Brewers: Top 5 Minor League Trade Chips for the 2022 Deadline

With the 2022 All-Star game now in the rearview, the Milwaukee Brewers are off and running in the second “half” of the MLB season. That also means an important part of the season is quickly approaching.

The 2022 MLB trade deadline is just a week away. At 53-43 and leading the NL Central by 2.5 games, the Brewers are all but certain to be buyers as the final date of August 2nd to make trades approaches.

The Brewers could go in a number of directions for the trade deadline. They could target an AL West center fielder, possibly look at an infielder from a division rival, or pull off the unlikeliest of moves and put together a monster package for one of the best young players in all of baseball.

Whatever they end up doing, it’s likely they’ll have to throw in one or more prospects in order to get a deal done. And if they want to bring in a difference maker, those prospects will have to be one of the team’s better ones.

Granted, outside of a trade for a player like Juan Soto, there are untouchable prospects, which in the Brewers’ case would be outfielders Jackson Chourio and Joey Wiemer. But whether they are likely to be included in a trade or not, nearly every other prospect Milwaukee has could be considered a trade chip for the right deal.

Here are the Milwaukee Brewers’ top five minor league trade chips going into the 2022 MLB trade deadline.

Brewers minor league trade chip #5: C Jeferson Quero

If there’s one thing that teams love to have in their organization, it’s an all-around talented catcher. The Brewers have exactly that in Jeferson Quero, an international signee from 2019 who is their No. 6 ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

After a 2021 debut at the Arizona Complex that was slowed by injuries, Quero got his first taste of affiliated ball this season with Low-A Carolina. Overall, his numbers have looked solid as he has slashed .269/.339/.407 (.746 OPS) with 17 doubles, six homers, and 41 RBIs in 71 games.

Quero isn’t only a tantalizing trade chip because of his bat, though. He has been regarded as an above average defender since his signing from his game management to his defense. This year with Carolina, he has caught 31% of attempted base stealers, which can be a tough feat in a steal-happy environment like the Carolina League.

With the Brewers’ major league catching situation uncertain past 2022, getting rid of a possible catcher of the future could be a tough pill to swallow. But it could be worth it considering what a team might give up for a catcher of Quero’s caliber.

Brewers minor league trade chip #4: LHP Antoine Kelly

In recent years, the Brewers have been known for their ability to draft and develop young pitchers, from Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes to the recently extended Aaron Ashby. They have another possible big, young pitching talent down at High-A Wisconsin in lefty Antoine Kelly.

The hard-throwing Kelly was a 2nd round pick by the Crew back in the 2019 draft. He was able to play in nine games at the Arizona Complex League that same year and looked the part of a second rounder, giving up just four earned runs in 28.2 innings with a ratio of 41 strikeouts to just five walks.

Unfortunately, after the lost 2020 season in which he saw time at the team’s alternate training site, Kelly would end up undergoing surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome the following offseason. He would return to pitch late in 2021, but the results (9 G, 9.78 ERA, 1.81 WHIP) wouldn’t look particularly great.

Fully healthy in 2022 and back to his previous velocity, Kelly looks to have put the injury behind him. He has started 18 games at High-A so far this season and has gone 2-4 with a 3.41 ERA, career best .179 batting average against, and a current Midwest League-leading 113 strikeouts.

Kelly has a bit to go until he is ready for the majors, but the No. 14 prospect is a lefty with a mid to high-90s fastball and an above average slider. That’s a profile with which plenty of MLB teams would love to work.

Brewers minor league trade chip #3: LHP Ethan Small

Ethan Small technically would not currently be referred to as a minor leaguer, per se, since earlier today he was called up for his second stint in the majors. But still has prospect status, ranking as the team’s No. 8 prospect overall not to mention their top-rated pitching prospect.

Small was selected by the Brewers as the 28th overall in the same 2019 draft in which they took the aforementioned Kelly. Three years later, he has already made his major league debut.

Prior to that debut, Small has looked good at every level of the minors in which he has pitched. His 3.34 ERA in Triple-A Nashville is actually the highest of his career as he has sub-2.00 ERA’s at every stop of the minors since being drafted. And despite his 2022 ERA, he has only given up more than three earned runs twice in 15 starts this season.

Small got his first taste of the big leagues on Memorial Day earlier this season. Though he was pulled in the third inning of that start as his command started failing him, his four strikeouts in the first two innings were a glimpse at his potential as a starter.

Small may not have a “blow you away” type of fastball, but the way he combines it with a good changeup helps it become tougher to hit. That combined with the fact that he is MLB-ready could make him a useful bargaining chip in a trade.