Should the Milwaukee Brewers Trade Junior Guerra?

Last night SP Junior Guerra had scouts watch his nearly complete game, so is he worth trading while he’s hot?

Junior Guerra has been quite a story this year as he seemed to come out of nowhere and be at the top of all stats for the Milwaukee Brewers so far this season. I’m saying that myself as I doubted him earlier in the season.

After last night’s 8.2 IP with 4 Hs, 1 ER, 1 BB, and 5 Ks in front of a number of scouts from teams around MLB, speculation began around social media if he was worth trading. Jon Heyman even reported how worthy the Milwaukee Brewers told other teams they thought he was.

But, on Twitter many were on one side or the other. Should they trade him while he’s at the top? Or hold onto him as he’s on contract being just a rookie for the next 5 years?

It would be an easy answer if Guerra was a young pitcher. Absolutely not. Why let him go when he could be a possible mid-rotation pitcher for years to come? But, at age 31, how long will he last?

On one side, he isn’t a pitcher in the minor leagues that was a starting pitcher that went lot of innings (82.4 innings in 2015) and drops down to the mid-30s combined with the Mets and Braves organizations earlier. But, many wondered if that included his time in Europe.

It’s an argument that can be made on both sides and difficult to trade any pitcher with a 2.70 ERA and 3.67 FIP and not on an expensive contract. Most would say it’s more than likely Milwaukee Brewers will trade Jonathan Lucroy by the trade deadline and maybe even a reliever.

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GM David Stearns seems to be making the same approach with Junior Guerra as Jonathan Lucroy. If teams don’t make the match he’s looking for (especially in a year with a lack of pitchers), then no reason to take the best offer.

I’m one to take the “trade him now!” approach as I doubted Junior Guerra to begin with, but without getting the right offer, it might end up being a mistake. Andrew Cashner has gone 79.1 IP with a 4.76 ERA, and 4.94 FIP, yet the San Diego Padres were able to land the Miami Marlins’ No. 2 and No. 6 prospects.

Cashner does have the experience as he was called up with the Chicago Cubs back in 2010, but his highest WAR in his career is 2.7 in 2013, while Junior Guerra is already at 2.0 in his rookie season. It’s no doubt a tough call, but thus far most Milwaukee Brewers fans can say “In Stearns We Trust” as Guerra was after all his first ever acquisition for GM David Stearns.