Brewers are now shifting their focus towards landing Brian Dozier
As a rumored suitor for Manny Machado, the Milwaukee Brewers may now be shifting their focus to Brian Dozier.
As had been expected, Manny Machado has been traded this week. The Los Angeles Dodgers gave up five prospects for may be a rental. But now the rest of the trade market can loosen up in the less than two weeks before the deadline, and according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic the Milwaukee Brewers may target Brian Dozier in trade talks.
The Brewers were a rumored suitor for Machado, as they try to keep pace with the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. But it never seemed likely they’d pull off a trade for him, and any other plan to acquire an infielder had to be the primary plan all along.
Dozier’s slow start this year is reflected in his 230/.314/.423 slash-line, with 16 home runs and 48 RBI entering the All-Star break. But he’s hitting .298 with five home runs, 17 RBI and a 1.001 OPS in July, including a run with a home run in three of four games and a hit in nine of 10 contests going into the break.
Among the players the #Brewers are expected to target now that they have lost Machado: #Twins 2B Brian Dozier. Team also will explore pitching upgrades as well.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 19, 2018
Dozier’s recent hot streak, although a bit early, fits the template he set in 2016 and 2017. Two years ago, he hit .291 with 28 home runs and a .990 OPS in the second half of the season. Then last year, he hit .304 with 21 home runs and a .986 OPS in the second half. So just in time to boost his trade value, in the final year of his contract with no signs the Twins want to bring him back, Dozier is getting hot at the plate.
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The Brewers and Twins seem like a great match of trade deadline buyer and seller. If a deal can’t be worked out for Dozier, Eduardo Escobar is another infielder the Twins should be open to moving.