MLB Rumors: Bo Bichette's flaw, Phillies rival trade target, Brewers mistake

July is officially here, which means it is officially MLB Trade Deadline month. This is the month when we'll see plenty of action around the league as contenders try and improve their roster further, and sellers try and recoup as much prospect capital as possible.

Some buyers and sellers are known, but with so many teams hovering around the .500 mark and right in the thick of the postseason race, it remains a mystery as to how most teams will operate at the deadline.

Will Sammon, Patrick Mooney, and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic ($) dove into the latest news and rumors going around MLB right now.

MLB Rumors: Potential Brewers' mistake could cost them come October

At 50-34, the Milwaukee Brewers are one of, if not the most surprising team in the majors right now. They just took two of three against Craig Counsell and the Chicago Cubs and have opened up a 6.5-game lead in the NL Central over the second-place St. Louis Cardinals.

What's most impressive about this Brewers unbelievable season is that they've been winning despite getting virtually nothing from their starting rotation. Their 4.21 rotation ERA is only slightly below-average, but the 399.2 innings of work they've gotten from their starters rank 29th in the majors. They're only 2.2 innings ahead of the San Francisco Giants who rank dead last.

It was expected that this rotation would take a step back with Corbin Burnes traded to the Baltimore Orioles over the offseason and Brandon Woodruff missing the season due to injury, but it's been a major weakness. It's been what's held the team back, especially considering how dominant their bullpen has been (even without Devin Williams).

Outside of Freddy Peralta, there's nobody for Milwaukee to turn to. That's why the direction that The Athletic staff is reporting that they'll go in at this year's deadline is shocking.

"The Milwaukee Brewers, leading their division with the National League’s third-best record despite needing pitching help, don’t seem inclined to fix that hole through big spending or by trading top prospects at the deadline, according to people familiar with the club’s thinking."

They won't bring in anyone with a big contract and won't trade top prospects at the trade deadline. What does this mean then? The Brewers are going to dumpster dive? They're going to just stick with what they've got? Really?

I understand that this is what the Brewers have done, and they've been winning consistently with this thinking. The only issue is that while yes, the Brewers have done damage in the regular season, they've accomplished almost nothing in the postseason. They've made the postseason in five of the last six years and could easily make it six of seven in 2024, but have made the NLCS just once in that span.

Getting in consistently is good, but isn't the goal to ultimately win a World Series? Eventually, the Brewers are going to have to take a bit of a risk and consider trading a prospect if it means they can seriously compete. While they've been a good story, it's hard to believe they have what it takes to knock off teams like the Phillies and Dodgers in October. Adding in a legitimate frontline arm could change that, but it sounds like Milwaukee is uninterested in parting with what it'd take to land a pitcher of that caliber, which is a shame.

MLB Rumors: Phillies interested in rival trade target

The Philadelphia Phillies are a team built as well as any to succeed in October. No, they haven't gotten over the hump in the last two seasons, but this could very well be their year. They have arguably the best rotation in the game and have a loaded lineup when everyone's healthy, the only question is their bullpen.

Philadelphia lost Craig Kimbrel over the offseason and chose to not replace him, using only internal options for their bullpen. While losing Kimbrel, a reliever with well-documented postseason struggles throughout his career isn't a huge deal, not replacing him was a curious decision.

Trading for another late-game arm to pair with the likes of Jose Alvarado and Jeff Hoffman makes too much sense, and they are linked to arguably the best reliever available, Tanner Scott of the Miami Marlins.

"Scott, 29, is not a lock to succeed moving from the last-place Marlins to an actual contender. His strikeout-to-walk rate is at a career-low level, and while his ERA entering Sunday was 1.50, his expected ERA was 3.40. But a number of top clubs, including the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Dodgers, have expressed some level of interest, according to sources familiar with the discussions."

Scott is a pitcher that the Phillies are quite familiar with given the fact that he has spent his last three seasons in the NL East and has dominated in parts of the last two. He just recorded two saves this past weekend in Philadelphia, retiring all six batters he faced. Scott was one of the most important players on Miami's postseason team in 2023 and has backed up his breakout campaign with another strong year closing games for them in 2024.

The 29-year-old has a 1.50 ERA in 35 appearances and 36 innings pitched. While yes, walks are a concern, 12 of the 23 walks he has issued this season came in his first eight appearances of the season. Since then, he has done a much better job at throwing strikes, issuing a much more manageable 11 walks in his last 27.1 innings of work.

Scott is a rental so the Phillies wouldn't have to break the bank to acquire him, but with so many contending teams interested, he won't come cheap. The Phillies need another late-game arm and Scott fits the bill. Let's see if they can get him.

MLB Rumors: Why Bo Bichette might not be as valuable as many think

With the deadline rapidly approaching, all eyes are on the Toronto Blue Jays. They did not expect to sell, but at 38-45 entering Monday's action, they might not have another option. They'd have to play ridiculously well to flip the script.

Selling would almost certainly mean that rentals such as Yusei Kikuchi and Justin Turner go, but it could also mean that veterans with more term attached are dangled. Yes, that includes players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette.

Guerrero is probably less likely because of the season he's having, but Bichette has struggled and the Jays could look to trade him now while he has term left on his contract rather than risk doing so in his walk year when his price will only go down from where it is now. If Bichette were to be traded, the Los Angeles Dodgers make a ton of sense for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, The Athletic lists a big reason why that fit might not be as seamless as many once thought.

"Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, going back to his days with the Tampa Bay Rays, is a stickler for defense. Think back to the Dodgers’ biggest position-player acquisitions — Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Manny Machado at the 2018 deadline. All were strong defenders."

If the Dodgers are going to prioritize defense then, well, Bichette just isn't happening. As great as Bichette usually is offensively, his defense has consistently lagged behind. He ranks in the 57th percentile in outs above average according to Baseball Savant which is actually an improvement over what he's done in the past, but is still not good enough. While a guy like Miguel Rojas doesn't hit much at shortstop, he ranks in the 96th percentile in OAA

Usually Bichette's offensive prowess overshadows his poor defense, but he has just a .623 OPS in 70 games played this season. His -0.2 bWAR shows just how poorly he's played both offensively and defensively this season.

His bat would be a nice addition, but would the Dodgers be willing to pay a hefty prospect cost and consider a lucrative extension for a poor defensive shortstop? Based on Andrew Friedman's history, the answer is probably no. Bichette's biggest flaw could be what impacts whether he gets traded or not.