Do the Tampa Bay Rays hold the missing piece for the Milwaukee Brewers?

Milwaukee Brewers trade targets on the Tampa Bay Rays: Isaac Paredes

Garrett Cleavinger and Yandy Diaz from the Tampa Bay Rays could be helpful acquisitions for the Milwaukee Brewers but Isaac Paredes might truly be the missing piece for the Brewers. Isaac Parades does so many things that the Brewers need that could take them from "team exceeding expectations as playoff contenders" to "true World Series contenders".

Isaac Paredes would instantly help the Brewers in one of their weakest spots, the backup 3rd base position. No offense to Andruw Monasterio, whose smile is infectious and has had his moments, but he is a true backup, not a guy who could challenge Joey Ortiz's lockdown of the hot corner. Isaac Paredes is a player who could challenge Ortiz for the starting 3rd base job

Isaac Paredes has played mostly third base in 2024 and his career but has played a solid 69 games at first base in his career as well. Should confidence in Rhys Hoskins continue to lower and in the absence of Christian Yelich cause Jake Bauers to play some outfield, Paredes can cover.

Paredes is batting .249/.356/.441/.797 and would bring some much needed power to the Brewers lineup. The Brewers currently rank 23rd in team home runs. Paredes' 16 would tie him for the team lead with Willy Adames and Rhys Hoskins.

Paredes, despite a somewhat low batting average, is a good contact hitter, ranking in the 89th percentile for whiff percentage, 81st percentile for strikeout percentage and 90th percentile for walk percentage. His batting average may be lower than that of Yandy Diaz but he does get on base more.

Isaac Parades does bring a great bat but isn't the best fielder, he's not bad but he's just slightly above average, so acquiring him wouldn't faze Joey Ortiz out. Also, Paredes will be entering arbitration again in 2025 so he does have team control for three years but will be due for a solid raise from the $3.4 million he's making this year. That said, Paredes could be a perfect option for the Brewers not only in 2024 but beyond.

Recently Matt Arnold said "I think it's highly unlikely that we'd move Willy at the deadline." So Willy Adames not surprisingly is going to finish the season with the Brewers, whether he remains a Brewer in 2025 is far less certain. Should Adames be lured away by a big market team that can shell out more money than the Brewers can, the Brewers by acquiring Isaac Paredes would be in a great position to recover from that loss, at least on the field.

By adding Paredes, in 2025 they could set him up as the starting third baseman and then kick Joey Ortiz inside to the starting shortstop position. While the clubhouse and Brewers fanbase would be terribly sad to lose Willy Adames' fun loving attitude, the on field situation would be in a really good place to recover by having Paredes to take over his role in the lineup and Ortiz in the field.

So Isaac Paredes could be the Milwaukee Brewers missing piece for 2024 and could be a factor in their long term success as well.