Milwaukee Brewers: Who’s their biggest competition this off season?

The Milwaukee Brewers are headed to the GM meetings next month with cash in hand, ready to spend. But which team is shaping up as their biggest competitor for free agents and trade targets? Is there a team that fans need to concern themselves with?

There’s one team already linked to the majority of the free agents that the Milwaukee Brewers are likely to pursue. The Minnesota Twins sniffing around Jake Arrieta, and supposedly made an offer on Gerrit Cole. The Brew Crew may find themselves fighting it out with the team up I-94 often this season.

Why the Twins?

The Twins are in a very similar position as the Milwaukee Brewers are. Both teams play in a division that has a clear favorite. Both teams have a young core and a few long-tenured veterans in the fold. The Twins clinched the second Wild Card after selling a few veterans, while the Brewers missed the second Wild Card after buying.

Most importantly, both teams have money to spend and need to add pitching. They’re already linked with several key free agents and trade targets.

Who could the Brewers miss out on?

The Twins are known to be in on Jake Arrieta. They could snag Gerrit Cole in a trade or make a move on Tyler Chatwood to add to their rotation. The Twins already shot down rumors that they made an offer to Bryan Shaw. Minnesota also has the third highest international bonus pool amount remaining to lure posted players from Japan.

From Shohei Otani to Anthony Swarzak, the Milwaukee Brewers could find themselves locked in a bidding war with the Twins on several fronts.

Where do the Brewers have an advantage?

While Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins have several key similarities, there is an important difference. The Milwaukee Brewers have a deeper farm system to deal from. The Twins have a top heavy farm system with only four prospects rated over 50 by MLB Pipeline. The Brewers have seven with which to work with.

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The off season rumor mill is about to kick into high gear. Both the Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers are prepared to make additions, and they’ll likely have to fight it out for certain players. Get ready to hear that the Twins and Brewers are linked to several of the same players. It’s already happened, and the off season has barely started.