The Milwaukee Brewers surprised many people with their performance in 2017 and are looking to build off their momentum. They have many good players at the major league level and a strong farm system ready to contribute in the next couple years. However, one area they are weak at throughout the entire organization is left-handed pitching. Josh Hader is their best option in that department right now, and a really good option at that, but there aren’t many intriguing options behind him. This is where the Padres come in to play.
Brad Hand is no stranger to trade rumors at this point, and
for good reason. He’s been dominant the past two seasons for the Padres since
they claimed him off waivers from the Miami Marlins. He’s not just a
lefty-specialist either. In 2017, opposing right-handed batters only hit .208
off him in over 56 innings, while left-handed batters hit .150 over 23 innings.
He had an ERA of 1.92 against RHH, and 2.74 against LHH. Hand would pair very
well with current Milwaukee closer Corey Knebel. Why stop there, though? The
Padres also have Jose Torres, Buddy Baumann, and Kyle McGrath as other
interesting left-handed reliever options with major-league experience. Then
there are minor-league relievers Brad Wieck and Jose Castillo. If the Brewers
want left-handed starters, the Padres have that too: Matt Strahm, Joey Lucchessi, Eric Lauer, Jerry Keel, Logan Allen, Adrian Morejon, and MacKenzie Gore. I wouldn’t expect some of those guys to be easily available, such as
Gore, but you get the point: the Padres have a lot of depth in an area the
Brewers do not. So, what would a trade look like?
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| Lucas Erceg |
The Brewers are thin in 3B prospects, but with Travis Shaw breaking out this year at the major league level, they might be willing to part
with well-regarded 3B prospect Lucas Erceg. The Padres are also thin in 3B
prospects, and they could also use more LHH in their line-up. So, I’d expect
Erceg to be discussed. I would assume the Padres would ask about Keston Hiura as well because the guy can flat-out hit. He’s listed as a 2B, but curious if
he can play at least a decent LF. The main question is whether or not he has
the arm strength for the OF. He’s had elbow issues in the past, and some people
think he may need Tommy John surgery at some point. Those two guys top my list
of prospects to ask about, but here are a few other intriguing prospects to
keep in mind:
- Monte Harrison, OF
- Corey Ray, OF
- Trent Grisham, OF
- Trey Supak, SP
Harrison is a big, strong, athletic player whose biggest
question mark is his hit tool, but he progressed there this past season. Will
that continue? Ray was a top draft pick in 2016, but has not performed as
expected so far. It’s a little too early to disregard what people liked about
him before the draft, but will he bounce back? Grisham has also somewhat
underwhelmed as a 1st round pick from 2015, but he has good plate
discipline, and drew 98 walks this past season while also swiping 37 bags. Supak
profiles as a durable mid-rotation starter with three average or above pitches,
and he’s an imposing presence on the mound, listed at 6’5”, 235 pounds.
There’s definitely a good match between the two teams, but
will Milwaukee want to give up good prospects for a really good reliever? Or,
would they rather fork-over the money for a free-agent LHP like Mike Minor or Jake McGee?
