Milwaukee Brewers: Why a deadline deal shouldn’t be made

The Milwaukee Brewers may ride a solid first half and a really mediocre division into the playoffs. This may appear to be the time to add to their team, especially the starting rotation, for a playoff push. It isn’t.

Reviewing The Brew recently ran a Twitter poll in which 40-percent of responses favored the Milwaukee Brewers to stand pat on Deadline Day. It’s clear that fans see the long term view of the team, even if a few writers don’t. They see that most of the real prospects have yet to arrive in Milwaukee and that this isn’t the time to abandon the rebuild. There are several reasons why staying the course, letting the current group do their best, and continuing to build the roster from within.

Adding At The Deadline Is Expensive

The top target is Chicago White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana. The White Sox reportedly turned down deals that featured a pair of the Astros top prospects and demanded a Major League-ready arm as well. Deadline prices don’t typically go down. They go up. To add Quintana, the Milwaukee Brewers would have to part with at least one of their elite outfield prospects, and a pair of highly rated pitching prospects, if not more.

The cost to add a starter of Jose Quintana’s caliber would remove young, controllable talent from the Brewers’ system. Talent that would be better served contributing to the Brewers rebuild, not the White Sox.

The Current Team Is A Lot Of Fun

As currently constructed, the Milwaukee Brewers roster has made for a lot of truly enjoyable moments. They’ve played well together and deserve a chance to capture the division title. Who would you really rather see in a champagne shower or team meeting on the mound? A guy that showed up to play two months or Zach Davies? Ok…maybe not Zach Davies…Matt Garza? Not helping the cause here…Jimmy Nelson? That works.

The Team Has Already Made It’s Moves

It’s clear that the Brewers’ brain trust aren’t looking to shake up the roster or add expensive pieces. They’ve made a few zero-risk, zero-cost deals to add catcher Stephen Vogt and reliever Tom Wilhelmsen. These are the only types of deals that are likely.

The Prospects Are Still On Their Way

Honestly, the tear down of the Milwaukee Brewers roster was never completed. Ryan Braun is still with the team. Keon Broxton is still with the team. Matt Garza is still with the team. When the Cubs went through their rebuild, they gutted the roster. The White Sox have undergone similar changes this year. The Brewers never did. The plan appeared to be to struggle this season, tear it down at the deadline with deals, and have the entire Colorado Springs roster up in September.

That’s not going to happen with the team’s current position in the standings, but there are a ton of prospects ready to arrive. They could lose all three starting outfielders, replace them with prospects, and still have a representative Major League outfield. Brandon Woodruff has yet to appear. Luis Ortiz, Corbin Burnes, and Jorge Lopez could all be ready to contribute to the pitching staff by September.

Next: Why The Brewers Should Make A Deadline Deal

This season may no longer be just a fun ride. It may very well result in a playoff appearance, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to abandon the rebuild. Selling off prospects for short term rentals depleted the Brewers farm system before. It took three years to dig out from the lack of young talent coming through the system. The best option is to enjoy this season and know that this a season to build on.