Milwaukee Brewers: 5 Prospects On The Trade Block This July

The Milwaukee Brewers are without a doubt going to be buyers when it comes to the July trading deadline. That means some prospects are likely going to be sent out.

It’s just a matter of time before Milwaukee Brewers GM and President of Baseball Operations David Stearns makes some trades ahead of the July 31 hard trade deadline. It’s the first time we’ll have that hard deadline without the waiver period in August. So his approach might be different than in previous years.

Regardless, the Brewers will be buyers this July and will likely look to address the pitching staff and perhaps add a bench player, but other than that most of the positions can be handled in house. It’s not too early to look at potential trade targets either.

But pitching can be expensive to acquire in July, especially with such a high demand for it every year. The Brewers have several prospects in their farm system that will be intriguing to other teams and could get sent to other organizations. Here are five most likely to get the call that they’re joining a new team.

Corey Ray, OF, Triple-A

Currently, Corey Ray is on the IL in Triple-A, but he’s a Top 100 prospect that had a breakout 2018 season. He’s a near-MLB ready outfielder that has a rare power-speed combination that teams covet.

When he’s healthy, as he was in 2018, he can be fantastic. When he’s battling through injuries, his numbers drop significantly, however. This year he’s been battling some injuries and is hitting just .178/.259/.287 in only 25 games.

That could obviously drop his trade value a little bit, but the flash we saw out of a healthy Ray last year could still give him enough value in the eyes of other teams to match the value the Brewers have on him.

The Milwaukee Brewers are set in the outfield for the next couple of years and Ray won’t push through, at least not soon. When he returns healthy, he could help a rebuilding MLB club. The Giants have been in desperate need of outfielders for a while now, and he could be that centerfielder they build their outfield around.

There are a few trade targets on the Giants the Brewers would likely have interest in. Madison Bumgarner and Will Smith are two that come to mind. Although if you ask most Brewers fans, they would much rather see Smith come back than have Bumgarner come in. I don’t think the Brewers would trade Ray straight up for Smith, who’s a rental, but we’ll see.