Brewers Rumors: Crew "Looking At" Middle Infielders At Trade Deadline

This wasn't thought of as a high priority need

Atlanta Braves v Milwaukee Brewers
Atlanta Braves v Milwaukee Brewers | John Fisher/GettyImages

It's trade season and the rumors are starting to fly! The Milwaukee Brewers figure to be active on the trade market this year in a search for offense wherever they can find it.

One spot where they're looking for offense is the middle infield, according to Jon Morosi of MLB.com.

The Brewers being mentioned in rumors is always fun, especially since Milwaukee likes to operate in silence when it comes to trades. Let's dig in to Morosi's report.

The Brewers are rumored to be interested in middle infielders at the 2023 Trade Deadline.

It's interesting how Morosi phrased his tweet. The Brewers are among several teams looking at middle infielders. Okay, the Brewers look at almost every available player. Then Morosi lists several options that could be available.

Notice how he isn't phrasing this to say the Brewers are *specifically* interested in those players, just that they are "available names". Among them, Tim Anderson of the White Sox, Paul DeJong of the Cardinals, and Vidal Brujan of the Rays.

Let's dive into these names. Tim Anderson is having a down year. Like a really down year. He's hitting just .241 with a paltry .564 OPS, zero home runs, and a 57 OPS+. Anderson had hit .300 or better in each of the last four seasons prior to this with double digit homers in three of the last four. He's also under control through next year. If I'm the Brewers, I'd rather take my chances with Willy Adames right now.

Paul DeJong plays for the Cardinals. The odds of them trading away DeJong to the Brewers are quite small. The Brewers may like him, but the cost to get him would be higher than everyone else's price and I just don't see these two sides connecting.

Vidal Brujan is an interesting idea. He's a former top prospect who has been squeezed out of a crowded Tampa Bay infield. He hasn't hit much at the big league level, but also hasn't gotten much opportunity. He's versatile defensively and could be a solid hitter in the big leagues, but there would be a ton of risk in depending on Brujan to help the Brewers playoff chances in 2023. The Brewers would be better off acquiring someone who can provide a more immediate impact.

These are some of the available names on the middle infield market, but they aren't all of them. The Brewers are likely looking at some other names on the market than the ones Morosi listed. One is having a career-worst year, one plays for Milwaukee's rivals, and the other has not proven he can hit in the big leagues.

Fans can be on the lookout for middle infield additions at the Trade Deadline, but as for the three players Morosi listed, it's difficult to see any of them being a good fit for the Brewers.