Milwaukee Brewers: Marcos Diplan and the Winter Meetings

In order for the Milwaukee Brewers to compete in the NL Central, they will probably have to part with top prospects.

One prospect that the Milwaukee Brewers can feel good about letting go is Marcos Diplan. He ranks out at number 15 in the organization on MLB Pipeline. That, along with his fastball, make him a valuable option to other teams.

In the Faux GM Meeetings for FanSided, Diplan was a part of the deal to get Steven Matz for the rotation. Granted, he accompanied Yasmani Grandal who the Dodgers gave us for Ryan Braun. But you can see every move made here.

Regardless, moving Diplan is not an awful idea. He is one of the three players that came over in the Yovani Gallardo trade. But, with Corey Knebel alone the Brewers come out winners in that deal.

To say that a prospect is easy to move is kind of crazy. And I would never advocate shopping him. But if he can be part of a deal to get a necessity at the MLB level, then it is more than worth it. There are four pitchers who rank higher than him, plus he had a very down year.

What makes Diplan moving even more questionable is that he is on the 40 man roster. He is a recent addition to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. Though, that does not guarantee anything. He still could be dealt for the right deal.

In 2017, Diplan pitched for Carolina. After surrendering 11 homers, his ERA was not pretty. While he projects very well, there are others who project better. It is never bad to have a myriad of options at any position, but the return would be worth it.

If trading the fifth highest pitching prospect can fill a need, why not go for it? Recently, I did write about Ian Kinsler and why he is a bad idea. Diplan is the price tag for him. While I wouldn’t advocate for the aging second baseman, he does fulfill a need.

In a more lucrative scenario, Diplan could be used to get a pitcher like Marcus Stroman or Chris Archer. Both would slide into the top of the Milwaukee Brewers rotation right now. Making parting with a prospect more than worth it.

It is unlikely that Diplan will move. Although I would think he is the first pitching prospect to go. It just makes sense. It is not giving up on him in any way. Getting value for him means he is valued fairly high. He is just expendable based on what else is in the organization, and what it needs. But keeping him wouldn’t be bad either.

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Seeing anyone leave the organization is not easy. But if it helps the team in the end, then it is more than worth it. The Milwaukee Brewers are in a position to strike in the NL Central, and they will have to jump on it.