The Milwaukee Brewers made one of the most surprising signings of the offseason a few days ago when they signed Rhys Hoskins on a two-year, $34 million contract, with an opt-out after the first year and the option for a third year.
This contract is far from the headline-grabbing deals totaling in the hundreds of millions for Shohei Ohtani or Yoshinobu Yamamoto. But for the Brewers, this is the highest yearly salary the team has ever given to an outside free agent — surpassing the average $16 million that Lorzeno Cain earned annually for Milwaukee.
With Brandon Woodruff out for the year and Corbin Burnes entering the final year of his contract, the league-wide sentiment was that the Brewers would look to trade their talent and rebuild. With four top-50 prospects in the MLB Pre-Season Top 100 and numerous promising players already on the big-league roster.
The Rhys Hoskins signing signals that Milwaukee is not content to contend in a few years; the franchise wants to maximize its championship window now. That change in mindset opens up considerable possibilities for additions for the Brewers, both in free agency and the trade market. With just two months until opening day, the ballclub still has plenty of time to make a major move before the season starts. Here is one crazy trade the Brewers should consider.
Trade Garrett Mitchell and Aaron Ashby to the Chicago White Sox for Dylan Cease
The addition of Hoskins solidifies a major position of need at first base and gives the Brewers the formidable power hitter they lacked over the last few years. There are still question marks at a few other positions for the Brewers — namely third base — but the addition of another ace-level starter pitcher alongside Corbin Burnes significantly raises Milwaukee's ceiling.
The loss of Brandon Woodruff exposes the club's lack of starting rotation depth. Burnes, Freddy Peralta, and Wade Miley form a strong three, but Peralta and Miley have not consistently been able to stay healthy through a full season. After this trio, Colin Rea and Joe Ross are nothing more than inning-eaters.
One notable trade target the Brewers could look to acquire is Dylan Cease. The Chicago White Sox are in the midst of the rebuild but have held onto Cease, who they consider to be a crown jewel. The White Sox ace had a 4.58 ERA in 2023 — more than two points higher than in 2022 — but he still managed his third consecutive season with at least 200 strikeouts.
Chicago is demanding a high price for their star pitcher, but fortunately for Milwaukee, the Brewers have considerable young talent to deal. The outfield is an area of surplus for the club, with the likes of Joey Wiemer, Sal Frelick, and Garrett Mitchell battling it out for playing time. Anyone of those three will be the solid base for a trade. Add in a talented pitcher, and Milwaukee might be able to get this deal done.
Aaron Ashby is one of Milwaukee's best arms, averaging 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings during his career. The only concern is durability. Ashby missed all of 2023 through injury and also had multiple IL stints in 2022. But his swing-and-miss stuff makes him an attractive option for the White Sox.
The signing of Rhys Hoskins solidifies the Brewers as a contender, but adding a star pitcher like Dylan Cease will make the club a true World Series threat.
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