Astros' trade candidate offers clear solution to Brewers' lack of power

Despite having the second-best record and run differential in MLB, the Milwaukee Brewers once again have a concerning lack of power, as evidenced by the fact that the Brew Crew ranks last in all of baseball in team homeruns entering play on July 27. The Brewers have continued to produce runs at an impressive clip -- their 535 runs scored this year are fifth-most in all of baseball -- but have once again been forced to do so without the benefit of the frequent four-bagger.

Perhaps the Brewers' lack of homers is unsurprising. Power, after all, is an expensive trait on the free agent market, which has forced Milwaukee to search for less costly ways of producing offense, like finding players who both consistently get on base and have the speed to impact the game on the basepaths. The strategy has worked swimmingly for Milwaukee in the regular season as of late, as the Brewers are coming off three consecutive division titles and once again hold a comfortable lead in the NL Central this year. However, where concerns lie is the impact that Milwaukee's lack of power is having on their postseason success.

Stringing together base hits -- how the Brewers tend to generate offense -- is much more difficult to do on a consistent basis during the postseason, when teams are facing elite pitching staffs and opposing managers are using their bullpens aggressively. As a result, teams become more reliant on one or two big swings during postseason games, knowing that opposing pitching staffs are unlikely to make consistent mistakes and allow a run of base knocks. Therefore, the Brewers' lack of power, though it may not impact their regular season success, is concerning for a team with World Series aspirations.

With the trade deadline now just one week away, the Brewers' front office would be wise to at least consider adding some power to their lineup before they can no longer make impact additions. The most obvious area for improvement in the power department is third base, where, including Joey Ortiz's recent hot streak, the Brewers rank dead last in slugging percentage. The combination of Ortiz, David Hamilton, and the since-released Luis Rengifo has combined for just eight homers and a brutal .320 slugging percentage.

Maybe the Brewers believe Ortiz has officially turned a corner and are prepared to bank on his hot streak continuing for the rest of the season, but if not, they should consider one of the few infielders on the trade market this summer, who would certainly add some power to their lineup.

Houston Astros' third baseman Isaac Paredes would add some much-needed pop to the Brewers' lineup

The Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers have already executed two trades this month. However, that shouldn't stop them from negotiating another deal before the August 3 trade deadline. Third baseman Isaac Paredes is expected to garner plenty of interest on the trade market should the Astros, who hold a 52-55 record on July 27, elect to sell at the deadline.

Paredes agreed to a one-year, $9.35 million deal to avoid arbitration this past winter, which includes a $13.35 million club option for 2027 (assuming he doesn't finish top 10 in MVP voting, which looks rather unlikely at this point in time). Paredes is by no means a perfect trade candidate for the Brewers, who put a premium on defense and baserunning, neither of which are the 27-year-old corner infielder's strengths, but there's no denying his .430 slugging percentage and 14 homers would be a vast improvement in the power department over Milwaukee's current third base options.

In addition to his power, Paredes does a lot of things at the plate that the Brewers preach to their hitters. He doesn't strike out much, chases less than the average MLB hitter, and is very selective in regard to what pitches he swings at, with a below-league-average swing% to prove it. Paredes is extremely reliant on pull power, as all of his homers have been to straight-away left field, and he consistently ranks near the top of the league in "pull AIR %," but it hasn't affected his home run output as he's averaged more than 22 longballs per season over the last four campaigns.

In a normal market, Paredes wouldn't cost the Brewers too much at the trade deadline, but given the lack of infield options and the high number of buyers this year, it's certainly possible the All-Star third baseman's price reaches an uncomfortable point. Paredes isn't the type of player Milwaukee should surrender a top 100 prospect or controllable starting pitcher for, but if they can swing a deal for a few mid-tier prospects or a redundant big-league roster piece, they should absolutely consider doing so.

Will Milwaukee make the deal? Time will tell. Arguably, the Brewers probably have bigger needs at the deadline, such as a No. 3 starter or another high-leverage reliever. However, given Milwaukee's lack of power and the need for home runs in the postseason, having Paredes on their list of deadline targets would not be a bad decision.

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