It might be tempting, but Brewers must avoid trading for this All-Star slugger

To say the Milwaukee Brewers "need" power hitters this offseason is probably a little bit of an exaggeration, seeing as they ranked 12th in the league in slugging percentage (.403) and ninth in wRC+ (107) last season.

However, they finished in the bottom-third in home runs (22nd, 166) and ISO (25th, .145), which is a damning indictment of their ability to hit the ball over the fence. Considering they've lost ostensible sluggers Rhys Hoskins and Danny Jansen to free agency, it's not a stretch to say they need to bring in a free agent or trade acquisition to keep the offense humming.

It just so happens that a premier slugger has found himself on the trade block this winter, though there are a lot of strings attached. Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Teoscar Hernandez is reportedly being discussed in trade talks, which may be confirmation that the team is legitimately trying to slash payroll after winning two straight World Series (Tyler Glasnow is also a rumored trade candidate).

Is there a fit here with Milwaukee?

Brewers must avoid one-dimensional players like Teoscar Hernandez this offseason

Beyond just having to trade with the Dodgers, the Brewers would have to swallow a lot of negatives to infuse Hernandez's power into the middle of their order.

For one thing, he's an expensive veteran that probably doesn't fit into the budget. There are some wonky deferrals going on that lower the present-day value (what else is new with the Dodgers), but Hernandez is owed somewhere in the vicinity of $35 million over the next two years with a $15 million player option for 2028.

That isn't an egregious asking price for a guy with a career 117 wRC+, but Hernandez is 33 and slowing down as he gets older. He strikes out a ton (career 29.0% strikeout rate), rarely walks (6.9%), and plays horrid defense in right field (-43 Outs Above Average and -24 Defensive Runs Saved for his career).

Does that really sound like the profile of the quintessential Brewer? Sure, he hasn't hit fewer than 25 home runs in a full season since 2018 and his wRC+ hasn't fallen below average (100) since his rookie campaign in 2016. Simply put, the guy can hit.

But with budget constraints affecting their every move, the Brewers simply don't have the flexibility to add a guy like Hernandez to the fold, even as a full-time designated hitter. There may not be many better sluggers out there, but Milwaukee can piece together some power for a far more reasonable price tag.