Brewers: 3 Prospects Who Might Get Dealt At The Trade Deadline

2. RHP Justin Topa

Although not an extremely highly regarded prospect, Justin Topa brings some heat on the mound as a reliever. He’s 29 years old and stands at 6’4″ and 200 lbs. Topa’s bounced around in the minor leagues for a while, playing in both the Pirates and Rangers farm systems with a few independent ball stints mixed in there as well.

The Brewers signed Topa back in 2019 and in 18 appearances for the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers, Topa had a 2.63 ERA.

In 33 combined appearances between High-A Carolina and Biloxi, Topa had a 3.38 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 40 innings and just 10 walks allowed.

Topa is not going to bring back a ton in terms of big league talent. He’s the kind of pitcher who’s included to finish out a deal or if he’s getting dealt straight up, it’s for a bench/depth piece for the big league roster.

He’s on the 60 man roster, so he’s eligible to be immediately traded. Should the Brewers look for a low-level trade acquisition, Topa is a candidate to be in that return package. Especially if the Brewers were to acquire a pitcher at the deadline, most teams would prefer to get at least one pitcher in return for the pitcher they’re trading away.

Perhaps the Brewers simply included Topa on their 60 man roster because they believe in his stuff and they think he could help the bullpen if they get in a pinch. However, his inclusion means he’s eligible to be immediately traded, and with regular looks at him at the alternate site, Topa could draw some interest.

He’s a Rule 5 eligible player again this offseason, and depending on the level of interest in him, he would need to be put on the 40 man roster by the end of the year or he’ll be subject to being drafted again.