The 2023 MLB trade deadline is on Tuesday, and a team with an unpredictable history in the trade market is the Milwaukee Brewers. Last season, the Brew Crew traded away All-Star closer Josh Hader while leading the NL Central. The front office made the move to maximize the Brewers' championship window, only for the team to falter down the stretch and miss the playoffs.
This year, Milwaukee has played well for much of July to hold a slim lead over the Cincinnati Reds, with the red-hot Chicago Cubs also charging after them. A few key additions down the stretch would help the Brewers secure a playoff spot and possibly win a series or two in October.
The club's biggest need currently is hitting. Corner infielders Brian Anderson and Rowdy Tellez are both on the IL and have struggled when healthy, with batting averages in the low .200s and disappointing power numbers. The outfield has also offered very little offensively outside of Christian Yelich. Rookie Joey Wiemer has been streaky, Tyrone Taylor has not found his groove since returning from the IL, and Jesse Winker has one homer in 197 plate appearances.
Yet the trade deadline can often be a dangerous stretch, filled with false hope and overeager GMs. Here are some trades the Brewers should avoid making over the next few days.
Josh Hader (RP), San Diego Padres
After the Brewers surprisingly traded Josh Hader to the San Diego Padres last summer, the flame-throwing lefty is being linked with a move back to Milwaukee. After some early struggles in SoCal, the All-Star closer is back to his old ways this year, posting an 0.98 ERA with 24 saves in 28 opportunities. The Padres have had a disappointing season and could look to trade Hader, though they're close enough in the Wild Card race that they might just keep him.
Even though Hader is a free agent at the end of this season, the Padres will still want top-dollar for a reliever of his pedigree if they do decide to move him. Given his price, the availability of more affordable quality relief pitchers on the market, and the recent resurgence of the Milwaukee bullpen, this acquisition would not be worth it in the long run.
Nolan Arenado (3B), St. Louis Cardinals
Nolan Arenado is one of the best third basemen in the game, with eight All-Star Game appearances, 10 Gold Gloves (one in every season of his career so far), and a quartet of top-five MVP Voting finishes. He is also under contract until 2028 and would require an enormous haul for the Brewers to pry away a likely Hall of Famer from a division rival. Milwaukee GM Matt Arnold showed last season that he is unlikely to go all in on chasing a championship in a particular year, especially when there are stronger teams around the league. Expect more moves from the Brewers, just not anything of this caliber.
Tim Anderson (SS), Chicago White Sox
A two-time All-Star and former MVP candidate, Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson could use a change of scenery, but the Brewers would be well-advised to avoid the 30-year-old. Excluding the COVID season in 2022, Anderson is averaging 108 games played over the last three full seasons and already missed three weeks earlier this year with injury.
On the field, Anderson's production has dropped dramatically this year. His OPS is down from .734 a year ago (already a four-year low) to just .579 this year, and the shortstop finally just hit his first home run of the season this weekend. While Anderson has started to pick things up of late, including finally hitting that elusive home run, there are still major concerns about his slugging and barrel rate.
The Brewers already have a true shortstop in Willy Adames, and neither Adames nor Anderson has experience at second base. Even with Adames' struggles this year, trading for Tim Anderson does not make much sense for Milwaukee.
Jeimer Candelario (3B/1B), Washington Nationals
The Brewers desperately need corner infielders, but is Jeimer Candelario of the Washington Nationals the solution? A solid hitter who was never known as a power guy, Candelario is on pace to surpass his career-high 42 doubles in 2021 and has already equaled his home run total of 16 from that season. Advanced analytics suggest a drop-off too. Candelario's expected slugging of .414 is 68 points lower than his actual mark and he ranks in the 36th percentile in hard-hit percentage. Adding Candelario would not be the worst move in the world, but there are just better yet still affordable corner infielders on the market.
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