Milwaukee Brewers: Is Christian Yelich Worth losing Lewis Brinson?

The Milwaukee Brewers have made a formal trade offer to the Miami Marlins for outfielder Christian Yelich. No details of the trade are known, but the Marlins are clearly a seller this off season. Yelich has also said that he doesn’t want to play for a team that is not going to compete.

This trade offer is a very interesting development on multiple levels. The most important aspect is what the Milwaukee Brewers would send to the Miami Marlins in exchange for Christian Yelich. The Brewers have a very good farm system. Many of their prospects have been rumored in trade talks, but is their top prospect, outfielder Lewis Brinson, worth trading away for Yelich?

Brinson is the 13th overall prospect in the MLB pipeline top 100 prospects in baseball. Brewers GM David Stearns essentially denied any trade that involved Brinson last season during the trade deadline. This factored into the Brewers not getting Sonny Gray.

The Brewers outfield is very crowded, which has caused a lot of questions to be raised. Should they keep Ryan Braun? Is Keon Broxton worthy of a spot? Is Domingo Santana a trade candidate? As well as the future of prospects Brett Phillips and Brinson.

Why would the Brewers want Yelich?

Yelich is 26 years old and won’t become a free agent until the after the 2023 season. He has very good numbers over the last few seasons playing almost every game in recent years.

Yelich is worth it because the Brewers know exactly what they’re getting when they put him in the lineup. He has been consistent over the last few years at the Major League level, and he’s a proven, consistent run producer. You never know how prospects will workout, no matter how highly rated they are.

Brinson and Phillips project well at the highest level, but again, prospects are just that, prospects. It’s always better to get a player who the team knows they can expect a certain level from rather than a prospect who it’s impossible to be sure about.

Also, Yelich has accumulated his numbers, which include 39 home runs in the last two seasons, in one of the largest parks in baseball. A hitter like Yelich, who has produced  in a pitcher’s park, projects well in the hitter-friendly Miller Park.

Why would the Brewers want to keep Brinson?

The argument to keep Brinson is still messy. No matter what direction it goes, the outfield of the Milwaukee Brewers needs to be addressed. There is too much talent there now with only three starting spots.

Brinson obviously projects very well to the Majors. He showed flashes of his great talent in his time in Milwaukee last season. Brinson has been the plan for the future of this organization. Sticking to the plan could be best for everyone.

However, Brinson is Major League-ready right now. He has nothing left to prove in the Minors. His status may prove troublesome for the current situation in the Brewers outfield in terms of the distribution of playing time.

Yelich is a very high level talent in this league. He would be a great addition to the Milwaukee Brewers. However, a deal will cost a few of the Brewers best prospects, possibly including Brinson.

Brinson has become a big part of the Brewers organization, and many would be dissapointed to see him go. But then again, ask yourself, what do you expect out of Brinson that Yelich can’t bring to you right now? The answer is not much.

Next: Is there an offer on the table to Yu Darvish?

Yelich can be exactly what the Brewers need right now instead of a few years from now with Brinson. Yelich is much more proven than the young prospect. He would be a fantastic addition to the Milwaukee Brewers, and losing Brinson would be worth the cost to get him on the team.