Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Milwaukee Brewers are positioned to capitalize on the Cincinnati Reds' struggling season at the trade deadline.
- Milwaukee's lack of power and left-handed relief depth highlights two key areas needing immediate improvement.
- The Reds' recent poor performance against the Brewers could force them into selling mode, opening the door for strategic acquisitions.
The Cincinnati Reds got off to a rock-solid 20-11 start to their season, finding ways to win close games routinely while the Milwaukee Brewers were just hovering around the .500 mark. The Reds ended the month of April 3.5 games above Milwaukee in the NL Central, but these two teams have gone in opposite directions since, with the Brewers taking over first place in the division by 9.5 games over last-place Cincinnati.
The Reds have gone just 17-28 since their hot start, and now have the fourth-worst record in the National League. While their season isn't over, a rough series to begin their week against the Brewers might push them closer towards selling at the trade deadline. That's an outcome Milwaukee can take advantage of by pursuing these players.
3B/DH Eugenio Suarez
The biggest name on this list and the best Brewers fit is Eugenio Suarez, a player who hit 49 home runs last season and has 332 home runs in his 13-year career. He doesn't do much well other than hit for power, but is there anything the Brewers need more than that right now? Milwaukee's 68 home runs as a team rank tied for 27th in the Majors as of this writing.
The Brewers rarely pursue one-dimensional players who don't defend or run well like Suarez, and he admittedly has not had a good year (seven HR, .633 OPS), but when he's hot, he's hard to stop. He can help carry Milwaukee deep into October, and the fact that he's a rental means it shouldn't take too much to get him.
LHP Brock Burke
Something the Brewers could use is more left-handed reliever depth, as that's lacking beyond Aaron Ashby. A big reason for that has to do with injuries, as Jared Koenig, DL Hall and Angel Zerpa are all on the IL, but Zerpa is out for the year, and it'll be a little while before Koenig and Hall return from their injuries. Brock Burke can give them some needed reinforcements.
Burke wouldn't be a flashy addition, but he's appeared in a league-leading 37 games for Cincinnati and he's held left-handed hitters to a .197 average and a .638 OPS. Now, command has proven to be an issue at times, as evidenced by his 23 walks in 36 innings, but he's done well at limiting hard contact, giving reason to believe he can thrive in Milwaukee.
LHP Caleb Ferguson
If a Burke acquisition doesn't work out, what about Caleb Ferguson? The Reds were without their 29-year-old left-handed reliever for the first two months of the season, but he returned on May 27 and has been dominant since, allowing just two runs on 10 hits in 12 innings of work. Those runs came in one rough outing, and he's been stellar in every other appearance.
Like Burke, Ferguson is far from flashy, but he does a great job generating soft contact and ground balls. As a second or third lefty in a postseason bullpen, you can do a lot worse, and Ferguson being a rental makes his acquisition price incredibly cheap.
OF Dane Myers
While Jackson Chourio is a dominant right-handed outfielder, both Sal Frelick and Garrett Mitchell are left-handed hitters. Heck, even Christian Yelich, their primary DH, is left-handed. Switch-hitting Blake Perkins has played most nights against southpaws, but it's not as if he's lit the world on fire in those spots. The Brewers could use another righty outfielder to mash lefties, and Dane Myers could be that guy.
Myers has a .780 OPS against lefties this season, and a .806 mark against them in his career. He doesn't do much against righties, but Myers' ability to crush lefties while playing solid defense in the outfield and running well makes him an enticing addition — especially with his three additional years of club control.
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