Milwaukee Brewers: Five Major Storylines for 2017

1. Ryan Braun’s time in Milwaukee

We’ve come to the number one headline-grabber for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017.

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The storyline most likely to garner season-long attention is Ryan Braun’s future as a Brewer. While unlikely to be traded this late in the offseason, he could be shipped at the 2017 trade deadline.

Braun is firmly entrenched as the third-best player in Brewers’ franchise history, ranked behind Hall of Famers Robin Yount and Paul Molitor.

I would consider Braun unlikely to eclipse either in WAR as a Brewer, but his legacy can still evolve significantly if he remains in Milwaukee for several more seasons.

Braun also gives the casual fan a consistent name to recognize, which is important for a small-market team. The business end of a rebuild isn’t always pretty, and trading Braun could be the last straw for some fans.

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Still, keeping him until he loses trade value doesn’t make sense for the franchise. If they get a reasonable deal for Braun, I believe the Crew trades him.