Milwaukee Brewers: 5 Untouchable Prospects This Offseason

If the Milwaukee Brewers are going to make any impact acquisitions on the trade market this offseason, David Stearns is going to have to dig into his farm system. Which prospects should be untouchable in negotiations?

As Milwaukee Brewers GM David Stearns has shown in the past, there are just certain prospects that he will not part with in trade discussions. He didn’t trade Lewis Brinson for Sonny Gray. Instead, he flipped him for a much better player in Christian Yelich.

But some prospects are just going to be untouchable. Which prospects are those for the Brewers are they go through talks this offseason?

5. Mauricio Dubon, INF

Even coming off of an ACL tear last season, the Brewers should not even entertain the idea of trading away the 24 year old Honduran native.

He was having a tremendous start to the 2018 season, hitting .343 in 108 at-bats with 15 of his 37 hits going for extra bases. Dubon is fast, possesses a solid bat, and has a good glove. He should get an opportunity at second base before Keston Hiura arrives.

Dubon presents an excellence insurance plan as well. Should a free agent signing not happen, or the free agent is signed, then gets hurt, Dubon presents a capable replacement that can start. He’ll give the Brewers the ability to keep Keston Hiura in Triple-A for as long as they need.

While Dubon doesn’t hit for much home run power, he’s a line-drive hitter that should stretch many singles into doubles with his plus speed, and he’s a major stolen base threat.

Dubon has a very high floor, making him an exciting piece of the future for Milwaukee. Hopefully, he’ll get a chance to earn an opportunity for a full-time starting job before Keston Hiura arrives.

4. Brice Turang, SS

When the Milwaukee Brewers selected prep shortstop Brice Turang with the 21st overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, the entire Brewers draft war room erupted with cheers, ecstatic to select the talented youngster. Many felt he was a possible first overall pick, or at least a top five pick entering 2018. But his draft stock fell low enough for him to fall to 21 overall.

There’s a ton of potential with Turang, and most of it remains untapped for now. The Brewers would be crazy to trade away such promising talent before it has a chance to blossom.

In his first 42 professional games, Turang hit .283 with a .396 OBP, 18 RBIs, 31 walks, and 14 stolen bases.

Turang is also a strong defender with the ability to stick at shortstop in the long run. Although perhaps not as defensively gifted as incumbent shortstop Orlando Arcia, Turang has a great glove and throwing arm, paired with a great hit tool. Arcia did not possess a high hit tool coming through the minor leagues, and struggled at the plate in 2018.

In recent drafts, the Brewers seem to have targeted players with high hit tools in their first round selections. Turang may not be big league ready anytime soon, but he’s a very talented player that needs to be kept in the organization. The Brewers feel they got the steal of the 2018 Draft, and that’s not a guy to trade away.

3. Freddy Peralta, RHP

Freddy Peralta turned in a wonderful debut season with the Milwaukee Brewers. As one of the Crew’s star pitching prospects, Peralta should not be going anywhere this offseason.

Despite how his 4.25 ERA might look, Peralta pitched well for the Brewers, and stepped up when the team needed him most. When Chase Anderson and Zach Davies went down with injury in May, the team needed an emergency starter, and Peralta filled the role admirably, earning himself several more starts the rest of the season.

Peralta finished the season with 14 starts and 16 total appearances. The Brewers will need him to be an important part of the starting rotation in 2019. With the regression of Chase Anderson, the concerning shoulder and back injuries to Zach Davies, and the free agent departure of Wade Miley, Peralta will be able to cement himself in this rotation.

Keep in mind, Peralta is just 22 years old, and he’s already shown an ability to adjust and be successful in the big leagues. With a ceiling as a No. 2 or No. 3 starting pitcher, Peralta will be a vital piece of the current championship window.

1. Corbin Burnes, RHP

The main reason that Corbin Burnes tops this list instead of Keston Hiura is that Burnes has the potential to be a frontline ace starting pitcher for years to come. A homegrown, developed No. 1 pitcher is a lot more difficult to find than a good hitting second baseman like Hiura.

Burnes pitched in some big moments out of the bullpen for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018, but he’s poised to return to the rotation. David Stearns and Craig Counsell have confirmed that multiple times.

Burnes finished 2018 with a 2.61 ERA in 38 innings. He had a 2.00 ERA in the postseason, covering nine innings.

With four pitches in his arsenal, Burnes is the one pitcher that should not be available to anyone, no matter what. It doesn’t matter if Mike Trout is coming in return, Burnes should be off-limits in any trade discussions. The 24 year old Burnes is the frontline starting pitcher the Brewers have been looking to develop for a long time.

You can never have enough starting pitching, and trading away possibly the best one in the organization is not a wise decision. If given the choice between trading away Burnes or trading away Hiura, I would choose to trade away Hiura. It’s much easier to find a second baseman that can hit for a high average than it is to find an ace starting pitcher.

The Milwaukee Brewers should not move any of these five names listed this offseason. They’re simply too important to the current or future success of the organization for them to be included in any trades.