Milwaukee Brewers: Addressing The Outfield Situation

With the month of June seemingly flying by, the Milwaukee Brewers front office team of David Stearns and Matt Arnold are transforming the war room from draft prep to a July trade deadline headquarters.  Seeing as how the Milwaukee Brewers are in first place, there doesn’t seem to be much talk of any major trades that have to do with the Brewers giving up MLB talent. However, there is one major problem that needs to be addressed.

The crowded outfield situation in Milwaukee is getting out of hand. There is a lot of young players vying for a spot on the Major League roster. However, the Milwaukee Brewers outfield is occupied by Keon Broxton, Domingo Santana and Ryan Braun. The lack of any opening is stalling the progression of current prospects.

What can the Brewers do at the July trade deadline to help their young talent advance their careers?

One option is let them ride the bench, as they are currently doing with Lewis Brinson right now.

The benefit of this method is that the player receives a chance to get used to the Major League lifestyle, but it will hurt in the long run if they don’t get consistent at-bats. This is possibly the worst way  to bring along young talent, especially if it happens for a long period of time.

The most obvious answer here is the Brewers need to trade one of their three current outfielders. The question is who?

With Ryan Braun unable to stay off of the disabled list, there is a very slim chance that he is even mentioned in trade discussions in July, so Braun is out as a possibility.

The next two candidates are solid contributors to the lineup, and are very gifted at their own strengths in the game.  Between Keon Broxton and Domingo Santana, there is really no easy choice.

Could we see Keon Broxton moved by the deadline?

Broxton, known for being a very streaky hitter, is above average in the field and just average with the bat.  This month he has slashed .158/.214/.395 with two home runs, four RBIs, and only six hits. Most of that offense came on the last road trip. His season line of .232/.298/.449 with nine home runs, 22 RBIs isn’t that impressive.

He is also 27 years old and could net the Milwaukee Brewers a decent pitching prospect. In the short term, trading Broxton would open up a spot for top prospect Lewis Brinson.

Would the Brewers consider dealing Domingo Santana?

After missing most of 2016 with injuries, Domingo Santana is showing his doubters why he was the number three overall prospect in the Houston Astros’ system a few years ago.  Capable of hitting for power and now average, Santana is almost untouchable when it comes to trade speculation.

His slash line this season of .280/.375/.482 comes with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs. He is tied for second on the team in RBIs with Eric Thames. He’s also tied for second place on the team in homers with Travis Shaw. His real value is that he can hit pretty much anywhere in the order and produce.

The only downside, unlike Broxton, is that Santana lacks defense.

What could the Brewers net in a deal for Santana? They would obviously receive much more than they would for Broxton, but losing the offensive production to make way for unproven talent really does not make much sense.

Next: What's Wrong With The Brewers Bullpen?

In the end, it seems it will be a tough call, but it looks like this year’s trade deadline could be a lot more interesting than anyone could have expected. A deal clearly needs to happen, but deciding which player goes will be the tricky part.