It’s time for another edition of our sellers series, where we take a look at the team that could be dealing away players as the August 1 non-waiver trade deadline approaches.
We’ve already looked at the Yankees, Braves, Reds, A’s and Padres. Today, we’ll focus on the Brewers and Twins, a couple of upper Midwest teams that could soon be parting with multiple players.
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The idea here is to look at the players that will be available when contenders come calling, with one featured player and a quick run-through of other position players and pitchers on the block. Contract numbers are courtesy of the always-awesome Cot's Baseball Contracts.
Brewers
Jonathan Lucroy: The All-Star catcher, who finished fourth in the 2014 NL MVP voting, is making just $4 million this year, with a no-brainer $5.25 million club option for 2017. He struggled with injuries in 2015, but he’s been outstanding again this year, with a .311 average, 10 homers and an .891 OPS. And as a catcher, Lucroy’s pitch-framing skills are among the best in baseball. He would be an instant upgrade behind the plate for most contenders, and he also can play first base and DH for AL clubs. The thing is, he won’t be cheap. The Brewers don’t have to trade him because of that miniscule club option for 2017, so they won’t move him just for the sake of moving him. They’ll set a price and clubs will have to meet that price (in terms of prospects/young MLB starters). The other thing to remember is Lucroy has a partial no-trade clause (he can block deals for up to eight teams), which complicates the Brewers’s search (though he could wave that no-trade power, of course, if he really wanted to). He makes a ton of sense for the Mets and Astros.
Other position players: Once upon a time, Ryan Braun was one of the brightest young stars in baseball. That was, of course, before he was busted for PEDs and the despicable way he lied about pretty much everything related to the suspension. But even though that left a bad taste in the mouth, Braun is arguably one of the best bats on the trade market — he’s hitting .315 with 12 homers and 37 RBIs. The other thing that will have to be sorted out is Braun’s contract. The Brewers gave him a five-year, $105 million extension waaaaaay back in 2011, and that extension just kicked in for the 2016 season. Milwaukee will certainly have to send money along in any deal, but the question is how much will they have to send to deal Braun, who turns 33 in November.
Veteran infielder Aaron Hill won’t be nearly as complicated to trade. He’s a free agent after this season, he can play second, shortstop or third and after a slow start to the season, he’s batting .309 since the start of May. The Brewers signed Chris Carter to a one-year, $2.5 million deal after he was non-tendered by Houston after the 2016 season, and he’s already hit 18 homers, with a .801 OPS. That’s solid power on a relatively weak market, but he’s also under potential club control through 2018, so they don’t have to deal him (though they would for a decent offer). It’s possible middle infielders Scooter Gennett or Jonathan Villar could be available, but they’re both under club control for at least three more years so there’s no motivation from the Brewers to move either guy.
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Pitchers available: Every single contender will be evaluating ways to improve its bullpen, which is why you’ll hear Brewers closer Jeremy Jeffress discussed often. It took a while (and three teams) to find his footing in the big leagues, but he’s been outstanding for Milwaukee in 2015-16 (2.71 ERA in 105 appearances) and is 19-for-20 in save opportunities this year. He’s under club control for three more seasons (he’s eligible for arbitration for the first time after this season), which gives the Brewers good leverage in trade talks because, again, they really don’t have to deal him.
Veteran starter Matt Garza has only made two starts in his return from the DL, but the second one produced six shutout innings against the Dodgers. If he puts together a string of three or four more productive starts, he could be a back-end-of-the-rotation option for a contender, if the Brewers agree to send money along in the deal (he’s making $12.5 million in 2017 and has a complicated vesting option for 2018). As far as other relievers, lefty Will Smith has been good in his return from the DL (1.74 ERA in 10 games), and veteran right-handers Blaine Boyer (3.48 ERA) and Carlos Torres (3.82) would certainly be available.
Twins
Fernando Abad: The veteran lefty was solid for the Nationals in 2013 (3.35 ERA) and outstanding for the A’s in 2014 (1.57 ERA), but struggled a bit in 2015 (4.15 ERA) and was let go by Oakland after the season. Picked up by Minnesota, he didn’t allow a run in his first 12 innings this year and has a 2.28 ERA. Lefties, as you know, are a precious commodity on the trade market, and the Twins should be able to turn him into a decent mid-level prospect (if he proves his recent poor outing against the Yankees was just a fluke).
Other pitchers available: The Twins would certainly seem to be open to trading veteran starters Ervin Santana or Ricky Nolasco, but both have ERAs hovering around 5.00 and both are making at least $12 million next year (which means the Twins would probably have to send money along, unless either strings together several good starts between now and the trade deadline. And the Twins would love to trade closer Kevin Jepsen, but guys with a 5.46 ERA, 5.58 FIP and 12.2 H/9 don’t exactly bring back good returns.
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Position players available: There’s not a ton here. The Twins’ lineup has been a mix of struggling youngsters they won’t trade and veterans who have depressed their trade value with down seasons. One exception is Eduardo Nunez, who turned 29 last week and has one year of arbitration left. He’s played shortstop, third base and second base for the Twins this year, and he’s batting .321 with nine home runs and 16 stolen bases in 60 games.
Kurt Suzuki is a solid veteran catcher, but after posting a .727 OPS and earning an All-Star nod in 2014, he’s produced just a .620 OPS in 2015-16. He has a vesting option that he’s not likely to reach, which means he’d be a decent backup option for a contender looking for depth. Third baseman Trevor Plouffe had 22 homers and 86 RBIs last year, but he’s batting just .239 with a .626 OPS in 2016. He has one year of arbitration remaining and is a free agent after 2017.
