Milwaukee Brewers: Finding The Perfect Trade WIth Seattle

We continue searching for potential trade scenarios around the league this winter for the Milwaukee Brewers. Our search has taken us to Kansas City, Detroit, Colorado, Toronto, and now it takes us to Seattle.

The Milwaukee Brewers have some recent history trading with the Seattle Mariners. They sent Adam Lind to the Pacific Northwest for pitchers Carlos Herrera, Freddy Peralta, and Daniel Missaki in December 2015. Both Herrera and Peralta are on the Brewers Top 30 list.

Seattle Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto loves to make trades. He was hired about a week after the Brewers hired David Stearns. Dipoto made 37 trades through his first two off seasons. In fact, he made a trade, on average, once a week last winter. He’s earned the nickname Dealin’ Dipoto out in Seattle. Slingin’ Stearns should make a nice trade partner.

Why would the Brewers and the Mariners partner on a deal?

The Mariners have needs at first base and center field. Dan Vogelbach currently occupies first base. He has a ton of power, but is horrible defensively. Yonder Alonso was their first baseman along with Danny Valencia last year, but they’re free agents now. If they sign elsewhere, the Mariners will want someone to come in to play first base.

In center, 26-year old Guillermo Heredia is going to take over for Jarrod Dyson. That’s not exactly an ideal scenario. The Milwaukee Brewers can help the Seattle Mariners with these problems. The Mariners have a lot of big contracts that have sent their payroll north of $165 million in 2017. They will be looking for some inexpensive options to fill these holes in the roster.

If David Stearns and Jerry Dipoto decide to make a trade together this winter, here’s one way that deal could look.

The Milwaukee Brewers got three young pitchers for Adam Lind in 2015 and in this trade they get three young pitchers once again. Although these pitchers are much closer to the majors than the other group. Keon Broxton and Jesus Aguilar head to Seattle in exchange.

Who are the prospects in this deal?

Thyago Vieira is the Mariners eighth ranked prospect and reaches triple digits on his fastball. He also possesses a good curveball and profiles as a late inning reliever. He could be a future closer but his control is still lacking and may need a few years of development in low pressure situations out of the bullpen until he can become a full time closer. Corey Knebel went through the same situation and these two would make a great one-two punch in the back of the bullpen.

Wyatt Mills is the Mariners 22nd ranked prospect according to MLB.com and pitched to a 1.77 ERA in 18 games since getting selected in the third round of the 2017 MLB Draft. His lanky, side-arm/low three quarter delivery is devastating to same sided hitters and he commands his fastball-slider combination extremely well. He’s basically a right-handed version of Josh Hader without the potential to start.

Robert Dugger finished the season with the High-A Modesto Nuts and had a 2.75 ERA in 31 games, including 18 starts The lefty struck out 116 batters in 117 innings and also collected two saves in 2017. Dugger does have the potential to stay as a starter, although he would be a back-end starter. He’s done well since being drafted out of Texas Tech in 2016.

What about the Brewers headed to Seattle?

Keon Broxton had a 20 homer season for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017, but he’ll get forced out of his spot in center field if he stays. Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto will need starting outfielders this winter. Given the state of the Seattle farm system, any trade acquisition will have some flaws. But Dipoto loves athletic center-fielders that play good defense. Keon Broxton fits that description perfectly. His bat is very streaky, but his defense is consistent.

Jesus Aguilar will also be a cheap option for the Mariners to plug in at first base instead of Dan Vogelbach after the departures of Yonder Alonso and Danny Valencia. Aguilar turned in a good season and could be on the trade block this winter. He posted a .265/.331/.505 line with 16 homers in only 279 ABs this year.  If Jerry Dipoto doesn’t want to pay a ton of money for any free agent first baseman, Aguilar can come in and play on a regular basis.

Does this trade suit both sides?

In this deal, the Milwaukee Brewers give the Seattle Mariners two players they can plug into their starting lineup on Opening Day. In return, the Brewers receive a late inning relief arm that could be in the bullpen to start the season, a right handed version of Josh Hader, and a potential left-handed starter in the future. Getting two top-30 prospects is key to Milwaukee giving up the long term control over Broxton and Aguilar.

In a potential deal with Seattle, Broxton and Aguilar wouldn’t necessarily need to be packaged together. These two could easily go to Seattle in a deal individually. Everything depends on how the market shakes out for Seattle. But if the Winter Meetings roll around and Seattle still has not found an answer for center field and first base, a deal like this makes a lot of sense for both clubs.

Next: Is there a perfect trade with the Blue Jays?

Keon Broxton makes the most sense as a trade candidate this winter and Jesus Aguilar also could be on the move. As long as Jerry Dipoto is the GM of the Mariners, there’s a good chance that a trade could happen at any moment.