For the one, that might be the case with third baseman Travis Shaw. Here's a guy you grabbed from the Boston Red Sox, one who showed potential in Boston, and who blossomed in Milwaukee. He's young, under contract for awhile and just developing into the kind of player the Brewers were hoping for. He's been the subject of trade rumors, but so far at least, cooler heads have prevailed.
The other is swinging for the fences with a couple of moves that make outfield even more crowded. First, the trade for a proven commodity, like the Miami Marlins Christian Yelich. The young (26-year-old) centerfielder is a prize. Here's a career .290 hitter who, in 643 games, has an On Base Percentage of .369. He's flashed power ( 59 home runs, 293 RBI) and speed (72 stolen bases, including 16 in 18 attempts last season), Yelich could be a bargain for the Brewers. He's got four years left on a seven year deal that pays him $49.57 million; this includes $7 million this year AND a $15 million team option in 2022.
But at what's the cost? Well, you have to give something to get something, and with Miami and new
owner Derek Jeter getting rid of proven talent to rebuild the farm system, the Brewers had enough to swing the deal.
A team with A LOT of outfield talent currently in the minors, Milwaukee turned a couple of those players with potential into Yelich. Gone is the consensus No. 1 prospect, Lewis Brinson, who struggled in 21 games with the big club, hitting just .106, showed he can get the job done with his glove. And he did bat .331 at Triple A Colorado Springs. Also send packing were OF Monte Harrison, IF Isan Diaz and RHP Jordan Yamamoto. Only Brinson saw any action as high as Triple A, so the others have potential (there's that word again) but are NOT sure things.
Yelich is. And he will be a welcome addition, both offensively and defensively, when the Brewers take the field in a few weeks.
Then factor in the free agent signing of Lorenzo Cain, also a proven centerfielder. Cain came up with the Brewers in 2010 and showed he belonged. I liked him then, and was crushed when the Brewers sent him to Kansas City as part of the Zack Greinke deal. But adding Yelich AND Cain means your outfield has too many working pieces, added to Ryan Braun, Domingo Santana, Brett Phillips and Keon Broxton.
The odd man out appears to be the 24-year-old Santana, who had an exceptional 2016 season hitting .278 with 30 home runs and 73 RBI. I might toss Broxton into that mix as well.
If GM David Stearns uses these two pieces to add to the pitching staff with arms that can help NOW, then I'm all for the trades. Meanwhile, the Brewers are still rumored to be shouting "Hey Yu!" and dangling a contract in front of free agent pitcher Yu Darvish. It would be a good signing only if it's a reasonable contract. That means reasonable length filled with incentive-laden money.
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