3 early Brewers offseason rumors that should have fans really concerned

This offseason has not been an easy time to be a Milwaukee Brewers fan. It kicked off with the worst kind of bang: losing manager Craig Counsell to the division rival Cubs, a surprise non-tendering of Brandon Woodruff, and now whispers of a Corbin Burnes trade are getting louder. The Brewers have been quiet about any potential strategy going into the offseason, though their release of Woodruff and DH Rowdy Tellez cleared up some space on their payroll, leading to some intrigue around what they might do with that extra money.

However, aside from the addition of former Yankees first baseman Jake Bauers to the roster, the hiring of Pat Murphy to replace Counsell, and some small trades away from Milwaukee for prospects (Mark Canha and Abraham Toro), the Brewers and the rumor mill around them have been relatively quiet.

Here are 3 early Brewers offseason rumors that should have fans really concerned

And yet, the ones that have been able to cut through the noise have been rather disquieting. It's always important to note that rumors are just rumors, and when it comes to baseball, they can be particularly misleading or complete busts altogether. Still, there's that saying — "every rumor carries a seed of truth." If any of the following rumors carry a seed of truth, they'll be reason for fans to worry. Here are three that have popped up so far this offseason.

A Corbin Burnes/Willy Adames package deal might be in the works

Corbin Burnes' name has been on the chopping block seemingly since the very beginning of the offseason, with some doomsayers even wondering if he could be traded to the Cubs in the worst kick-them-when-they're-down fashion following the departure of Craig Counsell to Chicago. A Burnes trade to the Cubs feels incredibly unlikely, but a Burnes trade elsewhere could be less so. His name has been so prominent in trade conversations for a reason.

The Brewers are down to only a few major pieces that they could play to fill in their many gaps without spending a good deal of money on free agents this offseason, and Burnes is one of them. Another is Willy Adames who, despite putting up a not so great .217/.310/.407 slash line this year, managed 24 home runs and 80 RBI and is an elite defender at shortstop.

Burnes and Adames have been variously linked to separate teams, but a rumor has emerged that presents a scenario which would be even harder to swallow: Burnes and Adames both being dealt to the Dodgers. MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal believes that the Brewers have backtracked on an LA deal, and compelling arguments against the possibility of a Burnes trade to any other teams have been made. However, the Brewers are clearly open to shopping their biggest pieces, and that alone should be cause for concern. Just because a Burnes/Adames package deal might not happen for the Dodgers, that doesn't rule out the possibility of it happening at all.

The Brewers are willing to trade anyone on their roster

The trades might not stop with Corbin Burnes and Willy Adames; Ken Rosenthal believes that no Brewers are safe from the possibility of a trade. This includes Christian Yelich, who is indisputably the face of the franchise. Yelich does have a no-trade clause, but the point here still stands. Everyone is at risk this offseason. The Brewers are willing to gut their team to build back up again.

It's sort of difficult to wrap your head around, given the Brewers' success this season. They're by no means shoe-ins for first in the NL Central next year, given the Cubs' and Cardinals' clear aggression this offseason, but they had more to build on rather than tear down to start again. Their problems — the need for an everyday third baseman, the need for a designated hitter after non-tendering Rowdy Tellez, the need for more pitching — don't seem to warrant this kind of finger-on-the-trigger mentality. Plenty of teams are dealing with the same issues without being ready to give up the entirety of their current roster.

Taking into account the wealth of young talent they've been developing and got good amounts of playing times in the majors, especially toward the end of the season, a total teardown doesn't make sense. Brice Turang, Sal Frelick, Joey Wiemer, and Garrett Mitchell, prospects the team was excited about going into the 2023 season and have already shown flashes of real proficiency in the major leagues, should all expect to be more regular presences if they don't find themselves on the chopping block.

The Brewers' willingness to turn their players over in a fire sale feels like an overreaction, but it's sort of unclear what they're overreacting to. This is definitely a rumor that we hope is overstated or just completely untrue, but it's one to keep an eye on either way.