Prospective trade deadline targets?

[KurtRussell]

Sounds like the return of Braun. That’s the only thing it could be.

 

Plouffe is pretty good friends with Braun.

[Madhawk23]

I doubt Plouffe though would mention something like this on a podcast if he didn't at least have some inside info here. Maybe he's just hearing this from connections he has from other teams that have mentioned how aggressive Stearns is right now in having discussions with other teams? I agree though that he's probably not getting this directly from someone within the Brewers, as we all know how very little gets leaked from the Brewers front office.

 

Also, isn't Plouffe the guy that was really good friends with Braun? I know nobody would classify Braun as the "big" addition, but maybe he also knows that Braunie is out in Malibu right now working on his first base defense? Lord knows we need a RH first base option with Keston's failures this year.

[HarveysWBs]

RE Braun:

 

Maybe, and just hear me out on this, just maybe this would be a really bad idea. On the one hand, who didn't love Braun's clutch performances? He has given us some of our greatest moments in franchise history.

 

But what if Braun was an albatross? Ever since the purloined MVP of 2011, the Brewers have been good but never good enough to get over the hump. And now that he's gone, they seem to have constructed a contender for greatest team in franchise history, and we want to bring him back? What curse would we welcome back with open arms? [half blue]

 

(Where are my Coleridge fans at?)

[SRB]

Plouffe is pretty legit imo, but hard to say what "something big" means. Normally I'd guess Plouffe is talking to a player, but how often do players know about a trade as it is developing?

[LouisEly]

Plouffe is pretty legit imo, but hard to say what "something big" means. Normally I'd guess Plouffe is talking to a player, but how often do players know about a trade as it is developing?

Rarely, unless it's a player who needs to waive a no-trade clause.

[rickh150]

Not sure what the heck kind of inside info Trevor Plouffe has but he had an interesting quote that was posted on twitter:

 

 

Probably a nothingburger. As we've learned here in the past, the Stearns camp rarely is responsible for any info getting out.

 

If there's any legitimacy to this, it'd be because it was coming from the other side of a deal, IMO.

 

I’d say probably something and soon, considering the source. Right, leak probably not from Stearns side.

[titletownking]

RE Braun:

 

Maybe, and just hear me out on this, just maybe this would be a really bad idea. On the one hand, who didn't love Braun's clutch performances? He has given us some of our greatest moments in franchise history.

 

But what if Braun was an albatross? Ever since the purloined MVP of 2011, the Brewers have been good but never good enough to get over the hump. And now that he's gone, they seem to have constructed a contender for greatest team in franchise history, and we want to bring him back? What curse would we welcome back with open arms? [half blue]

 

(Where are my Coleridge fans at?)

 

He could be the Granderson/Hairston Jr. bat off the bench strictly for the playoffs and even a potential DH in the WS.

[MrTPlush]

I am sure leaks come out of the Brewers camp too, just like any other team. Stearns is good at keeping a quiet front office (a skill he credited Doug Melvin for), but lets not just resort to the fact the walls are bullet proof.

 

It isn't shocking though. I fully expect the Brewers to make some moves and heavily explore major moves. The entire front office probably knows any fan watching will die before we ever see a trio of starters like we have now again. This isn't just a shot at a World Series run...this could be a golden opportunity for a small market like us. Iron out the bullpen, adjust the offense, and it is pretty hard to see us putting together a roster with a better shot on paper. There may not be another year where Burnes/Woodruff/Peralta pitch like this in the same year.

[jonescm128]

Not sure what the heck kind of inside info Trevor Plouffe has but he had an interesting quote that was posted on twitter:

 

 

Probably a nothingburger. As we've learned here in the past, the Stearns camp rarely is responsible for any info getting out.

 

If there's any legitimacy to this, it'd be because it was coming from the other side of a deal, IMO.

 

I’d say probably something and soon, considering the source. Right, leak probably not from Stearns side.

 

Jose Ramirez

[PeaveyFury]

Ramirez would certainly qualify as a big move, but I shudder to think what the cost would be.

[jonescm128]

Ramirez would certainly qualify as a big move, but I shudder to think what the cost would be.

 

Right. 2.5 years of control. If they could put together a package without including Mitchell I would consider that a win. Turang seems expendable with Adames in the fold so a package headlined by Turang would be fine with me. But if it had to include Mitchell then it is what it is. It seems Sal Frelick is a very similar player to Mitchell.

[ThisIsMyCrew]

The word “Big” can mean something different to different people.

IMO big would be something like Scherzer, Jose Rameriez, Joey Gallo/Kyle Gibson combo, Kris Bryant…needle movers.

 

Also, will be fun to see what bullpen arms are added. Stearns has a pretty good track record of catching lightening in a bottle with his deadline pen arms (Shwarzak, Pomagranz, etc)

 

If there was ever a year to push the chips in past comfort, this is it. Trio of starters and elite closer. Like TPlush said, you never know if the trio of pitchers will pitch to this level in a year together again.

[PeaveyFury]

Turang seems expendable with Adames in the fold so a package headlined by Turang would be fine with me.

 

I think this is right, and likely the reoccurring theme of their deadline speculation. Turang seems like the likely headliner of a big or big-ish move.

 

The Brewers' system lacks OF depth, so I'd only move Mitchell in a mega deal, and even then I'd do everything I could to keep him from being included....

[MrTPlush]

Turang and one of the catchers at AAA seem like probable pieces the Brewers would be willing to send off. Hiura is also a potential candidate, but how they feel/value him is a crapshoot.

 

Could always see them trying to 'sell high' on a Tyrone Taylor, much like trading off Grisham.

[KeithStone53151]

Ramirez would certainly qualify as a big move, but I shudder to think what the cost would be.

 

Right. 2.5 years of control. If they could put together a package without including Mitchell I would consider that a win. Turang seems expendable with Adames in the fold so a package headlined by Turang would be fine with me. But if it had to include Mitchell then it is what it is. It seems Sal Frelick is a very similar player to Mitchell.

 

I'm not sure there's a universe in which we get Ramirez and the Indians don't more or less get their pick of the litter...which almost certainly includes Mitchell. If we offered Mitchell and Turang for Ramirez they'd probably say "well that's a start, what else you got?"

[SRB]

Mitchell, Hiura, and a low-minors flier seems like a feasible package for Jose Ramirez. I'm assuming there are a lot of teams (who knows if Cleveland is one) that still rate Hiura very highly and think a move to the AL would do wonders for him.

[KeithStone53151]

Plouffe is pretty legit imo, but hard to say what "something big" means. Normally I'd guess Plouffe is talking to a player, but how often do players know about a trade as it is developing?

Rarely, unless it's a player who needs to waive a no-trade clause.

 

Wouldn't a no trade clause discussion not happen until after a trade is completed? It would seem weird to tell a player "we might trade you to X team, would you approve a trade" before a deal is struck. In general I think it's not wise to put the trade thoughts in a players head until it happens, except in 1 year deal situations where it's just obvious a guy is going to be traded...but those never come with no trade clauses.

[wibadgers23]

Who knows, maybe the Indians would value a low-level guy like Eduardo Garcia pretty highly and would accept a Mitchell, Ashby/Small, Feliciano and Garcia package for Ramirez. That being said, I'd rather focus on getting an elite 1B or starting pitcher for that matter if we're going to spend that type of prospect capital. I really like what Urias is doing at 3B.

[endaround]

People are really underestimating what it would take to get Ramirez. He has like $100 million in value. Mitchell, Hiura, Urias, and Ashby might get you half way there. If I'm Cleveland I'm not taking quantity for Ramirez. Then again I wouldn't trade Ramirez anyway.

[TURBO]

What we need is a 1B.

 

Urias has been far more than most of us expected at 3B, so I don't see why we would go all in for a position we appear to be fine at.

 

We need a 1B desperatley, so I'm expecting a low level guy like Cron in a deadline deal, and a 3B that ends up being worse than Urias.

[LouisEly]

Plouffe is pretty legit imo, but hard to say what "something big" means. Normally I'd guess Plouffe is talking to a player, but how often do players know about a trade as it is developing?

Rarely, unless it's a player who needs to waive a no-trade clause.

 

Wouldn't a no trade clause discussion not happen until after a trade is completed? It would seem weird to tell a player "we might trade you to X team, would you approve a trade" before a deal is struck. In general I think it's not wise to put the trade thoughts in a players head until it happens, except in 1 year deal situations where it's just obvious a guy is going to be traded...but those never come with no trade clauses.

No, because there would be no point in the exercise of exchanging names and settling on a return if the player isn't willing to go to that team in the first place. Player has to waive the no-trade to a team first, then the negotiations take place. Sometimes a player asks for extras (guaranteeing option years, etc.) in order to waive a no-trade, which affects what, if anything, the receiving team is willing to give up.

[brewmann04]

I still think the crew might get that 1st baseman.

[Jopal78]

No, because there would be no point in the exercise of exchanging names and settling on a return if the player isn't willing to go to that team in the first place. Player has to waive the no-trade to a team first, then the negotiations take place. Sometimes a player asks for extras (guaranteeing option years, etc.) in order to waive a no-trade, which affects what, if anything, the receiving team is willing to give up.

 

That doesn't make any sense, a team would literally have to ask a player to waive their trade clause to a half dozen teams.

 

Think back to when Lucroy was traded, news broke he was being sent to the Indians with Francisco Mejia and others coming back to Milwaukee. It was only after that news broke that it was announced Lucroy blocked the deal.

[brewers888]

I think if Stearns makes a move for a bat it has to be a righty and maybe Braun is that guy.

[PDCBalla]

Milwaukee: Buyers — The Brewers have the pitching to run the table in October, but they must improve their offense. This is the closest they’ve been to a World Series-caliber team since 1982, their only Series appearance. Therefore, they need to do whatever it takes to improve their lineup. Joey Gallo, Kris Bryant and Jesús Aguilar are all realistic trade targets.

 

Anthony Rizzo, Cubs: The Cubs are trying to extend him. If they can’t, Boston and Milwaukee make sense as destinations.

 

From Jim Bowden article today in the athletic