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The Milwaukee Brewers are battling with the St. Louis Cardinals for supremacy atop the National League Central. The Brewers have a three game lead over the Cardinals currently, and it's going to be a frantic finish as the two sides fight it out over the final two months of the season.
Of course, there have been a lot of trade rumors surrounding the Cardinals lately, particularly involving Washington Nationals superstar Juan Soto. If the Cardinals end up landing Soto, that would make things a lot more difficult for the Brewers the rest of the way.
Milwaukee doesn't have the assets to make a move for Soto, but they could counter a potential blockbuster trade by the Cardinals by making some moves of their own. Their best move, though, would involve trading for a player who could fill multiple roles in their lineup throughout the rest of the season, which would be huge for the Brew Crew. Let's take a closer look at what that perfect trade would be for the Brewers.
The perfect deadline deal for the Milwaukee Brewers: Trading for Brandon Drury
The Brewers have been riding on the back of a dominant pitching staff to help them win games this season. They have a dominant trio of Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Freddy Peralta headlining their starting rotation, with Eric Lauer also developing into a solid starter as well. Their bullpen has been lights out for the most part too, with Josh Hader closing games, and guys like Devin Williams, Brad Boxberger, and Hoby Milner helping out in the late innings as well.
That has helped keep some of the attention off of Milwaukee's weak lineup. Manager Craig Counsell has largely been able to piece things together throughout the first half of the season, but it's clear that the lineup needs some serious help at a couple of spots. That's why acquiring a versatile utility guy like Brandon Drury of the Cincinnati Reds would make a lot of sense for the Brewers at the deadline.
Drury has emerged from out of nowhere to be one of the better hitters in the league this season. He's hitting .275 with 20 home runs and 59 RBIs so far this season while playing all over the field on defense. Most of Drury's totals at the plate are career highs for him, and there are still two months left on the season for him to up those totals. Given the Reds seem to be geared for a rebuild, trading Drury would make sense for them.
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Drury has spent most of his time at third base this season, but he's played at every spot in the infield at one point or another for the Reds this season, while also spening time in right field too. That versatility helps keep Drury's bat in the lineup, which is a necessity given how good he's been hitting this season.
Truthfully, Drury could fill in at any spot in the infield for the Brewers. Willy Adames and Rowdy Tellez will probably stay put at shortstop and first base, but Kolten Wong has been pretty inconsistent at second base all season long, and Mike Brosseau is currently filling in for an injured Jace Peterson at third base.
Even then, Drury could fill in the outfield, where the Brewers have gotten virtually no production at center field. After cutting Lorenzo Cain, Milwaukee has leaned on Tyrone Taylor and Jonathan Davis, both of whom have struggled. Drury hasn't ever played center field in his career, but Christian Yelich could probably be shifted from left field to center to make way for Drury.
That's what would make acquiring Drury so helpful for the Brewers. Counsell has been struggling to find a lineup that consistently works, so having Drury, who can switch positions with a snap of the fingers, would be quite helpful. Not to mention, he would immediately become one of the Brewers top hitters in their weakened lineup.
Drury's struggles to establish himself early on in his career makes him a bit of a flight risk, but he's been great this season, and that's all that should really matter for Milwaukee here. They are looking to make some noise in 2022, and if they want to keep the Cardinals off their back, acquiring Drury would certainly help.
The good news is that of the top hitters on the market, Drury probably won't charge as much of a price as some of the others. All in all, picking up Drury should probably be one of Milwaukee's top goals at the trade deadline. His bat would be perfect in the Brewers lineup, and he can play all over the field. He wouldn't compare to the Cardinals potentially landing Soto, but in terms of fit, Brandon Drury makes a lot of sense for the Brewers moving forward in 2022.
