After the drama of an offseason that included the departure of franchise cornerstones Corbin Burnes and Craig Counsell, the Milwaukee Brewers have responded with a tremendous first half of the season.
The club is 59-43 — 6.0 games ahead of the second-place St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central and 11 games in front of the last-place Chicago Cubs. Milwaukee's 55 wins at the All-Star Break were tied for the most in franchise history before the All-Star Break.
Despite this success, the team could use some reinforcements to maintain their high level of play throughout the season. Here are two bold trade predictions for the Brewers ahead of the MLB trade deadline as Milwaukee looks to strengthen its squad for the playoff push.
Brewers acquire Tigers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty
An ailing Brewers staff has seen 16 pitchers start a game for the team this season, and Milwaukee relievers have pitched the second-most innings of any MLB bullpen in 2024. Adding Aaron Civale in a recent trade helps solidify a staff that includes Freddy Peralta, Colin Rea, and Tobias Myers. All three have been solid performers for the Brew Crew, but none have filled the void at the top of the rotation left by ace Brandon Woodruff, who is out for the entirety of the 2024 season.
Jack Flaherty has been phenomenal for the Detroit Tigers this year after bouncing back from a rough second half with the Baltimore Orioles in 2023. Flaherty has a 2.95 ERA, and his 2.93 expected ERA shows that his impressive performances are no fluke. The right-hander ranks in the 93rd percentile among MLB pitchers in strikeout and walk rates, sporting a superb 7-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The 28-year-old is a free agent at the end of the year, and he gives the Brewers the high-level pitching they need for the postseason at a discount price.
Brewers trade for 1B/OF Michael Toglia of the Colorado Rockies
Christian Yelich earned an All-Star Game berth this year for the first time since 2019 and looked as close to his old self as he has since fracturing his kneecap that season. But the Brewers outfielder landed on the IL for the second time in 2024 due to an ailing back and will be out of commission for another sizeable stretch. While Yelich decided to undergo rest and rehab instead of a season-ending operation, he will likely need surgery in the offseason, and he was not optimistic about a quick return this year.
The lefty's latest injury leaves the Brewers with a noticeable shortage of offensive production in the outfield. Fortunately for the Crew, they have solid depth in the outfield, offering Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick, and Blake Perkins alongside rookie Jackson Chourio. The quartet has been fantastic defensively but leaves a lot to be desired at the plate. Neither Mitchell, Frelick, nor Perkins offer much power (each slugging .364 or lower with a combined nine homers), and all three have overperformed, with expected batting averages that are 18, 22, and 30 points lower than their actual averages, respectively.
Even with Chourio hitting better as of late (.862 OPS since June 2), Milwaukee is not getting enough offensive production from its outfielders to win in the postseason. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Brewers are targeting a left-handed bat to replace Yelich, and Michael Toglia of the Colorado Rockies fits that bill. After a slow start, Toglia has posted a .882 OPS since mid-June, swatting 12 homers in a 34-game span. Eight of those round-trippers came away from Coors Field.
As a switch-hitter, Toglia offers power from both sides of the plate. He is among the league leaders in hard-hit rate and average exit velocity, making him a perfect addition to a Brewers lineup in need of run producers.
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