Brewers: 3 Relievers to Target on MLBTR’s Early Trade Candidate List

The MLB trade deadline is still a little under two months away, but we’ve reached the point in the year where teams will soon start separating themselves as deadline buyers or sellers. Unless things go drastically wrong, the 1st place Milwaukee Brewers are shaping up to be buyers.

With this being the case, it’s hard not to look ahead and see what players might be available come trade deadline time. Luckily for fans, MLB Trade Rumors has put together their list of the top 40 trade candidates for the 2021 season.

Though much of the desire for improvement for the Brewers has centered around the corner infield, the Milwaukee bullpen could use some consideration at the deadline. Even though they feature a dominant closer in Josh Hader and solid arms in Devin Williams, Brad Boxberger, and Brent Suter, Brewer relievers currently rank 20th in MLB in fWAR (0.5) and 22nd in ERA (4.42).

Here are three relievers the Brewers should target on MLB Trade Rumors’ early trade candidate list.

1. RHP Ian Kennedy

The Texas Rangers signed 36-year-old Ian Kennedy to a minor league deal last offseason after a year to forget in which he gave up 14 earned runs in 14 innings and missed the entire month of September due to injury. All he has done is bounce back to have one of his best seasons as a pro so far.

Through 21 1/3 innings so far in 2021, Kennedy has a 2.53 ERA, which would be his lowest ERA in a season in which he pitched at least 20 games, as would his 1.078 WHIP. Serving as the Rangers closer, his 12 saves currently rank him 3rd in the American League.

Kennedy has done this by switching his pitch mix up to rely very heavily on his four-seam fastball. He’s throwing it 82% of the time in 2021 (the pitch’s previous high usage rate was 66.9% in 2019) and at an average of 94.4 mph, which ties for the highest average velocity on that pitch in his career.

The result has been high MLB rankings in whiff rate (30.9%, 73rd percentile per Baseball Savant), strikeout rate (29.8%, 78th percentile), and barrel rate allowed (3.8%, 89th percentile). His 46.2% hard hit rate and 91.8 mph average exit velocity allowed leave a bit to be desired, but the results so far have spoken for themselves.

He would be a rental and obviously would slide out of a closer’s role as the Brewers already have arguably the most dominant reliever in the league there in Hader. But adding Kennedy’s arm to a late inning mix could make the final innings a nightmare for opposing teams.

3. RHP Raisel Iglesias

Perhaps the Brewers would decide to go with a name that is a little more familiar to them. In this case, the name is not just familiar to Milwaukee fans, but all the other teams in the division as well.

Raisel Iglesias spent six years as one of the better relief arms in the National League Central division prior to 2020. But this past offseason, the Cincinnati Reds traded him to the Los Angeles Angels, mostly due to the $9.125MM he was set to make in 2021.

Though he started the season a little rough, Iglesias has been improving as the season has gone on. His ERA currently sits at 3.91 with his WHIP at a nice even 1.000 through 23 innings. He’s also picked up 10 saves in 12 opportunities as the Halos’ closer.

There are some concerns as his home run rate is at the highest it’s ever been (2.0 HR/9) and his hit rate is close to the same (7.8 H/9 vs 8.2 career high in 2019). But he has been causing batters to swing and miss at the plate at one of the best levels of his career.

Iglesias’ 13.3 K/9 is the highest mark of his career by a full strikeout per nine. Meanwhile his strikeout rate (37.4%) and whiff rate (41.6%), not to mention his miniscule walk rate (3.3%), all sit in the 97th percentile or higher per Baseball Savant.

As an added bonus, his familiarity with the NL Central could be a nice asset. It will be a fight to the finish for the division title and Iglesias has good career numbers against both the Cubs (3.46 ERA, 1.116 WHIP, .210 batting average against), and Cardinals (3.33/1.266/.204).

Just like the previous two candidates, Iglesias becomes a free agent after this season, so there are no worries about having to match a hefty price tag going forward.

Based on his track record, Stearns will almost certainly make a move for a reliever, assuming the Brewers stay competitive. Any of these three candidates would make a fine addition to the bullpen.