MLB Rumors: 3 trade deadline targets the Milwaukee Brewers should consider
By Mike Luciano
The Milwaukee Brewers need to get Christian Yelich and Josh Hader help
The Milwaukee Brewers might have two of the best players at their respective positions in the game, as Josh Hader might very be the most unhittable closer in baseball while Christian Yelich holds the title of best corner outfielder in the game. Even with these two studs on the roster, the Brewers are considered a notch below other NL Central contenders, as their pitching staff is lacking in depth, both behind Hader in the bullpen and in the rotation. Likewise, Yelich doesn’t have a ton of proven veteran talent behind him in the lineup.
The quickest fix for these issues is to be aggressive at the August 31 trade deadline. The Brewers were a Trent Grisham gaffe away from knocking the eventual champion Washington Nationals out of the playoffs, so the nucleus of a contending team is there. GM David Stearns just needs to go out and acquire these three players to kick their title push into overdrive.
7. RP. Kansas City Royals. Jakob Junis. 3. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. player
Milwaukee and Kansas City have a history of trading with one another, and their next deal might send a once-promising starter to the Brewers in order to beef up a starting rotation really lacking in substance at the moment. Junis broke into the league in 2017, and his 4.30 ERA at the age of 24 had many around the Royals thinking that he could be the second coming of Bret Saberhagen that would finally give that rotation someone they can lean on. After his ERA climbed to 4.37 in 2018 and an unsightly 5.24 mark in 2019, a change of scenery might be needed for Junis to get back on the right track.
Negotiations could get tricky for this one, as Kansas City might not give away a 27-year-old with promising stuff for chump change. By the same token, Milwaukee can’t look at their current rotation and keep lying to themselves by saying they feel comfortable with this bunch as they head into October. Junis’s stuff is good enough to cause problems in the playoffs, and he could be on the move if Milwaukee is desperate enough.