brewers rumors: Ramón Laureano a potential target as Oakland A’s prepare for likely fire sale at MLB trade deadline

With the Milwaukee Brewers looking at center field as an area where they can improve in a battle for the National League Central and a potential postseason run, Murray writes that the Brew Crew “could be in market for help in center field” and “Laureano could find his way to Wisconsin.”

If the 28-year-old Laureano was to be acquired by the Brewers, it would be a boost for a position where Milwaukee ranks 25th out of MLB’s 30 teams with a minus-1.0 bWAR this season. Lorenzo Cain’s 154 plate appearances this season lead anyone playing center field for Milwaukee, but Cain was designated for assignment on June 18 after posting an OPS of just .465 in the final year of a five-year, $80 million deal.

Laureano, meanwhile, is slashing just .224/.305/.396 this season in 70 games (285 plate appearances). That comes after he finished serving an 80-game suspension after testing positive for Nandrolone, a banned performance-enhancing substance during the 2021 campaign.

A 16th-round draft pick of the Houston Astros in 2014, Laureano might not only provide an offensive upgrade for the Brewers, but also a defensive one as well. He was a finalist for a Gold Glove during the pandemic-shortened season of 2020.

Laureano is a valuable commodity for the Brewers and other teams looking for stability in center field. He still has three seasons of team control following the conclusion of the 2022 campaign, so any trade could well cost the Brewers and others more because Laureano will not just be a rental. This season, he is making $2 million.

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Will the Milwaukee Brewers be the team that secures Ramón Laureano before the trade deadline? With Oakland looking to sell and the Brewers looking for a missing piece in what they hope will be a puzzle that helps them compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets in a tough NL postseason picture, Laureano’s value could continue to climb as the days tick toward the MLB trade deadline.

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