Milwaukee Brewers: Grading The Crew’s Trade Deadline

Deadline Grade: C+

This was a disappointing deadline for the Milwaukee Brewers. They needed a frontline starting pitcher to really give them any chance for a World Series win this year. Brandon Woodruff is out six weeks and is now the team’s best hope. But is he enough? Do they need more? I suppose we’ll find out in October, but you can’t add more once you’re there.

The struggles in the middle part of the season didn’t give the front office enough confidence in this team to go all in this year, despite getting two rentals. They also focused on controllable projects like Faria and Black, hedging their bets for 2020.

They improved the bullpen, once again just hoping the rotation can cobble something together in October. It worked for a while last year, but can it work again, and work enough to get them to and win a World Series?

They opted for quantity over quality. Quality is what wins you a World Series. Yes, you need some quantity as well, and having a quantity of quality talent is preferred, but they still have the same amount of quality talent as they went into the deadline with.

I don’t see any of these pitchers they acquired moving the needle in 2019. If they do, great, but it’s not likely.

Not getting that starting pitcher to pair with a healthy Woodruff to lead a rotation and playoff series will plague the Milwaukee Brewers. It’ll plague them until they finally get one who can help lead that rotation. Bullpens are great, but high quality starting pitching is still important, and the Brewers don’t have that.

I hope I’m wrong. I hope these transactions work out extremely well for the Crew and they do have the team to win the World Series in 2019. But, right now, it doesn’t look like it.