MLB Trade Rumors: 5 teams who should trade for Will Smith

1. Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers have been spiraling downward since their record topped out at 39-29 in the middle of June. Their slip to third place in the NL Central is due in no small part to a struggling pitching staff. Outside of a few select names, the entire Brewers pitching staff has been miserable.

Milwaukee’s pitchers have a combined 4.66 ERA, split fairly evenly between a 4.74 mark from the starters and a 4.59 mark from the relievers. All-Star closer Josh Hader is the only member of the bullpen who has come remotely close to doing his job. The loss of 2017 All-Star Corey Knebel to an elbow injury looms large. Even Hader hasn’t been perfect, already taking three losses and allowing nine home runs in 45 innings. Overall, the Brewers bullpen ranks 18th in the league.

With the trade deadline still two weeks away, reports have popped up linking the Brewers to Smith, who spent two-plus years with the team before being dealt to San Francisco. That familiarity would certainly make it easier for the Brewers to come to terms with the type of prospects they would have to give up to acquire the reliever.

The Brewers need to upgrade their bullpen and starting rotation, and could even try to pull off a package deal with the Giants to acquire Madison Bumgarner. Milwaukee is a team that is firmly into win-now mode, and they have glaring weaknesses to fill if they hope to make a return run at the NLCS.