Milwaukee Brewers: What Pitchers Could Be Available At The Deadline?

The Milwaukee Brewers are set to open their season on March 29 against the San Diego Padres.

It is also true that the team had the best 90 minutes of the offseason by acquiring Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain. But the question remained, would the Milwaukee Brewers sign a big name pitcher? Spoiler alert, they didn’t.

Mark Attanasio, the Brewers owner, gave an explanation. It can be heard in this tweet.

He wants to be ready for the trade deadline. Some would think, why not go for it from the outset of the season? It is a fair thought, but I think this is the correct approach. Before selling the farm or paying for a multi-year deal, why not wait?

Benefits Of Waiting

The Milwaukee Brewers are in a place where they can win for several years. There is solid young talent at the major league level, such as Orlando Arcia, that will be only getting better. There are also some prospects who look very promising, such as Lucas Erceg and Corbin Burnes. So there is no reason to sell the farm right now.

If the team can compete for playoffs as is, then a deadline move for a pitcher will only make the team better. But on the flip side, if a pitcher was brought in only for the Brewers to be out of contention early, it would have been wasted efforts and money.

The greatest asset Milwaukee has right now is their ability to wait for the right move. They did not need to rush into a Jake Arrieta or Yu Darvish deal. Because of the youth and control, they can be patient until a truly good move comes along.

So, who will be available at the deadline?

This is not an easy thing to predict, but it is not impossible. But, if the Milwaukee Brewers are in the place to buy there will be teams with pitchers to sell. That is the key to it all. The timing needs to work out more than anything.

Marcus Stroman

This is another example of the AL East pitcher that might be available at the deadline. The Jays really do not seem to be in a place to compete this season. Frankly, the top two teams are just too good for the rest of the division. That is what kills Toronto. They are talented, but not to the level of the Yankees and Red Sox.

Another source of tension before the season even started was his arbitration case. He tweeted about hearing all the negative things his organization said about him in order to win the case. The full unfolding can be seen here.

When it comes down to it, Stroman just wants to pitch. He knows what happened and why it did, he just wants to get out there and compete. Without a doubt, he is a fan favorite in Toronto, and there is very good reason for that. Milwaukee would love him just the same.

Brewers Chances

While I think that Stroman would fit very well in a Milwaukee Brewers uniform, I am not positive it will happen. The Blue Jays are not in a win or bust mode. The moves they made all allow for a couple seasons of trying. I don’t think that letting Stroman go is in their best interest, and I am sure they feel the same.

That does not mean that Milwaukee won’t try. Things happen, and the top talents in the division might not be on top by the trade deadline. For all we know, Toronto could be outplaying their division rivals. They have a better shot than the Rays, so it could happen.

If the cards fall the right way, this is my favorite choice for the Brewers. It would seem that Stroman is the best choice too because he will check a lot of necessary boxes that the Crew needs to take their game to the next level.

Michael Fulmer

Everyone can see what is going on in Detroit. Al Avila pressed the button to blow everything up. They sold off JD Martinez, Justin Upton, and Justin Verlander. Oh, and Avila sent his own son to the Cubs. What kind of sick and twisted punishment is that?

They did keep Michael Fulmer though, who enters his first year of arbitration in 2019. It is not insane to believe they will keep him for the long haul, much like they did with Verlander. But they are poised to finish so far down in their division that they might just sell their greatest asset. Fans will be clamoring for something else to happen, and Fulmer could be that something.

ESPN thinks this move is entirely possible. According to them a lot of teams will be after Fulmer, but still the Milwaukee Brewers are one of them. It makes enough sense, though the former Rookie of the Year did not have the best follow-up season.

Brewers Chances

There are a lot of potential suitors for Fulmer and that is not good for the Brewers chances. He is young and controllable; the price tag will be massive to start out, but adding in other teams makes that tag skyrocket even more. It might not be worth paying, especially after the price paid for Christian Yelich.

The talent is there with Fulmer. We’ve all seen how dominant he can be. Even in his “down” year he still pitched to the tune of a 3.83 ERA. That is just not the ace level performance that everyone wants him to be at.

Without a doubt, Fulmer has the potential to be an ace for a lot of years. It is not a terrible move for the Crew to make, but it will cost a pretty penny. In all reality, it is hard to see any price tag that will not feel like too much for just a single player.

Madison Bumgarner

It is just not a prediction piece without naming someone who vaguely makes sense. Yes, this is a long shot. But it does not feel like it is impossible. The San Francisco Giants were bad last year, and if they are struggling again, they will probably move to sell. They will be starting the year without Madison Bumgarner and Jeff Samardzija, which does not help them win in the slightest.

The other thing is that they traded to go all in. But what they got was two veterans that are not exactly in their prime. It is hard to see them in a good spot around deadline time, so they will sell. If they do, the Brewers could be right there with their arms open.

With the Giants landing the second overall pick in the next draft, they did not end in good shape. It is not impossible, but also not common for teams to make that drastic of a turn around. Especially for a rotation that begins the year without two of its top pitchers.

Brewers Chances

The teams have talked. There were so many rumors between them this offseason, and that is not because they were freezing each other out. The Giants like some of the young talent in Milwaukee, and Milwaukee will like some of the talent ready to win now.

Bumgarner also brings playoff and World Series experience, as well as being a lefty. A couple of freak accidents have sidelined him for a long time, but he is likely still a dominant pitcher who has a lot to offer to a youthful Brewers squad. But remember, this is very long shot.

Next: Should They Deal A First Baseman To The Yankees?

It is more interesting to think about than bound to happen. But MadBum in a Brewers uniform would be no doubt helpful to the team. If the Milwaukee Brewers are competing at the deadline, there will be a pitcher on his way to Miller Park, it is just a matter of who.